Relationship between Nodal Position and Plant Age on the Nutrient Composition of Vegetative Poinsettia Leaves

Abstract

Vegetative, single-stem poinsettia plants (Euphorbia pulcherrima Willd. `Gutbier V-14 Glory') were allowed to develop 10, 15, or 20 nodes (nodal groups). Within each nodal group, blades from the same node position were removed, combined into one sample per node, and analyzed for nutrient content. Nutrient concentrations were found to be distributed within the plant in one of three patterns: 1) N, P, and K concentrations were higher in upper than in lower leaves; 2) Ca, Mg, Fe, Mn, and B concentrations were higher in lower than in upper leaves; and 3) Cu and Zn concentrations were higher in upper and lower leaves than in middle leaves. When 10, 15, and 20 noded groups were compared, the distributional patterns were similar, but actual nutrient concentrations between groups differed. Leaf P, Ca, Mg, Fe, Mn, Zn, and B concentrations increased over time. However, concentrations of N, K, and Cu were highest in 43-day-old leaves and lowest in 19-day-old leaves for N and Cu and lowest in 67-day-old leaves for K.