Question about light at night

[katrina]

Originally Posted by Fairorchids

Ray,

Pointsettias are VERY sensitive. Plants will bloom, but they will not develop the colored leaves (which people think are blooms). In nurseries, you have to shade against the street lights.

I don't think they are as sensitive as you might believe because they "bloom" well in nature/landscape settings. The biggest difference is that when left to their own they might not turn colors in perfectly timed sync for Christmas. But, they will still "bloom".

I thought I had a pic of a giant Pointsettia tree in it's native habitat but I can't find it now. Google it and I'm confident you can find a number of examples. I've seen some pics of some amazing specimens plants and they were situated w/in close proximity to lights.

[bil]

Pointsettia are bl**dy minded little sods. I tried to save one each year, repotting et al, and all they did was sulk and die. It didn't matter where I put it, in full sun or shade, or partial, they sulked and died. The last one was a couple of years ago, and I was so fed up I dumped it in the orchard and said "Die, damn you."

Well, it hung on, and as long as it was green I would give it a squirt of water as I passed. In the end, spiteful to the last, as it realised I had said it should die, it lived. I planted it there and it has done well ever since.

By all means talk sweetly to you plants, but every now and then, abuse and threats are what does the trick.

[Gravelsack]

Originally Posted by bil

Pointsettia are bl**dy minded little sods. I tried to save one each year, repotting et al, and all they did was sulk and die.

Lol... OK, I know this thread isn't really about poinsettia, but in my experience with mine, it basically starts sulking the day I bring it in for the winter, blooms around January, and then continues to sulk until around May/June when i finally put it back outside. I've found that it doesn't like to be too wet or too dry and will basically start dropping leaves the moment it becomes the slightest bit unhappy. I think I'm going to lose it every year.

This year I put it in my humidity tent, and it seems to be having a much easier time.

[Ordphien]

Originally Posted by Fairorchids

You got a partial set of red leaves. Commercially grown plants have 2-3 sets.

That's true. While mine do go red, its never quite as much as a store bought one. And not always in time for Christmas.

[Ray]

Originally Posted by Ordphien

That's true. While mine do go red, its never quite as much as a store bought one. And not always in time for Christmas.

And are we certain that's due exclusively to light intrusion? I doubt it. Greenhouse-, and home grown plants get a whole range of different cultural parameters.

[Pat'sCatt's]

I don't know if i'm the only one, but in the wintertime i have to put on the lights in my greenhouse otherwise i couldn't see my plants, and i would be watering without any clue what i was watering, a Catt, a Phap, my shoes and socks 😁 So if some Catt's mind, it is still for their own good, otherwise they would be very thirsty, lol!!

[gngrhill]

Originally Posted by bil

Pointsettia are bl**dy minded little sods. I tried to save one each year, repotting et al, and all they did was sulk and die. It didn't matter where I put it, in full sun or shade, or partial, they sulked and died. The last one was a couple of years ago, and I was so fed up I dumped it in the orchard and said "Die, damn you."

Well, it hung on, and as long as it was green I would give it a squirt of water as I passed. In the end, spiteful to the last, as it realised I had said it should die, it lived. I planted it there and it has done well ever since.

By all means talk sweetly to you plants, but every now and then, abuse and threats are what does the trick.

[Tschimm]

😄