Poinsettia

Do you have lighting shining directly on the plant in the evenings?

 

No, it's as dark here as it is there at night ... from about 6pm at the moment.

Night, pete.

 

No artificial light, so it flowers OK.

 

I think that's how it works, pete.

In fact, our "personal" street light is out so nothing artificial.

It lives in this clayey red earth, is dreadfully neglected, certainly not fed, watered if thought it is needed, viciously cut back in the Spring and then left to it's own devices. I understand if, as the new shoots develop (which happens at the speed of lightning) you can cut into them to make more shoots but I haven't done that because I haven't got the space for such a wide plant as it would be. :eek: Would love to though.

Oh, and you can see the flowers which I now know are flowers.

 

:D

 

It may not be the absolute length of daylight, but the relative change thats prompts Poinsettia to "flower". I think that there are quite a lot of plants like that. For instance many Salvias will only start to flower once the days get shorter.

I have read that artificial lights could interfere with the process - but I think they would have to be very strong to do so. In my lightbox I have about 2,000 lumens (foot candles)of light, which they say is the minimum for proper growth. A brightly lit office is 500 lumens and that is too low. A sitting room may only be 100 lumens, and I doubt that street lights are more than 20 lumens. We don't notice so much as our eyes compensate (the pupil varies in size), but plants don't.

 

Oh, Peter, you are TOO technical for me. I'll just keep letting nature take its course.

In saying that, my Christmas present to myself may be eye laser treatment. :eek:

 

Almost a week further along ...





A Monarch having a feed ... there are lots of Monarchs at the moment, not sure if it's the right time for them but we are warmer than normal, almot 20 in the daytime but dropping to about 8 at night ... a bit like the Antarctic ...



... and because it's so tall, one from up on the deck ...

 

That first picture is superb LoL, with the background of blue sky.

Sorry about the facts - I would never make a good religeous extremist. I would always be asking "is what we say correct"! :D

 

You can see the flowers now Lol. :D

 

Beautiful the way they should be grown not stuck in a pot and sprayed with glitter.

 

Another week has passed ...

This was taken at 7.15am this morning as the sun was rising ...



... then later as the sun was shining on it ...



... and a little later in the morning ...



Some awesome views looking up through it ...









... and with one of its favourite visitors ...

 

oh LoL it takes your breath away.. Gorgeouse absoloutly Gorgeouse....

 

Thats lovely LoL - and still that clear blue sky! What the visitor called?

I just wonder how many people who buy them over Christmas have the slightest idea of what they are really like.

 

Thank you, Cutie and Peter.

We are still having beautiful weather with day temps going to around 18C, down to 8C, and forecast like this for days to come ... no rain in sight, sadly. :(

Peter, the visitor is the Monarch ... not common to here as it comes from North America but frequently seen.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monarch_butterfly

I wouldn't think many people would guess, Peter ... I certainly had no idea till I visited here in the 80s ... such beauty can grow wild without any assistance from mankind!