Has anyone else seen a difference compared to previous prestige crops. We are just starting to show color.

Hi Josh,

In Central IL we are just now getting decent color on Prestige. The pictures from last year indicate it about a week or a week and a half behind last year. Could have been the hot fall or one of the many other things that I did wrong to them.

Regards,
Ernie

Hey, Josh and Ernie, I've got a limequat tree in full fruit in the greenhouse -- if you guys bring the rum and coke, we could discuss the downs ups and downs of poinsettia growing! My 8" Prestige are coming along fine, while my 6" Prestige across the aisle are slower 'n molasses! And the Freedoms are ready to walk out teh door already! That's what makes the vacation in Mexico in January a medical expense!

My Prestige are behind as well,they are coming in to color very slow. I am running night temp. at 68, day at 80 I don't know what more to do at this point, also I am in Virginia.

Our prestige are coloring up really slow too, but we have a couple that are almost fully colored. I have a feeling that a couple of the cuttings we received were taken off of an early prestige plant because the plants are really early and have thick strong stems like prestige. Hopefully everything will be fully colored up by December 1.

My Prestige are a little behind coloring up also this season and I'll be crossing my fingers that they have enough color for some early orders going out the first week of December. It's supposed to be 88F here today and tomorrow....no real Fall yet!!!.....Michael Pawelek

What's everybody going to do about it? I'm hearing 1ppm, 2ppm, 3ppm of Fascination. Thanks for making me feel better!

Ferris - Fascination will help with height but doesn't really have an impact on the coloring up process. Growers do use it at the end of the crop on mature bracts to enhance bract expansion but before much color is showing an application will not produce more color but rather increase plant height.

Temperatures are the one factor that has the most impact on the coloring up process. Depending on where your night temperatures are now, warming up temps if it applies will help speed the coloring process. We don't like to see night temps go over 68F but if yours are cooler than 68F bringing them up will speed up bract development.

Hi folks, the abnormally high temperatures in most of the eastern half of the country has certainly made it a challenging year for growing Prestige.

On our web site (http://hort.ifas.ufl.edu/floriculture/heightcontrol.htm) compare color development this year with 2002, which was a significant heat delay year. Then look at ’03 and ’04 as “normal” years. 2005 is an example of an early year for Prestige. Note that development is at about the same rate once they start developing color. So, your Prestige is behind this year but they will finish as nice plants with good bract development.

On Fascination, I suggest being careful if you are not familiar with using it. If not, use it on a small group of plants to see how the plants respond. If it is put on while plants are still growing it will cause increased height. To increase bract size spray at 10 days or so before finish and after most growth is over.

Good luck! And remember that years like this make you appreciate spring even more. Jim