Poinsettia FASTFACTS

Eckespoint^® Autumn Red / Velveteen Red / Red Velvet™

Autumn Red and Velveteen Red are earlier blooming mutations of Red Velvet. Other than their early flower initiation and shorter response times, culture should be very similar.	Response Weeks: Autumn Red = 7.5 Weeks Velveteen Red = 8 Weeks Red Velvet = 9 Weeks	Cultural Tips - Autumn Red / 7.5 week response Natural flowering in mid November May need growth retardant application Florel(r) sprays improve plant form. "Flowers naturally with Freedom" Cultural Tips - Velveteen / Red 8 week response Natural flowering in early December May need growth retardant application Florel(r) sprays improve plant form. "Flowers naturally with Prestige" Cultural Tips - Red Velvet / 9 week response Natural flowering in mid December May need growth retardant application Florel(r) sprays improve plant form. "Flowers naturally after Prestige"

STOCK: For maximum production of good quality cuttings, maintain minimum night temperatures of 66-68°F/19-20°C throughout the production season. Use of night interruption lighting from 10:00 PM to 2:00 AM is recommended through 15 May to prevent flower initiation. A minimum of 10-foot candles/107 lux is required to be effective. Provide a balanced and complete fertilizer regime to assure optimum plant growth. Light intensities of 4,500 to 5,000 foot candles/48,400 to 53,800 lux are ideal provided daytime greenhouse temperatures do not exceed 90°F/32°C.

Mother plants of Autumn Red / Velveteen Red / Red Velvet:

• produce ample cuttings under good cultural management
• have an optimum cutting maturity of 6 weeks
• are adaptable to multiple (2-3) pinch or single pinch (fast crop) programs
• may require shading or cooling protection from increased daytime temperatures 85°+F/29°+C that occur at high light intensities of 5,000+ foot candles/53,800+ lux

PROPAGATION: Cuttings root quickly under normal propagation conditions. Use of a rooting hormone containing up to 2500 ppm IBA will promote speed and uniformity of root development. Chemical growth retardant applications may be needed during propagation to prevent stretching.

FINISHED PLANT CHARACTERISTICS: These Poinsettias are easy to grow and perform well in 5” to 6” pots or larger containers. Natural flower initiation date for Autumn Red is earlier than Freedom in most parts of the country and it is not recommended to light past September 5th to avoid a delay in flowering. Natural flower initiation for Red Velveteen is approximately September 15-20, similar to Freedom from mid November - December with consistent look & culture. The natural flower initiation date for Red Velvet is approximately 25 September, similar to other poinsettia cultivars. Because of its 9 week flower response time, Red Velvet is ready for market at mid-season, near 1 December for most growers. Red Velvet is a natural follow-up to the earlier flowering Eckespoint® Autumn Red and Velveteen Red, allowing production to progress from mid November - December with consistent look & culture. It is important to avoid heat and high light stress on young plants. Pinch within 10 to 14 days of transplanting for branched plants. Provide shading and cooling until about two weeks after pinching. Chemical growth retardants may be needed as determined from graphical tracking. These Poinsettias are responsive to A-Rest®, Bonzi®, Cycocel®, Sumagic® or combinations of B-Nine® and Cycocel®. They are also resistant to epinasty and withstand the rigors of sleeving, boxing and shipping.

CULTIVAR CONCERNS:

• All three cultivars are heat tolerant and perform best and flowers on schedule under sunny days and warm (64-66°F/18-19°C) night temperatures. Flowering of Red Velvet may be delayed under cool, dark greenhouse conditions.
• Exotherm Termil® may bleach the color on expanded bracts. Discontinue use of this product during bract formation.
• Florel® sprays (500 ppm) a week before and after pinching improves the finished form of these Poinsettias.

©1999 Paul Ecke Ranch All Rights Reserved

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