[Mac]

Every Christmas, I hand deliver a poinsettia to all my clients. Ive been doing it so long, it has become a tradition. However, it is begining to get quite costly. Ive been using a local garden center and obtainted a 50% discount but am still paying about $10 per for an 8" (I think)... I really dont know if this is a good deal or not. Anyways, Ive been wanting to grow them myself and thought Id ask if anyone has any experience or knowledge of this. Would I be able to get a nice, full plant in 11 months? Is this something im going to need alot of special equipment for? Is it even feasable? Thanks.

[NCSULandscaper]

I would look for another source before you think about growing them yourself......i get 8" poinsettias for $2.50 each through a local wholesale nursery.

[Mac]

How much volume do you do with this nursery aside from the poinsettias? Im entirely maintenance and have no leverage to get a nice break like you, I imagine.

[agla]

If I am not mistaken, you have to dedicate the entire greenhouse to grow pointsettias because there is very specific conditions that you have to manipulate. The most important one is day to night light ratios that they need to bloom right, but will freak out any other plants. That is what was told to me a very long time ago.

[Lanelle]

If I remember correctly, my wholesale grower puts the plugs into the pots in late August. Not only does the heat and light have to be regulated, you also have to keep a close eye on pointsettias for white fly infestation. For all the work they require, seems like finding a wholesale source would make sense. This would also become your source for seasonal color buys.

I just checked what we paid for 8" with 3 plants per pot and your price isn't bad. Looks like we paid close to $14.00 for that size. We don't buy very many so convenience is also a factor.

[Bill Schwab]

Mac:

Our shop is in Ecinitas, California, and what ius significant about that, is Encinitas is home to Paul Ecke, who made the town the flower capital of the world when he propogated the Poinsettia some 80 years ago. I am freinds with his some, Paul Jr. who still operates 75 acres of Poinsettia greenhouses in the city.

Consider this. You pay what, $10.00 each? They have 75 acres of greenhouses dedicated to this one plant. Consider that on the coast, we dfo not ever drop below 40-45°, nor ever rise above 85-90°. Said that, Ecke gets away with no heat, and rarely had to air condition the green houses. You on the other hand are on Ohio, where if I'm not off here, the temp today is dancing at 20.

By the time you paid your heat bill, bought the plants, made the right dirt blend, and added your labor, I'm thinking that $10.00 z pot plant fee is a drop in the bucket.

Agla is right on with light conditions, as well as heat/cool. Most Poinsettias are sold as plugs, and they begin the harvest in June/July out here.

[NCSULandscaper]

Originally posted by Mac
How much volume do you do with this nursery aside from the poinsettias? Im entirely maintenance and have no leverage to get a nice break like you, I imagine.

Thats the wholesale price of all buyers.......it may be worth it to have some shipped in by boxes fully grown.....

[Mac]

Well thanks for the replies. I kind of figured growing them myself was an uphill battle, but I wanted to ask to be sure.

Lanelle, thanks for checking your prices... it sounds like we are getting very similar plants.

Bill, you would not believe that it is 60 outside today! It is very unusual, but nice none the less.

[dan deutekom]

Growing them probably is not an option for you unless you are doing at least 10,000 but I pay $3.50 (give or take) for 6" pots wholesale and 2 of these will plant together to make a superb 8" plant. Another option might be to use a 3" point along with 4-3" tropicals that you would plant into 8" pans. Makes a nice mixed planting for about $8.00.

If you are paying $10.00 for a dressed and nicely sleeved plant that really isn't to bad but if it is just a bare pot without foil, bow or nice sleeve then you are paying to much

[Hamons]

When I did Poinsettas last year -- I found Wal-Mart had the nicest plants you could find anywhere for cheap. I went and looked at my receiplts -- I paid $4.59 for 8" pots with anice foil wrapping. Thats was in 2002. Bu -- I remmember that even my best nurseries were much higher than that. I stopped giving poinsettas because I felt oo cliched and that clients just tossed them on their desk and forgot about them.

This year and last I delivered bags of ice melt. Much more comments and apreciation expressed for this gift.