The case in summary: 3 million poinsettias are grown in Norway for Christmas, mainly red, but also white and some pink or peach/champagne colored. The poinsettias are forced to “sleep” to avoid being finished too early, with ten hours of light and fourteen hours of night. The first finished poinsettias should be ready in the shops in 5-6 weeks. Everyone who produces poinsettias in Norway is part of the Julestjerneklubben, an organization for sharing information. The cuttings for the poinsettias are imported every year from Kenya, where the climate conditions are perfect. The poinsettias cannot withstand drafts or cold, and must be wrapped well if they are bought when it is extra cold outside. The summary is made by an AI service from OpenAI. The content is quality assured by news’s journalists before publication. – As a rule, I’m fucking bored! But when it starts to turn red, it’s more fun, says gardener Magne Bergerud. He has this year’s most important task ahead of him in the huge greenhouse at Dilling in Moss. Here, the upcoming Christmas flowers begin to take on a reddish tinge. But the tall leaves should turn bright red, just when the cold sets in. Around eight out of ten poinsettias are red, while two out of ten are white. Then there are some pink and peach colored ones as well. Photo: Information Office for Flowers and Plants / OBP Therefore he forces the flowers to “sleep” to avoid them being finished too early. – Now there are 9-10 weeks until Christmas. Then we drive ten hours daylight and fourteen hours night. We turn off the light and lower the temperature a little. The first finished poinsettias should be ready in the shops in 5-6 weeks. NO STAR WARS: Among the poinsettia manufacturers. We collaborate, and not compete, says Magne Bergerud. Photo: private A flood of poinsettias Three million poinsettias are grown in Norway for Christmas. Everyone who produces poinsettias in this country is part of what is called the Julestjerneklubben. The club has 21 member companies, and Bergerud is club leader. This is how it looks before the tall leaves start to turn red. The bracts turn bright red to attract pollinators, but are not part of the flowers themselves. Photo: Christian Nygaard-Monsen / news – Julestjerneklubben exists to share information. We are colleagues, not competitors, he emphasizes. Poinsettias are produced from Eastern Norway up to Trøndelag, and the vast majority are red, while a smaller proportion are white. Did you know this about the poinsettia? Christmas star is a shrub in the milkweed family that can grow up to 4–5 meters tall. Poinsettia originally grows from Sinaloa in western Mexico to Guatemala, but the species is cultivated as an ornamental shrub in warm areas all over the world. Julestjerne is the most popular potted plant associated with the Christmas season. It is the most sold potted plant in the world overall and on a global basis the number is several hundred million plants. The best way to take care of the flower: Wrap them well during transport. Place them in a bright and warm area, avoid drafts and water carefully when the soil is dry. Water preferably from below or by immersing the plant in water, but avoid the roots standing in water. Fertilization is not necessary during flowering. Poinsettias can also survive until spring with the right care. Sources: The Information Office for Flowers and Plants (OBP) and Store Norske Lexikon (SNL) There have also been poinsettias that are pink or peach/champagne colored. And speaking of December and temperature; the poinsettias cannot withstand drafts or cold. It is therefore important to wrap them well if they are bought when it is extra cold outside. Kenyan roses are famous, but the African country also grows the cuttings of all the poinsettias that are grown in Norway. Photo: Carolyne Shivonje Two-sided opinion about poinsettias In the Norwegian Gardeners’ Association, Siv Iren Sørensen-Moe is communications manager. She sees that this with poinsettias is often twofold – it is either liked or disliked. But it still stands strong in the flower landscape. – In Norway we are very happy to use flowers to decorate both indoors and outdoors, to a much greater extent than what we see in our neighboring countries, says Sørensen-Moe Siv Iren Sørensen-Moe of the Norwegian Gardeners’ Association sees that the interest in the poinsettia stays tall. Photo: Privat Even though the poinsettia can be perceived as excessively traditional for some, this is precisely what it is all about for many. – The traditions are strong, also on flowers. And the poinsettia is one of the leading ones. In addition, it is reasonable compared to other flowers, says Sørensen-Moe. But even though all poinsettias sold in Norway are grown here, they first saw the light of day somewhere else. The cuttings are imported every year from Kenya, where the climate conditions are perfect. – We also see that people are becoming more and more interested in where things are produced, and many choose flowers and plants that are produced here in Norway, she adds. These are the best-selling seasonal flowers: The top five flower cultures in Norway are based on production lists from members of the Gardeners’ Association. Pansies in the spring Poinsettia Kalancho/Ildtopp, sold all year Daffodils Daisies – typical summer flower Other cultures that are produced a lot are: lobelia, begonia, turnips, hydrangea, dahlia, pelargonia, Spanish daisies, chrysanthemums and cyclamen. Source: Norwegian Gardeners’ Association Night has come – Now I’m going to put my poinsettias, says Magne Bergerud. It’s a good day in Moss, and it’s time to turn off the lights in the room for the poinsettias. The whole greenhouse becomes dark, and it therefore gets a little colder. For 29 years he has been doing this, perfecting the art of whipping up the old Christmas trot. In a short time, Magne Bergerud hopes that his greenhouse will be like this. Full of poinsettias, red leaves as far as you can see. Photo: Information Office for Flowers and Plants / OBP – I’ve gotten a little better every year, he says. But he thinks one thing seems a bit silly. – It is not with the poinsettias as with the Christmas marzipan or chocolate. It can be sold cheaper after Christmas. It’s worse with the poinsettias. They just have to be thrown away. Published 28.10.2024, at 18.22
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This is how Norwegian nurseries prepare poinsettias for Christmas – news Østfold – Local news, TV and radio
