POINSETTIA
them all and need three of each. Give me some Monet, Ice Punch; oh, that elegant Vision of Grandeur, then I need seven of the Carousel and five of the Winter Rose. Since I am a Texas A & M graduate, I definitely need some of the maroon selections.
You can quickly see the dilemma both for shopper and the greenhouse producer. With hundreds of varieties, there is just no way one could grow them all. What is important is that you shop for poinsettias now. Poinsettias can hold their color way past Christmas if you shop wisely.
Look for plants with fully mature, thoroughly colored and expanded bracts, and small green flower buds. Select plants with dark green foliage down to the soil line. This indicates a healthy root system. As a rule of thumb, poinsettias should be 2{ times bigger than their pots. In other words, a 15- to 18-inch-tall plant looks best in a 6-inch container.
Durable plants promise weeks of enjoyment and if you find yourself late with decorating or needing poinsettias for the visitors that are about to arrive have no worry. Look for strong, stiff stems, good leaf and bract retention, and no signs of wilting, breaking or drooping. Carefully inspect packaged poinsettias before purchasing them. With the busy holiday season, forgetting to water can be disastrous for a poinsettia. Feel the soil, and water when it is dry to the touch.
Don’t be shy about using poinsettias throughout the home _ and don’t be surprised when the family says, “This was the most beautiful Christmas ever.”