Keeping Poinsettias Merry & Bright

Broch Martindale

Summer may just be beginning, but for greenhouse growers it’s the final stretch in nurturing the season’s signature crop: poinsettias. These vibrant, festive plants symbolize warmth, celebration and tradition, but behind the scenes, it takes meticulous planning, pest control and disease management to ensure each poinsettia reaches the holiday market in perfect condition.

Poinsettias aren’t just another crop—they’re a holiday icon. Whether it’s a deep red bract, a snowy white or a striking marbled variety, growers know that color quality, bract integrity and foliage health make all the difference. But growers often face pest and disease pressure that they hope doesn’t cause them to get coal for Christmas. Fortunately, with the right tools and timing, these threats can be kept in check.
Here’s how to protect your poinsettias for a profitable and picture-perfect holiday season, with proven solutions such as XXpire insecticide and Floxcor fungicide.
 

Whiteflies are notoriously problematic in poinsettias. By the time you see adults, there’s a good chance eggs and immatures are already thriving on the undersides of leaves. With their fast reproduction and resistance potential, early and aggressive intervention is key.
XXpire insecticide delivers exactly what growers need: fast knockdown and extended control. It combines two active ingredients (sulfoxaflor from Group 4C and spinetoram from Group 5) with complementary modes of action, ensuring both immediate results and longer-term resistance management. XXpire has proven highly effective at targeting all life stages.
 

Why XXpire?

• Broad-spectrum control: Effective not only on whiteflies, but also aphids, thrips and other common greenhouse pests.
• Plant safety on colored bracts: One of the most critical considerations in poinsettia production is bract phytotoxicity. XXpire is known for plant safety—including on fully colored bracts—giving growers peace of mind late in the production cycle.
• Rotational flexibility: With two active ingredients, XXpire fits well into resistance management programs and can be rotated with other classes to maintain long-term efficacy.
   

While whiteflies fly under the radar earlier, powdery mildew and Botrytis are stealthy spoilers that emerge just as bracts are coloring. The last thing you want is gray mold or mildew powder compromising bract presentation during shipping or at retail.

Powdery mildew thrives in low light and high-humidity conditions—two characteristics common to greenhouse environments as days shorten. Meanwhile, Botrytis, or gray mold, often appears during shipping or retail display, particularly where condensation or overhead irrigation creates moist microclimates.

Enter Floxcor fungicide, a modern strobilurin designed to act fast—and stay fast. What sets Floxcor apart?

• Fastest-acting strobilurin available: Floxcor gets to work immediately, providing rapid curative and preventive action.
• Rainfast in just 15 minutes: Compared with other fungicides that may take hours, the rainfast properties of Floxcor help ensure the protection sticks, even in high humidity environments or where overhead irrigation can’t be avoided. This can be particularly important during propagation early in the production cycle.
• Broad-spectrum protection: Floxcor is effective on powdery mildew, Botrytis and several other key ornamental diseases, making it a versatile tool in greenhouse programs.

The fast absorption and systemic movement of Floxcor mean that even emerging foliage and developing bracts are protected quickly, reducing the risk of spotting or disease breakout.
 

The countdown to ship week can feel like a race—and a battle. The key to success? Timely interventions and trusted products.
Here’s a quick timeline to help guide your poinsettia protection plan:

Propagation. In the early stages, focus on fungus gnat control with XXpire, as well as Botrytis control with Floxcor to help you start your poinsettia crop pest and disease free. Preventive control of fungus gnats is a best practice and cultural practices like eliminating algae and scouting are key.

Growing on. Scouting is key. As the weather changes, so does your pest and disease pressure. Be on the lookout for whitefly and powdery mildew.

Before ship and week of shipping. Disease pressure peaks, particularly from Botrytis; apply Floxcor preventively before any signs of gray mold. Scout for hot spots and avoid wet foliage, especially overnight. And nobody wants to see whitefly, so make final applications of XXpire before you ship to ensure a clean product throughout the remainder of the holiday season.
 

Every poinsettia shipped is a promise of festive cheer to homes, stores and lobbies. Healthy bracts, lush foliage and a blemish- and damage-free presentation make all the difference and help ensure market success. With the potent combination of XXpire insecticide and Floxcor fungicide, growers are armed with two of the best tools available for finishing clean.

Don’t let whiteflies ruin your reds or mildew mar your marbles—stay ahead of problems with fast-acting, bract-safe solutions and you’ll be rewarded with a strong finish, a full truckload and a festive season of healthy, holiday-ready poinsettias!

For more information or to get your hands on XXpire and Floxcor, contact your preferred distributor or local sales representative today. GT 

Broch Martindale is National Nursery & Greenhouse Strategic Account Manager for Corteva.

Grower tip: Combine these products with good cultural practices—strong air circulation, consistent scouting and avoiding late-day overhead watering—to create a poinsettia program that’s as resilient as it is brilliant.

Application tip: Use Floxcor fungicide as part of a preventive disease management program all throughout production. Alternate with other FRAC groups to minimize resistance pressure.

™ ® Trademarks of Corteva Agriscience and its affiliated companies. Floxcor™ is not for sale or use in Nassau and Suffolk counties, New York. Other state restrictions on the sale and use of Floxcor apply. Consult the label before purchase or use for full details. XXpire® is not registered for sale or use in all states. Contact your state pesticide regulatory agency to determine if a product is registered for sale or use in your state. Always read and follow label directions.