November, December 2005
Festive Tips
POINSETTIA CARE

The Poinsettia Plant, a red and green festival of colors to garnish and enhance holiday spirit and décor. Known to all as the Christmas plant, the poinsettia has been adored for hundreds of years. known for its vibrant color and uniqueness.

Poinsettias come in a variety of colors, most popularly red. The colored leaves which surround the flowers of the poinsettia are referred to as the bract of the plant. Within these bracts are small yellow flowers which bloom beautifully during the November and December months.

Choosing a healthy and vibrant poinsettia is simple if you follow a few guidelines. The ideal poinsettia will have all full colored bracts, plentiful foliage and stiff stems. The poinsettia should be proportionate and two and a half times larger than the diameter of its container. Should you be in the market for a poinsettia, be cautious of unhealthy poinsettia characteristics. Green along only the bract edges indicates that the plant was unable to mature due to poor shipping. Other signs of failing plant health include: wilting, drooping or breaking.

When Transporting—Shield the poinsettia from chills and drafts by placing in a sleeve or spacious bag when transporting.

Ideal Location—To ensure your plant grows and matures in color, place the plant in indirect sunlight for at least six hours each day while maintaining an average and comfortable room temperature between 69 and 70 degrees Fahrenheit. Poinsettias should be kept indoors mainly, unless proper climates permit night temperatures to consistently remain above 50 degrees Fahrenheit.

When Watering—Water when soil is dry to the touch. Allow water to drain completely. Do not over saturate.

To help your poinsettia plant thrive,
here are some care tips:

When Fertilizing—Plant fertilizing should be done every two to three weeks during the spring, summer and fall. Do not fertilize the poinsettia while it is in bloom. Use a well-balanced, all purpose fertilizer.

When Pruning—When the color of the plant begins to fade, pruning should be implemented. Cut the plant to approximately 8 inches in height.

Implementing these procedures will prolong the life of your beautiful poinsettia and allow you to enjoy this plant during, and long after, the holiday seasons.

Enjoy your poinsettia and Happy Holidays!

What’s New?

Introductions

Krista Monighetti- A New Face in Marketing

Hello! As the new Director of Marketing for Pacific Green Landscape, I am excited to introduce myself to you. I have been part of the Pacific Green team since July of this year.

I am proud to work for a company which prides itself on hard work, ethics, and quality service. It’s great to be part of a staff that believes in the importance of providing great service; A service that can not only be seen in the relationships and open communication we have with our clients, but also in the detail and beauty we maintain out on the field.

So that you can get to know me better, I’ve included a brief synopsis of myself: I was born and raised on the east coast in West Hartford, Connecticut. Destined for warm skies and beautiful scenery, I am happy to now reside in the great city of San Diego. I am a Communications graduate from The Ohio State University, home of the “Buckeyes”, located in Columbus, Ohio.

Professionally, the background I bring to Pacific Green includes marketing and promotions for both a retirement community and radio station in Columbus, Ohio, as well as advertising sales for the San Diego Union-Tribune newspaper.
Over the months I’ve had the opportunity to meet many of you already. It is great to meet new faces and build relationships and I look forward to meeting you all soon! In the meantime, feel free to drop me a line, I’d be happy to hear from you!

COST SAVING IRRIGATION By Michael Regan

In the beginning of this year an article written by Steve McLean was published in our newsletter. As the technical division manager for Hydro-Scape Products, Steve discussed some new technology now available for controllers. As an overview and a reminder, I’d like to shed light on the programs being offered to those in the industry.
Currently the San Diego County Water Authority is offering $13.33 rebate per active irrigation station on all types of projects – this includes homeowners associations for upgrades on irrigation controllers. Smart Controllers is a type of irrigation controller that is on the approved list for this rebate program. Smart Controllers use ET technology (evapotranspiration technology) which allows the controller to adjust water use on a daily basis thus reducing the amount of water that is used. Two brands of controllers that Pacific Green Landscape frequently uses are WeatherTRAK and Rain Master Eagle Controllers. Both of these types of Smart Controllers qualify for the rebate program.
The use of Smart Controllers is highly recommended for large landscaped areas. Replacement clocks for Smart Controllers are approximately equivalent in pricing to a standard replacement clock, however the rebate for installing the clocks as well as the savings in water is a significant gain.
We highly encourage that you bring this topic up to your landscape maintenance contractor. Most landscape maintenance contractors are familiar with the rebate program and would be able to guide you should you have an interest to take advantage.

If you have any questions, please ask your landscape maintenance professional, or give us a call, we’d be happy to help you.

<< Back to Newsletters & Articles