Topic: Annual xmas problem

[ACE]

It came today, in she came from the freezing cold clutching her poinsettia. Two weeks time she will be complaining that it is dying, she'll be lucky if it  lasts to twelth night.

For all the newbies that will be asking how to keep them growing here is the answer. Unless the little darling has been kept in a warm warehouse, not been on a draughty lorry, has not been displayed by the shop door and you did not buy it on a day like today. You do not have a snowballs chance in hell. A few do survive but then it takes a lot of looking after in dark airing cupboards, warm water watering etc. But my advice is to just get another one next year.

[Barnowl]

I worked that I killed mine every year  by over watering. Now I'm aware of that they seem to survive a bit longer, but I agree they are pretty wimpy about the conditions they like - shed leaves at the slightest upset etc

[valmarg]

ACE, by recommending 'But my advice is to just get another one next year' you are just playing into the hands of the retailers.

I agree, having been chilled the plant will drop all its leaves/bracts, but treated with  a bit of tlc, it will start growing again.

I did keep a plant for about five years.  I just kept it on the windowsill, above the radiator.  It kept on growing, and eventually produced flowers and bracts.  No need to keep it in black polythene bags to get it 'right' for Christmas, it usually flowered, produced bracts around July/August.  After a few years it was almost a bonsai version.  It was beautiful.

Then I was stupid enough to take the advice of an ex-spurt, who advised that I cut it right back after flowering.

It died.

valmarg

[ACE]

ACE, by recommending 'But my advice is to just get another one next year' you are just playing into the hands of the retailers.

It also keeps a lot of people in employment, it might not be a big wage, but it is better than nothing. We have done the same thing with rooted xmas trees for years. Ooh!it's expensive but it will do for next year, but it is either dies or looks nice in the garden, so lets get another one. Can't see a problem with keeping people in work.

[valmarg]

Not in the UK it doesn't.  The major growers are in Holland, so the EU wins out yet again!!

valmarg

[ACE]

so the EU wins out yet again!!

I thought we were in the EU

[silverbirch]

I'm with Ace on this one.   I buy fresh every year.  I have better things to do with my life than work out how to save £3.95.

Mind you, for some strange reason, our one kept the bracts until until about July last time.  In the end I chucked it out because I was bored.

[Rob the rake]

It's the waste of resources that gets to me. It's not just a few pointsettias, is it? Just think how many millions of crappy plastic goods and countless tons of unnecessary packaging are produced each and every day and you'd think we had oil to burn.
The most pessimistic estimates indicate that demand for oil could exceed supply within 10 years, and what then?
We need action NOW to curb our excesses, the throwaway society is sheer madness. Please remember that it will be your children and their descendants who will suffer the legacy of the greed and wastefulness of the current generation, and act accordingly.

[Robert_Brenchley]

We've had our artificial tree for 11-12 years now, and we're unlikely to get another.

[angle shades]

we have still got last years Poinsettia, it was thrown in an unheated greenhouse in April and stayed there until 3 weeks ago,

it is now on the hearth, where a blazing hot coal fire burns every night, I admit it hasn't many red leaves on it, but it's a very healthy looking plant, and the temperature it's been in have fluctuated greatly.... I know it's a fluke result ,and it should be more red than green, but I haven't the heart to throw it away ;D/shades x

[valmarg]

[/quote

I thought we were in the EU
[/quote]

Ooops, sorry pardon - for EU read UK.

valmarg