LeCroy Career Technical Center’s annual poinsettia sale begins Wednesday.

About 600 poinsettias grown and maintained by LeCroy instructor Dodd Granger’s horticulture students are available to the entire county.

The sale will end when the last poinsettia is sold, and all proceeds from the sale will benefit the center.

“It’s one of the biggest fundraisers for LeCroy,” director Tommy Glasscock said. “About 48 students help take care of them. This year is probably one of our better crops.”

Glasscock said he hopes the sale will net about $8,500 as it did last year.

LeCroy has held the sale annually for 20–30 years.

The poinsettias start as rooted cuttings, sometimes called plugs, and are stored in a greenhouse at the LeCroy campus, where students nurture them for about two months until they are considered ready to be sold.

Students study the effects of sunlight on the plants, as well as fertilizer and water.

They water the plants every day, test the soil and measure leaf growth and quality of each plant.

“They start the first of school, the first of September,” Glasscock said. “They go through and they really just have to keep a running tab on [the plants].”

In addition, business students create marketing for the poinsettias with fliers and website postings.

Anyone may purchase an 8 1/2-inch potted poinsettia for $7 each, Monday–Friday between 8 a.m. and 3 p.m.

Customers may choose red, gold or green foil pot covers.

Those who wish to reserve poinsettias for pick-up should call (205) 280-2920.