 Our garden expert, and Certified Professional Horticulturist, Gene Sumi, provides you with gardening advice on everything from what to do for your plants if it rains too much to controlling the grubs underneath of your lawn. Feel free to send him any questions that you may have.Why "Sleeve" Poinsettias?
It is a cold December day and you are about to take your newly-purchased Poinsettia to your car. But you are wondering why the cashier has put a cone-shaped, brown paper sleeve around the pot and plant. She tells you it is necessary, but you are not sure why. Sleeving tropical and sub-tropical plants, is a good idea when the air outside is chilly. Most of you know that temperatures at or below 32°F/0°C will cause plant tissue to freeze and die. But many of you may not know that most cold-tender plants can be damaged by cool temperatures, even if those temperatures are not that close to freezing. Poinsettia leaves, for example, will wilt badly, and will drop off in direct exposure to temperatures at or below 50° F/10° C. The purpose of the paper sleeve is to both keep cold air from making direct contact with plant tissue and to trap warmer air within the sleeved area. We keep the top of the sleeves open. This does not compromise the insulation, and it is necessary, so that natural gases generated by the plant are not trapped inside. The accumulated trapped gas will cause the plant’s stems and leaves to wilt. You should remember that even this protection is temporary and you should not keep a sleeved plant in the cold for very long. You should remove the paper sleeve as soon as possible after reaching your destination, by carefully tearing the sleeve apart at the seam from the bottom upwards. Many customers try to save the sleeve by trying to pull out the plant, which is likely to damage the branches. If you would like to have an extra sleeve, the cashier will be happy to give you one. Another protective feature about the sleeves is that they gather in the branches and leaves of the Poinsettia plant. This makes them much less apt to break during handling or transporting. |
Articles:
•My Best Gardening Tip
•Helping Pesticides Work Better
•Controlling Caterpillars
•The RIGHT Way to Mulch
•Moon Gardens
•Grubs are active under your lawn
•Frequent Spring Rain
•Successfully Growing Tomatoes & Peppers
Some informative links:
• Homestead Gardens Diagnostic Center: Send your questions to Gene Sumi or call (410)798.5000, extension 2219
• Home and Garden Information Center (HGIC) of the Maryland Cooperative Extension, University of Maryland: You can reach them by calling 1.800.342.2507 (toll-free in MD), (410)531.1757 if calling outside MD, or on-line at www.agnr.umd/users/hgic.