Christmas time is just around the corner. This year, Rideau Florist Ottawa celebrates the beginning of Christmas season by introducing a whole new product. Please welcome organic, locally grown Poinsettias. Rideau Florist is the only place in Ottawa where you can get organic and locally grown Poinsettias straight to your or your lover ones’ doorstep FREE OF CHARGE. I went out to the Richmond Nursery to talk to Peggy, the head grower about her organic Poinsettias.
The Bonuses:
As soon as I walked into the farm, I knew: Christmas is here. Even though it`s no snow on the ground, and the weather feels more like September than November, the bright red plants reminded me that it`s time to stock up on presents and put up a Christmas Tree.
I met Peggy at the greenhouse and she gladly explained to me what makes her Poinsettias one of the best that you can get.
`I have been doing this for 30 years,` she says and it shows. Peggy looks at her flowers lovingly and begins to tell us about the quality of the plants.
At Richmond Nurcery, no, chemicals are used on the plants, they are completely organic. The yellow pieces of paper you see in the picture are used to catch whiteflies, instead of quick `n easy persisides. The paper is sticky, it catches most of the bugs that are out to get this flower. They do this just as efectively as any pesticides would.
In addition, no harmful chemicals are used in the soil either. True, it`s especially prepared for Poinsettias with calcium and other additions, but they only bring good things to the plant.
You may ask what is the point of all this extra care. Here are a few bonuses to organic Poinsettias:
- They come from Southern Ontario, and are grown here in Ottawa. The closer to home they are, the less transportation they have to go through. That means less of a plant is damaged, it will last longer.
- The stem hasn`t been weakened by harmful chemicals, making it stronger than a grocery store`s Poinsettia.
- Because of the specialized, nutricious soil, there are more stonger roots which allow the plant to take in more food, lasting even longer.
- Growing all out poinsettias on-site reduces the stress on the plant considerably and increases the life of the plant right from the start.
- All of our Poinsettias are pet and children-friendly because they are organic, unlike the grocery store Poincettias.
The Process:
Growing Poinsettias is no easy task. They are a very delicate flower which demands attention. Before it ends up in your home for the holidays, the growers have to make sure that they are producing the best possible flowers.
The very small Poinsettia stems arive at the Richmond Nursery in June, which is when the growing process begins.
It is important for Poinsettias to get a certain amount of bright light, but also complete darkness in order to grow. For example, if the grower wants to check on his or her flowers during the night, it is a nearly impossible task. If the Poinsettia is lit during the night, the leaves will not run red.
Peggy tells me that everything about Poinsentias is tricky. They have to stay in just the right temperature of about 20C (which is also the room temperature). They have to be watered frequently, but not overwatered and the environmen in which they grow has to have a higher than usual humidity.
That is why Rideau Florist trusts only Peggy and her experience with our Poinsettias, so please trust us with this Christmas time plant. Please note that Rideau Florist is the only place in Ottawa where you can organic, locally-grown Poinsettias delivered for free.
Care Instructions:
With a little care, a Poinsettia can last for months indoors. 
Poinsettias hate the cool temperatures. They don’t like any drafts at all and even a very short time in the cold will cause the the plant to deteriorate. Keep the poinsettia away from heat registers or ducts and away from drafty windows or doors. And of course, never transport an unwrapped poinsettia, regardless of how warm it is outside!
However, make sure to unwrap your Poisenttia as soon as you can. The longer it spend in packeding, the worse it’s going to feel later on. Get it home and unwrapped as soon as you can.
Poinsettias also like even moisture. If they dry out, they quickly drop leaves so trying to keep a poinsettia evenly moist is your best bet. Don’t let your poinsettia dry out, and also be sure it doesn’t sit in water. If you have a saucer, water the plant thoroughtly so the water runs into the saucer, but empty it within 15 minutes of watering so it’s not sitting in water.
Drooping leaves are a sign the poinsettia has gotten too cold. Curling and dropping leaves happens when a poinsettia gets too dry. Poinsettias will often survive these conditions, but they will defoliate and not look as nice for the holiday season.
With those few simple rules, you can keep your poinsettias over the holidays quite easily and often into mid-January or even February and beyond.
Click HERE to return to our website, or on the pictures below to purchase our beautiful Poinsettias.
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