Poinsettias will soon be ready to sell.
Now is the time to solve any last minute problems with your plants.
Luckily the lack of rain and dry days I have seen little signs of botrytis
on poinsettias with color.
If you do have students who over watering or lack of ventilation in your
greenhouse Exo-Therm Termil is a smoke applied fungicide that is normally
used in commercial greenhouses to keep poinsettia bracts free of botrytis.
It should be applied every week until plants are out the door.
I've seen some poinsettias that still have whiteflies.  I think in most
cases the Marathon was applied too early or overwater after application. If
you have whitefly problems now, Distance (a very expensive IGR) and a
Marathon WP may clear up the problem.  Merit 75WP is a form of marathon
that is labeled for poinsettias in interiorscapes.

If your think your poinsettias are going to finish too tall, Bonzi can be
used as a drench to stop the plants from stretching.  Don't use it as a
spray on the bracts.  Bonzi used this late as a drench has little effect on
the size of the bracts, but if sprayed on the bracts, your blooms will be
small.

Box stores are selling Poinsettias 6" wrapped with bow or pot cover between
$ 6.00 - $10.00 depending on the location in Georgia.  Go on a field trip
and find out in your area of Georgia what will be a competitive and fair
price.

Dr. Teri Hamlin
North Region Agriculture Education
Georgia Department of Education
Four Towers, University of Georgia
Athens, Georgia  30602
706-542-3679