We plan to start growing poinsettias this year for the winter season. Can you offer any growing guidelines or variety suggestions. We will be using 6 inch and 10 inch pots. We are partial to the Prestige variety but also looking for suggestions. We are hoping to have an early season as well as a late season variety.

The How To's or growning guide would be most helpful

We are located in Northern North Carolina.

Jay, If this is your first time crop I would recommend getting the Ecke Poinsettia Manual for a lot of great general information. Once you are familiar with the text then go back on this forum for the past two seasons and read up all you can on (1) Plant Growth Retardants (PGR's)...(2)Nutrition/Water Acidification and (3) Current Pest Controls. These appear to be the areas that cause growers the most problems. Then come back and start asking specific questions. This is the place for the latest information....Michael Pawelek Pecan Hill Nursery

Hi Jay!

Here's a great place to start with technical information: Production Guidelines and Crop Information. Production Guidelines will give you access to a number of cultural documents on all aspects of poinsettia production. Crop Information will give you access to detailed information on each variety we offer. And as Michael suggested, for a new grower the Ecke Poinsettia Manual is a great resource. Here is a link for purchasing information: Ecke Poinsettia Manual. And bonus! It's on sale right now through Ball Publishing.

If we had to suggest an early and a mid-late variety that is easy to grow and does well in 6" and 10" we would suggest Early Prestige and Prestige but we have an extensive list of cultivars to fill any market demand.

Take a look at all the references we have suggested and don't hesitate to let us know when questions arise.

Good Luck!