San Diego county growers are poised to cash in on a holiday tradition with deep roots in the region. KPBS Reporter Erik Anderson has details.
Holiday sales of Poinsettias will generate roughly $38 million in revenue for local greenhouses. The popular holiday plant typically goes on sale the week of Thanksgiving. San Diego County Farm Bureau president Eric Larson says the Ecke Ranch in Encinitas also provides the stock for more than 70 percent of the Poinsettias sold around the country.
Larson: The Ecke’s produce the cuttings that are shipped in late summer out to all the growers around the United States who then plant the Poinsettias to grow for their local market.
The plants require precise care to make sure they bloom in time for the holidays. Ekce Ranch officials say about 130 million poinsettias will be sold in the next few weeks. Ranch officials say they already have about half of next year’s crop in the ground. Erik Anderson, KPBS News
