Grower News

One cutting in a 6.5” pot has 10 blooms and can easily fit a 7”. All photos: M. Sawaya Other than a few growers who were looking for a few specific colours, there was no demand for extra poinsettias this year. Because a few buyers were hunting for product last season, some growers were optimistic this year and grew a small percentage based on speculation, and yes, you guessed it – these growers were stuck with the few poinsettias that they speculated on. Later on when we discuss costing, you will realize that every plant that we cannot ship takes away from the profits of ten plants sold. Sales In Ontario, most poinsettia growers shipped all that they grew, as long as they did not speculate. The question is, did we make any money on the poinsettia crop last year? The answer is only known to those who calculated the cost of growing poinsettia as a separate crop; not pooled together with the rest of their other crops and awaiting their year-end statement to know whether they were profitable or not. Here are some observations from a few growers who shared their costs with me. Soil, pots, and cuttings do not vary much from grower to grower. However, the number of cuttings per pot makes a big difference. Most growers use two cuttings in an 8” pot, not three, and the quality of the two cuttings is much better because they have more space and can receive higher light intensity throughout the whole growing cycle. This leads to stronger, healthier plants that will have better shelf-life in stores and greater consumer success. The same goes for 10” or 12” pots with three cuttings, which tend to show larger blooms and last longer. For the few that grow in 7” pots, it is a crime to put in more than one cutting, especially when you see how one cutting looks in a 7”. This is my favourite pot-to-plant size ratio, resulting in a good number of blooms and a healthy, durable product. Big plants in small pots is a recipe […]

Source: www.greenhousecanada.com