Poinsettia season at home again
Flower stores are now stocking them: Advent is the season for poinsettias, which are an integral part of many a living room. Since the summer, horticultural businesses in Brandenburg have grown tens of thousands of plants in greenhouses, most of which have bright red leaves. Millions of them are sold in pots in Germany.
Buying behavior is still cautious because it is not yet so wintry outside, says Markus Gläser, Managing Director of the Fontana horticultural company in the Küstriner Vorland. Last year, demand for his 22,000 poinsettias was good.
However, he is experiencing high cost pressure as energy and material costs as well as wages have risen, said Gläser. After a jump in costs of around 20 percent last year, he is nevertheless keeping the price of poinsettias stable at 5.90 euros.
Gläser is familiar with the debate about the eco-balance of plants - which also affects poinsettias. The mother plants, which need a lot of light and warmth, have always had to be flown in from Africa for production. The climate in Europe is not suitable for them, explains Gläser. "Everyone can decide for themselves about their ecological footprint."
To protect the environment, Gläser says his horticultural business largely does without chemical pesticides in poinsettia production. "The use is almost zero." Beneficial insects such as predatory mites are also used to ensure healthy plants.
According to the State Statistical Office, Brandenburg farms produced around 140,000 poinsettias in 2021. According to the statisticians, there are no more recent figures.
Customers flock to nurseries for Christmas, eager to purchase poinsettias to decorate their own nursery corners. Despite the high cost pressure due to rising energy, material, and wage costs, Fontana continues to offer poinsettias at the same price as last year, demonstrating their commitment to customer affordability.
Source: www.dpa.com
