CSU’s annual poinsettia sale is back with 15 different varieties for a total of 750 plants.
The holiday season is upon us — and just in time — as Colorado State University’s annual poinsettia sale runs Monday, Dec. 9, through Friday, Dec. 13.
The Fort Collins tradition is driven by the College of Agricultural Sciences’ Department of Horticulture and Landscape Architecture, with proceeds benefitting the CSU Horticulture Center and students playing a major role in the cultivation of the plants.
Back on track with a huge yield
This year’s program returns to its former bountiful glory, which includes 15 different cultivars for a total of 750 plants. The previous few years dealt with invasive lighting from an adjoining greenhouse that caused stunted growth, but that has been resolved.
The program is operated by 20 undergraduate students, all enrolled in the HORT 486A practicum, who began their work on the crop back in August.
Joshua Craver, assistant professor of controlled environmental horticulture, said the course provides an essential step in preparing students for future careers in the horticulture industry.
CSU poinsettia sale details
Date: Dec. 9-13, 2019
Time: Daily Monday-Friday from 3-6 p.m.
Purchase and pick-up location: CSU Horticulture Center (1707 Center Ave., Fort Collins)
Pricing: $10 per 6-inch plant (cash, check or credit card)
This year’s sale benefits the CSU Horticulture Center in the College of Agricultural Sciences.
“This practicum is an opportunity for our undergraduate students to get hands-on experience working in a greenhouse to produce a crop,” said Craver, currently in his first year of running the program. “For the fall semester, each student is assigned a poinsettia cultivar, and they are responsible for all of the decision-making and work that goes into production. For our program, this practicum provides a great opportunity for students to build confidence in their skills and apply all of their horticultural knowledge in a realistic production environment.”
