Little did Joel Poinsett know that when he brought the first
Poinsettia back from Mexico that it would become the United States most popular
“flowering plant”. Joel Poinsett, a
South Carolinian, was the first ambassador to Mexico. In 1825 he introduced the Poinsettia to the United States. These plant sales top over 70 million each
year. The dollar value is much
greater. If you ever have a chance to
visit a wholesale nursery while the Poinsettia crop is being grown, it is a
site you will not soon forget!
The question I always get this time of year involves forcing
the Poinsettia to “bloom” before Christmas.
I have bloom and flowering in quotes, because Poinsettias are mainly
grown because of its colorful bracts not flowers.
To force the bracts to change color, keep the plant in total
darkness for 14 hours straight. After
the 14 hours of darkness, the plant must receive 6-8 hours of bright sunlight
daily for 8-10 weeks. Depending on the
variety of Poinsettia you should see the bracts change color. The easiest way to accomplish this is to
place the plant in a dark room with a grow light and a timer. This way you
don’t have to adjust your schedule to care for the plant. My little secret is to support the local
nurseries and buy new plants each year!
The other day I was asked when and how to divide
Amaryllis. To divide Amaryllis, wait
until the foliage dies back in the fall and dig the bulbs up with a pitch fork
so you do not disturb the roots. Add
Cotton Burr Compost to the bed where you dug them out and divide and replant
into the new bed about 6-8 inches apart.
Be sure to plant these with at least one-third of the bulb above the
ground for better blooming. Plant the
bulbs in groups of 3-5 for a better show.
The larger bulbs will bloom the following spring, where some of the
smaller bulbs may take 2 years to bloom, depending on the size of the bulb.
Unfortunately, this nice cool weather is bringing out the
Large Patch (Brown Patch) in our turf.
Be sure to treat the areas before it goes into dormancy. Map these
damaged areas in your yard and treat with a preventative fungicide in the early
spring, so your newly emerging grass will not be attacked by the fungus.
Now is also a good time to apply neem oil or horticulture
oils for over-wintering insects. Since
neem oil controls some fungi too, I have been using more of it the last few
years.
Beat the rush and bring your soil sample into Possum’s for
testing for a green and healthy landscape in 2016
The camellias, tea olives, holly berries, pyracantha berries
and of course our fall leaf color … what a wonderful time to be in the
Lowcountry!
Always read, understand and follow product label. The
product label is a Federal Law.
