Greenhouse - Poor Bract Color or Bract Fading in Poinsettia

The following is information on poor bract color or bract fading in poinsettias.

Poor bract color/Bract Fading

Varieties, particularly those red bracts, differ in the intensity of the pigmentation, but sometimes the color of the bracts on finished plants does not meet expectations. Bract color might be referred to as faded, though failure of the pigments to develop properly is perhaps more accurate. High night temperatures can be responsible for the lack of color intensity, and explains why night temperatures of approximately 60 to 62°F are recommended from early or mid-November until marketing. Bracts which are produced under crowded conditions, with low light levels, will usually be lighter in color than bracts in the upper canopy of the same plant.

Information from the Poinsettia Problem Diagnostic Key on Physiological Disorders from North Carolina State University http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/depts/hort/poinsettia/corrective/a11.html