Pontsettias...life or death situation...

[Nicos]

Alice , the small one died, but the larger one is doing ok...just getting bald from the base up , but I think the spraying has certainly made a big difference...ie - it's not dead yet!!
I did promise myself I'd get the hang of posting photos so I'll see what I can do over the next few days!!

[Alice]

At least you had some kind of success Nicos. How did everybody else get on ?

[busyizzy]

I have always been under the impression that as Poinsettias are in the Euphorbia family that the sap is an irritant.

[rustylady]

At least you had some kind of success Nicos. How did everybody else get on ?

Hi Alice

Like most of us I suspect I usually buy a poinsettia for Xmas and resign myself to it lasting for a week or two. I think you're right about the treatment they get before purchase affecting them. However, this year I bought a smallish one from the local Co-op for the princely sum of £2. 49 and it's still looking good.

[Alice]

Well here we are in June and here's my Poinsettia bought mid December. Did anybody else get a good one.

[Nicos]

Cor Alice...you dun gud lass!!!!
Mine was composted months ago!! ( puts me to shame!!)

[Flummery]

My mum still has hers - but it's spindly, woody and green. I'd have booted it out too Nicos, if it were mine!

[SarzWix]

I've had mine for 3 years now, it's never 'flowered' since I got it, but it never gets the 12 hours of dark that it needs for that. It's on my kitchen windowsill which is east facing, and I've cut it back every year which it seems to quite like. I dunno why I've kept it really, except that I can't bear to bin anything that's still alive!

[nick the grief]

it probably has flowered Sarzwix, but they are so small and piddly you hardly notice them. They need to be blacked out to get them to colour up. The producers use screens in the greenhouse like they do for all year round CHrysanth production. Originally the hail from Mexico I think so they need warmth and no draughts as well.

If you look at the 2nd message in the thread I posted a link that may help you more.

[DanielC]

Hi there. Here's a photo from my pontsettia bought just before Christmas. Has been doing grand up until literally the last few days. Leaves wilting....... Have tried repotting it today (photo is with new pot) and spraying leaves. I think it may have been overwatered - typical after all this time. I really want it to survive as I want to try the challenge of getting to bloom again for this Christmas!

Mrs C

[Alice]

Hello Daniel, looks like your Poinsettia has been doing good to get this far. It still looks good. I would let it dry out a bit and take it from there. You're obviously doing something right as most of them hit the compost heap months ago. Let's see how we get on.

[DanielC]

Things have moved on.....

Alice, just to say, the poinsettia has changed somewhat dramatically..... Soon after my last post, more and more leaves kept falling off. In a last ditch attempt to save it, I pruned it soon after.....

Anyway, I've just returned from a week's holiday fully expecting it to have died but it's still hanging in there with some shoots coming through!

How's yours doing?

[Alice]

Thanks for the update DanielC. Where there's life there's hope so maybe that Ponsettia will come good. I know they say you have to do all sorts of light manipulation to get them to do the coloured bracts again but it's not always the case. One I had a few years ago had gone green and started to grow. It was quite nice and I kept it - then it turned beautifully red. I think that was it's swan song as it died after that.
The one I posted above in June still looks exactly the same. Maybe I'll get it all the way to Christmas. If it's still good in August I'll post again.

[DanielC]

Alice,

Is yours still going?!? Ours is, but I think only just. No red leaves, only green leaves. I'm just about to google what I need to do/how many hours on darkness I need to give it for it to develop red leaves again in time for Christmas (very slim hope, me thinks!)

[DanielC]

Just looked at the following website for advice: http://www.fernlea.com/xmas/poininfo.htm Obviously, I'm starting this a little late but my poinsettia has now gone to bed! I repeat, I think it's a slim chance that it will survive!