This post on poinsettia problems was contributed to by Drs. Chevonne Dayboll and Sarah Jandricic.
Okay, so Poinsettia don’t really get that many problems. But when issues arise, they can hit a crop fast and hard. Whitefly, Lewis mite, root rots, and nutritional issues can all quickly derail a quality crop.
Here’s a month by month guide on what you should be looking for to prevent small problems from becoming big issues.
Citrus mealybug feeding on a flower stem.
Last year several consultants and I noticed something strange. A number of greenhouses in Ontario had noticeable infestations of mealybug in their poinsettia crop. This was the first time many in their 25+ year careers had seen this (e.g. see Mel Sawaya’s article in Greenhouse Canada Magazine).
It’s unclear yet if phenomenon will repeat itself this year (or perhaps affect even more operations), but growers should be on the lookout for this pest. Keep reading for more information about the potential cause of these mealybug infestations, and possible solutions.