Horticulture Hotline 12/09/19
Bill
Lamson-Scribner
In the very early days of “The Garden Clinic” Paul and I
used to go on the Lowcountry radio legend Dan Moon’s WTMA Talk Show for 20
minutes on Wednesdays. Dan would boast about how he kicked his Poinsettia off
his back porch by his A/C under a shrub and how it grew into a monster
Poinsettia.
Of course Dan would tell this story with all the details
(what kind of shoes he was wearing, how many times did the pot roll over before
it fell off the porch, how high was the porch, what kind of a/c unit he had,
how much soil came out of the pot …) - the way only Dan Moon could tell a
story. Paul and I would get weekly updates on Dan’s Poinsettia. It was larger
than life – typical Dan. Dan had the voice and that great ability to make
everyone feel like a friend that he had known forever. Dan will be missed by
many.
Poinsettias do not like to be in direct sunlight, so place
them in a protected area (the reason Dan’s did so good under a shrub). Some
people like the garage. Filtered light is good.
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 whole sale nursery while the Poinsettia crop is being grown, it is a
sight you will not forget!
How can you force the Poinsettia to “bloom” before next Christmas?
I have bloom and flowering in quotes, because Poinsettias are mainly grown
because of its colorful bracts, not flowers.
After Christmas in the Lowcountry, you can put the plants
outdoors as long as the weather is not going to get too cold. To force the
bracts to change color beginning in early October, 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!
Unfortunately, this nice cool weather is bringing out the
Large Patch in our turf. Be sure to
treat the areas before it goes into dormancy.
Now is also a good time to apply horticulture oil or Neem Oil for
over-wintering insects. Neem oil will control certain fungi too. Winter weeds
are visible now. Control them now while they are young and actively growing.
Your results will be much better. Moles? Is there an over/under bet on how many
times I will be asked about moles this holiday season?
Always read, understand and follow product label. The
product label is a Federal Law.
Bill Lamson-Scribner
can be reached during the week at Possum’s Landscape and Pest Control Supply.
Possum’s has three locations 481
Long Point Rd in Mt. Pleasant
(971-9601), 3325 Business Circle
in North Charleston
(760-2600), or 606 Dupont Rd,
in Charleston
(766-1511). Bring your questions to a Possum’s location, or visit us at
http://www.possumsupply.com. You can also call in your questions to “ The
Garden Clinic”, Saturdays from noon to 1:00, on 1250 WTMA (The Big Talker). The Horticulture Hotline is
available 24 / 7 at possumsupply.com.
