Customs - Horticultural companies supply millions of poinsettias
In the middle of the pre-Christmas period, some horticultural businesses in the north-west of Lower Saxony are now facing a stressful time: Millions of mostly red poinsettias are being packaged and dispatched for sale in stores these days. "The week before the first Advent is when most of the stars are delivered," said Frank Silze from the horticultural company Silze Jungpflanzen in Weener, East Frisia. "We make small poinsettias and deliver them all over Europe." Together with his brother, Silze produces around two million finished poinsettias and five million young plants on around five hectares of greenhouse space.
According to the Wirtschaftsverband Gartenbau Norddeutschland, the Weser-Ems region is the stronghold for the production of poinsettias in Lower Saxony. According to the latest figures from the State Statistical Office, a total of 6.4 million of the ornamental plants were grown in 2021 - around 90 percent came from the Weser-Ems region. Most recently, 20.4 million poinsettias were sold nationwide, with almost a third coming from Lower Saxony.
Dehne Topfpflanzen GmbH, another horticultural company from Wiesmoor in East Frisia, said in response to an inquiry that the demand for poinsettias this year was roughly the same as in previous years. The company produces around 300,000 poinsettias every year. "However, we have noticed a reluctance to buy large special shapes," it said. In contrast, there is a "clear oversupply" of standard sizes. Red is still the most popular variety.
This is also the view of the Silze horticultural company. The closer the days get to Christmas, the more in demand red poinsettias become. "It really is a classic," said Silze. According to the horticultural association, other colors such as salmon, pink or white are also in demand in the weeks leading up to Christmas, albeit to a much lesser extent. The poinsettia was once the number one potted plant in Germany, but has now been overtaken by the orchid.
Originally from the tropical forests of Central and South America, these houseplants are cultivated from cuttings in the summer. "The cuttings usually come from Africa," said Silze. As poinsettias are so-called short-day plants, horticultural businesses rely on controlled light incidence for cultivation. The plants only change color on their bracts when they receive less than twelve hours of light. Depending on the sales period, the plants are therefore darkened or illuminated.
Sales start at the end of October. According to the Wirtschaftsverband Gartenbau Norddeutschland, food retailers and DIY stores are slightly earlier than specialist retailers. The highlight is the last few weeks before Christmas, they say. Deliveries are now being made every week from the Silze horticultural company to Portugal, Ireland, Italy, Spain, Eastern Europe, Scandinavia and Benelux.
If you want to enjoy your poinsettia for as long as possible, you should place it in a bright location and pay attention to the temperature during transportation from the store. "Poinsettias shouldn't be too cold," says Silze. "They need 16 to 18 degrees."
Information from the State Office for Statistics on the cultivation of poinsettias in 2021 Stretch potted plants to consumer information on poinsettias
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Source: www.stern.de
