Leaf curl on mostly prestige some freedom.Plants were pinched 20- 25 days ago, roots are mostly to the sides and bottom of pots and look good. No pgrs applied since 3 days after pinch.Temps in mid 80's.

If you do not feel the plants are being stressed by temperatures or too high a light go back and look at the root systems really close. The picture below shows a healthy root system and one with full blown root rot. If you see any discolored roots at all it may be the start of a root rot and it takes very few roots damaged to start leaves to wilt. Check closely and write back in....Michael Pawelek

Here is a picture of a Poinsettia that has just enough root rot to start leaf curl in the afternoons that goes away overnight then appears the next day during the heat of day. Notice the start of the darker brown roots next to the healthy white roots....Michael Pawelek

Thanks for the great pictures Michael...

He does also raise some valid questions.

Have you checked the health of the roots?
Do you know what your EC levels are?
Have any other chemicals been applied?
How are your light levels?

Even though the roots are established well there are other factors that can contribute to leaf curl, especially when temperature and light levels are high.

Michael or Ecke, Thanks for the good pictures.
Now that you see there is a root issue, will a
fungicide drench help or will the plant be lost?
If a drench is helpful, what do you use?
(I have a point that is about 36" tall that the leaf's are cruling. I checked the roots and I see the start of browning happening.)

There are dozens of chemicals registered for root rots especially the Pythium and Phytophtora species. Different growers have certain chemicals they are used to using and I have never heard a concensus that one is favored at any given time since there are reports of resistance occassionally. Check out the page below and then open the PDF file on plant diseases for some recommendations. In my experience most fungicides work much better as "preventatives" and depending on how infected the crop is it is a gamble whether or not you can clean it up and sell it later on as a healthy product. In the Poinsettia business your reputation is only as good as your last crop and if you send out infected plants that look good in the greenhouse but start looking wilted and dropping yellow leaves shortly there after you will loose sales in following years due to a bad reputation....Michael Pawelek
http://www.ecke.com/new1/poin/points_tech_des_insect.asp

Michael,
Thanks for the info. I do a fungicide drench as a preventitive. I'll give this plant a drench again to see what happens.

Also, wait a bit longer between waterings. You do not want the soil to become bone dry but the danger is in keeping it too wet. Air movement around the plants will help the plants pull up more water and keep the soil from staying soggy and saucers under the pots are a definite no-no! I warn every individual customer, church group and master gardener that leaves the greenhouse that the number one killer of Poinsettias once they leave our nursery are the shiny foil covers we sell with them. Water collecting in the bottom of a container full of Poinsettias is a disaster waiting to happen....Michael Pawelek

Hobbygrower -

Have you checked your EC levels? It is also important to make sure your soluble salt levels aren't too high. When the plants dry out even a little if EC levels are too high not only will it inhibit the uptake of water which will lead to leaf curl, but it can also damage root tissue and leave the roots open to a root rotting infection.