Here's a couple of pics I took today. I think I'm pretty much done doing its darkening thing.

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Unfortunately Draven has lost a Stem, So he's a bit lopsided this year... Will need to make a Surport Thingy for him for next time.

Fuzzynuts, ever heard of the film The Crow? If So my Daven is Named after Eric Draven the Main Character.

Puglvr1, Think You've Cracked it... The Light Control I mean... LOL

Goodness me puglvr! What beautiful poinsettias. You should feel very proud of yourself! Well done you! I am determined to get mine looking the same next year. (If it doesn't I shall be naming it Damien!). I nipped out a couple of side-shoots today. My coloured leaf bracts are quite small compared to yours and Ninecrow's. NC, very sorry to hear Draven has lost a leg. Would like to see a picture of the progress even so! Reading through the postings, I can't make out whether to prune it in February or April. Which is best? Best wishes. FN

Thanks FN, for my climate I prune mine around mid to late March, our weather then is pretty warm, so I am more likely to get faster growth. Feb. is usually the coldest month for us here.

Ninecrow, that happened to my white one also, I lost a couple of small branches, but it still looks fine, a little lopsided like you said, but what are you going to do. They are pretty brittle.

Hi all, Everyones poinsettias look very healthy! This is my first post in this forum, and tell you my little tips [and really hope they help! he he] For absalute darkness, I put a thick black plastic right on top of the plant, starting at 8 pm. in the morning it's removed and still under grow lights. Of course some of you have Huge plants too large for a small light system, but the black plastic really helps.
This is my plants second season of color just starting. and what it looked like last year. Wish everyone lots of color!!{{gwi:112863}}
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Puglvr1, I'm going to try and make some sort of Surport for him, I have a few Ideas so.....

Beetle_2007, Looking Good... I use a Box for Draven

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***Note***
This photo was taken a while ago, so he still has all his Stems

Very nice plant, Beeltle 2007 and welcome to the forum, thanks for the darkening tips...

Ninecrow, support for the stem sounds like a great idea!!

Puglvr1 nice plants! No color on mine yet. I may not be keeping it in a dark enough place though. Need a big box, so far no luck finding one.

Hi Tommy. Sorry to hear yours hasn't coloured up. If you put the plant in a black bin liner tied at the top and then in a cupboard, it should be dark enough? FN

Yeah Fuzz (your screen name kills me!), need a darker spot.

Hi Tommy. Fuzzynuts is (surprise) one of our cats. His brother is Busterballs (but sadly the op has reduced them to simply Fuzzy and Buster ..). Regarding dark places, to test mine I got into the cupboard, put the black bin liner over my head and shut the door (while it was still light outside) and it was as black as black could be! I have also lined the bottom of the cupboard door to prevent light coming in as much as poss. Mine has coloured, but as you can see from this picture, it looks very thin and spindly with undesirably long legs as I did not prune it - or feed it - or anything it until October! Next year it's going to start looking like Draven and Pug's.... one hopes. Good luck Tommy. Look forward to the progress report. FN (pic's a bit blurred I'm afraid)
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That pic is fine, good job!

Thanks Tommy. You're very kind! When I opened the cupboard this morning, mine had fallen off its perch and landed on its head. Miraculously, there were no injuries... unlike poor Draven! The weather in UK has been horrible of late and there has not been much chance of a sunny window. But at least the house has a good heating system. The orchids are going great guns. Look forward to hearing the progress on your poinsettia. FN

Tommyr, thanks...Keep going, I still have one that is lagging behind and yet I did all three of them at the same time. We've had a full moon for almost 2 weeks, and I think this one didn't get complete darkness my other two got.

Since Fuzzynuts mentioned her screename was named after her cat, I thought I would post a pic of my Pug, hence my screen name, he loves posing next to my plants, lol. Nice pics FN, yours will fill out next year, that I am sure. You have the coloring part down pat.

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puglvr. I did wonder if your screen name was after your dog. And what a cuuuutie! Oh, he's adorable! At Christmas I will take a photo of Fuzzynuts with the poinsettia and post it. Thank you for your encouraging words about the plant! Yours are stunning. I hope to buy a red one and a white one today at the garden centre. FN

Where in England are you fuzzynuts? I'm the Midlands BRILLIANT Photos all of you... I'm Very Disapointed with Draven this Year... got a feeling that it has to do with the Crap Light Levles this Summer
NC

Hi Ninecrow. We're in Hampshire and it is nothing but rain, rain, dull, dark, miserable, horrible weather! The occasional burst of sunshine hurts my eyes it's so rare! I sometimes put the plant over the AGA (on the cooler side) under a very bright neon light to try to make up for it! Sorry to hear Draven is not doing as well as you would have hoped. But he is still streets ahead of mine judging by the photo you posted on 21 November! FN

Great thread!

I have a foolish question on timing. I've got a funky poinsettia that we ended up giving the dark treatment in part because we let it hang around outside until the weather got cold then we stuck it down in the cellar. Now it's sending up a lot of new leaves that are getting darker red, as well as having small swollen flower buds in the center of the bracts. We never pruned it back, but I did stop fertilizing it in August or September.

The question I have is when should we bring it out of the dark treatment? The leaves are darker today than they were yesterday, so I suppose we must be doing something right.

Hi Fuzzynut, thanks, I passed the compliment to my dog Max.
Can't wait to see a pic of your cats.

Hi qbirdy,

if you look at my post above dated Nov. 19 (Monday) I posted from a website that might answer some of your questions on reblooming requirements. For me the white one took appx. 6 weeks and the red one almost 8 weeks. I have one more that is a lot slower, not quite there yet and I started them all at the same time. Just like kids, they grow at their own pace.

The bracts have color so I guess I'm going to keep it upstairs. I know that it hasn't been as warm as stated to prompt bloom, the poinsettia had been nipped by frost earlier and it was only in the 50s to 60s in the cellar.

Thanks for the info :)

i've heard of putting apples in with bromeliads to speed up the blooming process...i found that info on the net as part of bromeliad care.

I went to the local nursery to buy a red point and a white point. I came away with this one! Does anyone know what type it is? They assured me it would come back speckled next year but might not have the other pink and white leaves... time will tell..
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FN

I bought 2 poinsettias today. One is pink and the other onw marble just like fuzzyNuts's. I will definitely try to keep them. Do you know whether a particular variety is hard to keep colours?
Changsong

fuzzynuts: That reminds me of a variety we grew at school this year called "Shimmer Suprise", but there were two others that were also similar ("Sonora Jingle" and "Sonora White Glitter", maybe another? Can't remember any more!!!). I'm kind of leaning toward "S.S." because that crop had more of a tendency to have random bracts that "reverted" like the one you have here (the bract that is half speckled and half marble). It does look like it has "Sonora" shaped bracts though...Your picture is a little small for me (I need glasses, I'm finally admitting it!). I'll put the link to the school website that has all the varieties we grew this year, plus previous two years. That way you can compare. The site includes pictures and descriptions (I don't think she has put in our descriptions from this year yet).

Here is a link that might be useful: SCC Greenhouse/Nursery Program

Hi there J nail. Many thanks for that. I was looking for that webpage only yesterday as I had stumbled across it a few days ago and then couldn't find it again, so well done you for posting it! Yes, Shimmer Surprise does seem to be the one. As the leaves are a different shape to my other poinsettia, pic attached, I have now had to amend my marzipan shapes of the leaves that I made for the Christmas Cake to accommodate the new arrival ... how sad is that?! Here is the picture again. I had made the mistake of taking the 'properties' from the thumbnail photo, so you can throw your glasses away! By the way, I have looked at that website for an identipic of my old one and the closest I can see to it is 'Marblestar' or 'Carousel Pink' due to the curly leaf bracts, although this is more a coral colour. What do you think?

Shimmer Surprise 7 Dec 07
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Marblestar 1 year old 7 Dec 07
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FN

Thanks for the Link j_nail

I got one of those Shimmer surprise myself last week, a small one. At least it LOOKS like Shimmer surprise!

Ooh, can we see a picture please Tommyr? FN

I'll take a pic tomorrow and post it!

As promised:

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See ninecrow, this thread must be near 1/2 of what last year's was! Quite a following for this holiday plant. I was just gifted one last week, it is actually 3 large plants in one pot, and beautiful. But the space it takes up in my small living room, I will put up with it.

Now that it is in full colour, does it need to get 'really' good sunlight, or will it remain healthy 8 feet away from a southern window? I've been trying to figure out how it grows, but I don't know what comes out after the green bud like things (bracts? flower buds? more red leaves?) grow out at the tips. But I guess I'll learn!

Tommy, your plant looks like it could be three separate plants, with the differing colour design, the yellow, salmon and the speckled red. All on one!

Tommy,
That is an interesting color variations. Pretty cool...

Kioni, my two that are in full color are in my covered front entry way in full shade, and once the colors are completed. I Think (IMHO) you can put them inside the house or anywhere and doesn't require direct sun at this point. If you copy and paste the link I posted below it explains what the flower "pods" are. Read the first paragraph of that page, it's very interesting. I did not know this before I read it.

http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/96050/a_guide_to_the_poinsettia.html?page=2

Thanks for the picture Tommyr. Yours is exactly the same as mine! The lady in the shop said that they are bred especially to grow with the two different floral bracts, but it is likely that next year they will only be speckled. We shall see! FN

Nice Points Guys... I'm VERY Disapointed with Draven this Year...

Hopefully if we get a better Summer next year he will be restored to his Former Glory....
NC

Hi Ninecrow. That's very sad about Draven. He is our Point Icon! What is wrong with him? No colour? Not bushy enough? His broken leg probably hasn't helped! I know what you mean about the summer. I think we are the only UK merchants on this particular thread. It has been an appalling year for rain and dark, grey days. Would like to see a photo of him nevertheless. FN

Don't be disappointed yet Nine! Keep on keeping on! My plant isn't thrilling me either yet as far as color goes but I have it in a darker spot now at night. I love it anyway regardless of color. They are GREAT PLANTS in or out of color! Keep going! Do NOT quit!

Draven as of today

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This was him Last Year

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You can Now See why I'm REALLY Disapointed in him....

'Hear hear' to Tommyr's comments! That's not looking so bad now Ninecrow. There is some colour there, so he's responding. I expect he's just taking a bit longer due to the lack of the sun and warmth. I am sure he will be altogether different in a couple of weeks. Are you still putting him in the dark? I only stopped the dark treatment last night. FN

Thanks Guy's...

Yes Fuzzynuts In the box at Night and out again in the Morning

Tommyr, I Agree with you re Them being Great Plants I LOVE them

HAPPY POINSETTIA DAY Guys!!!!!!
NC

Ninecrow,

I also Agree, don't give up, keep going,it's just slow that's all. Especially if you are lacking the sun and heat. My Carousel Red variety is way behind my other two. Like I said before I started them all at the same time. Good luck Tommy and Nine...

No color on mine yet but it looks healthy. Must of been darkness interruption or something. Still doing the dark treatment however! Bought several small points in any case. One variegated and one I think is Summer shimmer or something similar.

Bump!

Well I gave up trying to color her up. If nature does it fine but I love it anyway just the same. How is everyone else's doing? Next year I get a big enough box for another go at it. I have 2 new small ones anyway in full color.

Tommyr I gave up trying to colour up Draven too....... Hopefully if we get better light levels this coming year Draven will be back to Full Glory...
NC
PS
I have a New one too
This is Prowl

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I'll add to my Interducing.... Thread for updates on him

Nice color!

Prowl is a Cortez Burgundy...

Is anyone still there?

I just want to say good work to all that posted with their points. I too am a beginner with poinsettias this year. I bought two and now one has started growing even with its red bracts and a fair amount of original leaves that it was bought with. I am so excited.I cut it back to about 8" last week.(it was probably a bit premature.)Now it is starting to produce all kinds of leaves and really looking good.
The second point that I have is still just "there" neither growing nor dying. I have moved it to the same window that the first point had so much growth in but it is still dorment looking.(which is fine since I hear they need it.) If it doesn't snap out of it by march shoud I cut back it anyway and bring it out of "dormancy?" It still has it's red bracts but almost no green leaves. Ninecrow how are your two poinsettias doing? Do you let them go dorment after flowering? thanks

Draven's still going...

He didn't colour up this year, think it was down to the Crap Summer we had Not much Sun and Too Much Cloud so his growth was weaker than it should have been....

Hopefully we'll get a better sumer this year and he'll be back to Normal...
NC

My Point is doing o.k. and did not color up this year either but that's o.k. as I love it any way! It will get a trim to half way soon. I do have 2 newer small points that still have their color. These have different leaf shapes than my original.

Hey guys don't know if any one is there still but here is my point as of May 15,'08. I think I need to "thin" out some of his branches to let more light through. This is my first experience with Poinsettias!
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I'm still here
Have a New Thread to post on...
Please post here...
http://forums2.gardenweb.com/forums/load/houseplt/msg0310540720273.html
Nice looking Point Koicool BTW
NC