All handouts will be available at lanier.ffanow

1. All handouts will be available at www.lanier.ffanow.org

2. Growing Poinsettias: A First Timers Guide Tracey Cortez Lanier High School Austin, Texas

3. Background Information • South American native • Brought to the United States in 1825 by Joel Poinsett • In 1909 the Ecke Family began specializing in Poinsettias • Ecke is now the premier breeder of poinsettias

4. Current Trends • Red was the primary color up until the 1990’s • Novelties • Rose Forms • Colors • Leaf Shapes • Stronger stem architecture • Free branching characteristics • Timing • Forms

5. Poinsettias in a School Greenhouse • Poinsettias are easy to grow and only require a little patience and luck to be successful • Easy after the first year • Can be very profitable and educational

6. Greenhouse Environment • Must have a greenhouse that is able to cool and is semi automated • Greenhouse should be free of weeds and insects • The entire greenhouse should be sterilized before planting • Bleach • Zerotol* • Green Shield • Triathlon*

7. Growing Media • Use a high porosity peat based growing media • Pro-Mix BX* or HP • Sunshine #4 • Add vermiculite or perlite to current media • Try adding compost to the media • Do not use bark based mixes • Add a biological fungicide if available • Root Shield • Actinovate*

8. Containers • 6.5” Azalea Pot • 1 ppp • 10” Azalea Pot • 3-4 ppp • 10” Hanging Baskets • 3-4 ppp • Support Cages • Will save you $$$ • Use only dark colored pots

9. Red • Prestige Early Red • Prestige Red - #1 Poinsettia in the world • Enduring Red - Series • Classic Red - Series

10. White • Polar Bear - New • Snowcap • Enduring White - Series • Classic White - Series

11. Jingle • Shimmer Surprise - RW • Shimmer Pink - PW • Sonora White Glitter - RW • Ice Punch - New

12. Novelties • Prestige Maroon • Winter Rose • Orange Spice • Polly’s Pink

13. Timing • Early Season • 6 – 8.5 Week Response Times • Thanksgiving Sales • Mid Season • 8.5 – 9 Week Response Times • December 1st Sales • Late Season • 9 – 9.5 Week Response Times • December 7th and Beyond Sales

14. Rooted Cuttings • Order rooted cuttings by the end of February • If you haven’t ordered yet you still can • Arrive early, mid, or late August • Usually sold in 100’s • Brokers: • Ellison's Greenhouses • Paul Ecke Ranch • Park Seed Wholesale • Jolly Farmer

15. Planting • Fill all pots with moist soil and place in the greenhouse 12 hours prior to planting • Plant rooted cutting even with the soil line • Plant in the early morning hours • Water in well with clear water • Drench fungicide if possible

16. Care Before Pinching • Water the newly planted rooted cuttings with clear water for 2 days • Begin Fertilizing on day 3 • Peters EXCEL Cal-Mag 15-5-15 • 200 ppm Nitrogen • Try incorporating compost tea into your fertilizer rotation • Soak the floors with water to cool the greenhouse by evaporation

17. Florel – Sandwich Technique • 3 Days before your pinch • 5 Days after you pinch • 50 ml per gallon • Will make the plants look like they are stressed • This will increase and even the number of breaks that the plant produces • See information on the Ecke Website

18. Pinching • Should be performed approximately 2 weeks after planting • Roots should reach the sides of the pot • Leave 5-6 nodes should be left on the plant • Install support cages

19. Spacing and Irrigation • Space on minimum 12” centers • Irrigation is best done by a drip system • Continuous liquid feeding system • Flush with clear water once a week • Let plants dry out slightly between watering

20. Growth Regulators • Should be used to keep internode length to approximately 1 inch • Cycocel/B-9 • Follow the labels • Cut off before flower initiation • Bonzi* • Micro drench of .10 ppm every 7-10 days • 1 ml per 10 gallons • 1oz of drench per 1” of pot

21. Monitoring Height • Produce a 14”-16” plant • Ecke On Target available at www.ecke.com • Use a yard stick with a slider made out of paper • Height should be recorded weekly along with notes

22. Height Control Example

23. Insecticides • Follow label instructions • Tristar 30 SG* • Systemic 30 day residual • Talstar* • Quick knock down • Marathon • Granular • Tame/Orthene Aerosol (Kills Adults)* • Only in early stages of growth • Preclude Aerosol (Kills Eggs)* • Only in early stages of growth • Safari • New and expensive

24. First Color • Should begin seeing color around the last week of October • Begin spraying with calcium chloride weekly to prevent foliar diseases • Calcium Chloride available from Sargent Welch • See Ecke Technical Bulletin on the Ecke Website

25. Color Progression

26. Finishing • Water with clear water 10 days prior to sale • Day temperature - 75º • Night temperature - 66º • Continue calcium sprays • Make sure that you have visible pollen before selling plants • Make sure that your order shipping sleeves and pot covers in October

27. Poinsettia Sale • 6.5” pots • $6.00 - $8.00 • 10” pots and baskets • $12.00 - $15.00 • 1-day sale on a Saturday • Use Craig’s list • School email • FFA website

28. Resources • Ecke Website • Ecke Tech Help Bulletin Boards • Poinsettia Height Control • Ecke Poinsettia Manual

29. Other Ideas • Pansies • 288 Plugs • Whitton Greenhouses • Holiday Cactus • North Carolina Plant Farms • Vegetative Annuals

30. Contact Info • Tracey Cortez • tcortez@austinisd.org • (512) 414-7429 • www.lanier.ffanow.org