News Article for September 28, 2009, from LSU AgCenter County Agent Kenny Sharpe
Many people will keep their poinsettias from year to year but are usually disappointed when Christmas arrives and the plants lack the color they expected. The trick is in controlling the light the plants receive.
Poinsettias have a unique characteristic where the amount of light they receive is critical to them showing color. Most nurseries in our area will start inducing a controlled dark period about October 5-12, which will initiate color on the bracts. As an individual, you can wait a little longer before starting because you do not have to get the plants on the market early to sale.
Poinsettias require 40 uninterrupted days with 13-14 hours of darkness daily. This darkness must also be uninterrupted, or you will delay color. That means no turning on the lights to take a peek!
You can see that if you were away from security lights and car lights that the normal day length (and night length) would work fine, but even a lightning storm can delay color. Some people will put their plants in a closet, but even a little light from under the door can cause delays. So you will have to find a way to stop all light at night so all that tender loving care you have provided will pay off in Christmas color.
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If you want to have fresh shallots for Thanksgiving, now would be the time to plant. Shallots will reach harvest size in 45 to 50 days.
You can plant them now as dry sets or bulbs on a well prepared row. Space them out about 4 to 8 inches and plant about 1 inch deep.
I would plant the larger sets for Thanksgiving harvest. That would be the ones about the diameter of a quarter. You can plant the smaller bulbs and they should reach maturity in time for Christmas.
You can also plant green plants, but most people will wait until December and January for that planting.
Shallots will make good yields and avoid most disease problems if you push them along with adequate fertilizer. Apply 4-5 pounds of 8-8-8 or equivalent fertilizer per 100 feet of row at planting. Come back and side-dress with 1 pound of ammonium nitrate per 100 feet of row about three weeks after they come up.
Most weed control is accomplished by hoeing, but avoid root damage. Grasses can be controlled with the herbicide Poast used as a post-emergence application.
Shallots will spice up not only your holiday meals but work great with gravies, gumbos, sauces and stews.
For more information on these or related topics, contact Kenny at 225-686-3020.