Foliar Feeding of Calcium Calcium is an essential nutrient in building strong cell walls.
Poinsettias are often deficient in calcium.
This deficiency causes their stems to be weak, flower bracts to be soft and increases the tendency toward the development of bract edge burn. The best way to diminish calcium deficiency is to get the calcium right to these locations as the cells are developing. The most natural way for plants to get the mineral nutrients they need is to take them up through the roots, dissolved in the water available in their growing medium. The plants may not get enough calcium through the roots because there isn t enough calcium dissolved in the growing medium solution, or there isn t enough water moving through the plant. Poinsettias need a balanced fertilizer solution containing all the essential nutrients, including calcium.