Poinsettias and many other plants purchased at the big box stores are many times weakened before they are purchased by the consumer. Shipping long distances and the lack of good care the plants receive day after day stresses the plants. Remember most box store employees are not plant people and are busy with other chores. This weakened condition of the plants is caused by the days that they are in transit and many times in cartons en route to the stores. The plant’s roots tend to dry out while they are in transit. After the plants arrive at the stores, many times it can be a day or so before they receive much attention and the plants are further weakened. Poinsettias are a sturdy plant when they have enough daylight but in many of the stores they are on carts in the aisles and down hill they go.
Further damage occurs when the plants leave the store on the way to the customer’s car, no protection is provided. The weather in Ohio can be very cold in December and tropical plants need protection from winter temperatures. By the time this poor poinsettia or house plant gets home with the consumer the plant is really struggling. The next thing you know, the customer begins to feel like they do not know how to take care of plants because their new poinsettia, or other house plant, that they just purchased, starts to look very poor in a few days.
There is no comparison to a plant purchased from a local greenhouse or garden center where the plant is grown locally and kept in a bright, warm greenhouse. These local plants are not shipped hundreds of miles or ever put in dark boxes for days. The plants in the local greenhouse are fertilized and watered properly and do not get blasts of cold air. When the plant leaves the greenhouse the poinsettia is “sleeved” with a plastic or paper cover to protect it from damage due to breakage and also protection from cold temperatures. When plants are cared for in this way and the customer follows the directions for plant care in the home, poinsettia plants will do well throughout the winter and many times until Easter and beyond.
If you have not purchased a poinsettia or other house plant from a local greenhouse or garden center because you have had some bad experiences with plants in the past, this is the year to give these local plants a try. I’m sure you will see a huge difference in the quality and how easy it can be to take care of a good, healthy plant.
House plants and poinsettias, in particular, are getting a bad rap this time of the year because of the abuse these plants receive in the box stores. Many times the public feels like they cannot care for their plant purchases very well so they eventually give up, and that is a real shame. Plants improve the indoor environment where we live. Find a good local greenhouse and enjoy some good plants for the holiday and l beyond.
Go to meadowview.com or send an email to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. if you have a question or comment.
31 years of growing
Meadow View Growers
www.meadowview.com
