CHRYSANTHEMUM CULTURE

Otago Witness, Issue 4048, 13 October 1931, Page 11

CHRYSANTHEMUM CULTURE

Chrysanthemums are of exceptional value in the garden. They are easily grown, produce an abundance of bloom, which will keep the garden bright during autumn and winter, the blooms are admirable for house decoration—they last even to ten days in water —there is a wide range of varieties and colours. Where chrysanthemums are at present growing in gardens the clumps should be dug up, divided, and replanted Unless this is done a mass of shoots will come up from the original plant and the quality of the blooms will suffer. It is also possible at this time of the year to increase one’s stock of chrysanthemums by striking cuttings, or growing from suckers. Those who are thinking about planting chrysanthemums will do well to prepare the ground, as new season’s plants are on offer from the nurseries. SOIL PREPARATION. First and foremost, the soil should not be deeply worked. In this respect the chrysanthemum differs from most plants. The root system is that of a mass of fibrous roots, needing only five or six inches of soil. If planting in deep or loose soil the growth gets rank and spindly, producing straggly and poor blooms. The soil should be made very firm after planting. Growers of prize chrysanthemums usually prepare the soil many months beforehand by taking about three inches of the upper surface of an old pasture, placing the sods in a heap till it mellows down into friable loam. This should contain nitrogen, phosphate and potash, which manures can be added if necessary to enrich the soil. For the erage gardener, two methods are easily possible. One is to give over a special section to chrysanthemum culture by making a frame," the bottom of- which could be of hardwood, on which could be built up, say, six inches of friable soil. Set the plants IS inches to two feet apart and tread the soil firmly. Loose soil is useless for Chrysanthemums. The advantage of growing in a frame is that uprights can be nailed on and canvas blinds fixed to shelter from rain and rough weather. For growing such choice varieties as Louisa Rockett (white), Edith Cavell (orange bronze), Sir William Brunton (dark crimson), Thomas W. Pockett (pink), Golden Champion (yellow), the special growing conditions as suggested are worth while. The blooms are glorious and worth going to any trouble to obtain.

The other method is to grow chrysanthemums in the open garden—by digging the required area six inches deep and tramping the ground to make it very firm. Then place six inches of soil thereon, and plant out the chrysanthemums 18 inches apart, again tramping the ground to make it firm. The surface soil will need to be stirred so that moisture can penetrate, for it is obvious that in watering, the water must soak through to the roots. Later on disbudding is necessary, also liquid manuring, to bring on the blooms. There are many types of chrysanthemums, including Japanese hybrids tor exhibition; Japanese hybrids for garden decoration and cut bloom, as well as single flowering sorts.—The Garden Lover.