Hi again, Thanks for the quick response and great info! We have pinched as early as August 25th, the 4” pots do well enough, but the 6” do not grow much taller than the 4”.

Generally, we plant around July 25th, the plants do well in the rooting out phase, but after pinching it seems we run short on day length before they get enough height on them.

By syringing, I believe you are referring to a heavy mist, which we do in the hot afternoons by means of misters 4 feet over the plants. This cools the house around 8 degrees, but have to shut it down when plants become too wet. Our water is quite cold ranging from 38 to 43 degrees winter/summer. In hot weather I time watering to cool the soil, (perhaps this is too great a shock?) When finishing the plants in cooler weather is this too cold of water?
I water early in the day after the weather cools, in the belief that is best for getting the pot temp up where the plants can utilize the water as early in the day as possible. Again, most years, Freedom does quite well for us in the un-pinched pots, growing tall with bracts as large as 6 inches across. Perhaps we do need to look at a variety that may be better suited for pinching in our less than ideal conditions. Your input is greatly appreciated! Thanks again.

If you are consistantly having pinched Poinsettias that are not attaining a target height you need to experiment with the final pinch dates for the varieties you grow and your location. From your description it sounds like you need to start earlier and pinch earlier for your situation. I would also not be surprised that the temperatures of your water could be a contributing factor in not attaining the growth you need. Many Poinsettias are grown at a minimum air temperature of 68F which I assume would mean that the soil temperature should not fall below that level also. Very cold roots from cold water translates to slower plant growth at some point as the soil temperature drops.....Michael Pawelek

When you pinch on the 25th of August do the plants get a hard pinch? We ask this question because if your transplant date is July 25th and you aren't pinching until one month later it may be that the hard pinch on mature tissue is resulting in poor breaking and may be contributing to your height issues. Normally in 6 or 6 1/2" containers under normal conditions your pinched should be timed for about 2 weeks after transplant. When the roots have reached the edge of the pot you know its time to pinch. If the cuttings are allowed to stretch prior to pinch or the pinch is hard, breaking after pinch can be poor and not uniform. Dominant shoots and poor vegetative growth can result. Heat stress combined with a hard pinch or late pinch can also exaggerate the situation.

Also, how healthy are the roots? Your water temperature is very cold - are the root systems suffering? The plant must have a healthy root system to support good top growth. If the root systems are not very vigorous or there are signs of root rotting it could be that the plants are too wet and the water temperature is too cold. Especially finishing, as the temperatures and light levels drop it creates an environment where the growth rate slows. The cold water pulling the media temperature down is not helping. We like to see the media temperature at about 68F.

Freedom is one of the easiest varieties to grow under a wide range of conditions. Get back to us with more information about your pinching techniques and how the root health was - it may be that an adjustment to your schedule will make all the difference.