Popular Poinsettia Best Treated as Temporary Houseplant The poinsettia is far and away throughout the world as an almost the most popular flowering plant perpetually blooming large shrub, for the Christmas season. Ac- People in most parts of the U.S., cording to University of Delaware however, know the poinsettia only Extension Horticulturist Dr. as a seasonal potted plant. After 30 Charles Dunham, this Central years of effort, hybridizers have American native is widely succeeded in producing varieties cultivated in tropical gardens with large, colorful bracts : T ♦ NORTHAMPTON FARM BUREAU CO-OPERATIVE ASSOCIATION TATAMY, PA ★ ; FEED, SEED CHEMICALS X ♦ LIME AND FERTILIZER ♦ ♦ CUSTOM APPLICATION | t ★ : J TEXACO PETROLEUM PRODUCTS X I * J ♦ SIMPLICITY ♦ ♦ LAWN & GARDEN EQUIPMENT ♦ : - : EASTON 215-258-2871 ♦ ♦ GSI QUALITY BINS MADE IN U.S.A. EARLY ORDER DISCOUNTS NOW IN EFFECT sjfV'V o*' GSI FEED BINS & ACCESSORIES 1 *- im ««•«•••*-»»» w* bl.*, I *.*AJBMV*U| • FEED BINS • WCT HOLDING TANKS • BUCKET ELEVATORS • DRYING AND AERATION FANS • GRAIN CLEANERS \ IWUltlimWO' »*■»%>« specifically designed for pot culture. Grown in greenhouses for the Christinas season, the size of these handsome ornamental houseplants is controlled by starting date and growth-retarding chemicals. During July and August each year, new plants are started from cut tings. The earliest cuttings make the largest plants. The most popular size fits a 6-inch pot, but larger and smaller sizes are readily availble. “One of the most spectacular displays is a poinsettia hanging basket,” Dunham says. This can be suspended from the ceiling or a wall bracket, or used as a large centerpiece. To create a hanging basket, a florist uses a special pot which is assembled in rings as the cuttings are planted. The plants then grow right out of the sides of the pot. Nine or 10 plants are used in a 10-inch basket. Since each will have four to five blooms, a single container may have 30 to 40 flowers. When buying poinsettias, the specialist says to choose plants with healthy dark green foliage and fully colored bracts. Unlike tOO BTU SALE SPECIAL! 1 u *79 9,000 ITU Rag. $169.00 Ask about our I 22,800 BTU Corona' K er o-Sun! TOYOSTOVE •79 i cuts carbon & odor* ■» $3.00 ». g ia 95 SAIE $B.OO ePLACE « STOVE SHOP W. Main St., Leola 10-», Tu» I TKur 10-*, Sat *-5 7) 656-6408 • GRAIN BINS • UTILITY, FLEX, TRANSPORT, INCLINE, VERTICAL AND BIN UNLOADING AUGERS • AERATION FLOORS some flowers, poinsettia blossoms won’t continue to develop well outside the greenhouse. However, don’t be afraid to buy one several weeks before Christmas. A healthy plant will last three weeks in a room with little or no light. Given nine or more hours of natural or bright artificial light, it may last several months. Poinsettias need water regularly, but let the soil dry out between waterings, Dunham advises. Although they require frequent fertilizer feedings during active growth, none is needed while they’re being used for decoration. Red is still the most popular color, but today poinsettias also come with white and pink bracts. Every Christmas, reports cir culate about the possibility of people especially children being poisoned from eating the leaves or flowers of poinsettias. “This fear is totally unsupported by scientific evidence,” Dunham says. “Extensive tests have shown there is no basis for reports that this plant contains any toxin which might be harmful if eaten. ” Some people trv to keen their Uiitrisv HEAVY DUTY REPLACEMENT CHAIN Will fit: /g@l HOOK AND EYE Prices un A Chain You Must See To Appreciate Only Then Will You See What It Has To Offer Thl Ch Materials In Your Lagoon • 540 RPM 70 HP MODEL K3l LIQUID PUMP OTTepV • 1000 RPM 150 HP (3600 GPM) HUSKY FRONT MOUNT SOIL INJECTORS LIQUID TANK SPREADERS 6 sizes to choose from 1200 gal. to 5000 gal ALL EQUIPMENT IN STOCK READY FOR DELIVERY We Need Good Used Lr id Manure Lancaster Fanning, Saturday, December 10,1983—825 STARLINE KLINZING CORNELL JAMESWAY ACORN FARMWAY BETTER-BILT FARM-O-MATIC BADGER PATZ HEDLUND CLAY BARN-O-MATIC BERG See Your Route Salesman or Call Us At 626-1151 Will R poinsettia as a houseplant, hoping it will rebloom the following year. Such efforts result in varying degrees of success, the specialist says. The best way is dry off the plant in May by withholding water. Then cut it back to a few inches from the base, and repot in fresh soil. Keep it outside in a sunny spot for the summer, watering and fertilizing regularly. Pinch back the shoots several times over the growing season to keep the plant from getting too tall. Bring it inside early in September, place it in a sunny window, and continue watering and fertilizing. Finally, to stimulate flower development, place the plant where it will get uninterrupted darkness each night, starting in mid-October. Do this faithfully until Thanksgiving and, if you’ve done everything right, you may be rewarded with another round of colorful bracts, though they probably won’t be as large or dramatic as they were originally. “If all this sounds like buying a new poinsettia each year is easier, you’re probably right,” Dunham says. FORAGE LINKS tB MWIM i Chr lent
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