SHOW CHRYSANTHEMUMS

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LXII, Issue 18594, 3 January 1935, Page 2

SHOW CHRYSANTHEMUMS

HINTS FOR NOVICES

FASCINATING HOBBY

(By “ Keen*Amateur.”)

Th<“'following notes are :t continuation of the articles under the ahove headings which appeared in the Poverty Hay Herald on Vugust M and November 1 last. In 'he latter article i; \\:is explained that the lirsi tlo"e rl.ail produced on each plum was known n t!ie “duniinv crown,” and must in- \ arialdv he removed. At the time this bad is' removed the three uppermost shoots tire retained anil all shoots appearing lower on tht* plttnf are removed. Tn.s ork will, no doubt, have been attended to during December. The three main shoots should now be muking vigorous growth, and- on early varieties the ‘‘first erowa bud is aliout to appear. This In d seldom produces the best show bloom, so should be removed; also, one should remove all of the many side shoots that arise from the axel of each leaf as soon ns they are large enough to break off, excepting for the uppermost ,»»cl'. of the three main branches, which is allowed to grow on until the “second crown” bud appears. The second crown bud should almost invariably be selected' for snow blooms and thereafter all side shoots kept suppressed. Should this bud appear prior to about the last week in Janu- •• rv, the bloom will probably be too curlv for most of the autumn shows, so to delay the blooming can be removed in the same way as the lirst crown ami the plant allowed to eftnlin ue growth until the “terminal bull appears. Terminal buds are all surrounded by a number of smaller flower buds, which should be removed j s early as possible, leaving the centre otic only to produce the bloom. .second crown buds that* appear between February 1 and 15, usually produce the best blooms for show purposes. However, buds that appear cither a little earlier or later than t’iis period often produce excellent show blooms. Plants that arc late and as a result do not show the Inst crown bud until about February 10 should he allowed to develop this bud, as the second crown will probably be too late for show work. The pinching out of shoots that are not required is particularly important throughout January, and should be attended to at least once each week. SUCKERS From December onwards most plants, produce numerous suckers from one oi two inches beneath the soil sin lace., Tlmse suckers often extend Ift. or more before appearing above the soil, cram about mid-December until early m February each plant should be examined everv seven to 10 days, by removing the soil with the hand from around the main (tem. all suckers should be broken oft as close to the parent plant as possible, taking care not to injure the p ant roots more than is unavoidable. These suckers will continue to appear until the winter ami must be suppressed until the blooms are picked, otherwise the maximum size »f bloom cannot be attained. After early February it is often impossible to remove the suckers entirely without seriously injuring the plant routs. When this* condition arises it is preferable to leave the roots entirely undisturbed and just shorten hack the suckers as far as possible every one or two weeks.

MANURING AND WATERING Liquid manuring i 4 not essential for healthy plants to produce large show blooms ; however, slightly larger blooms can at times be secured by this practice. Plants that are backward can be helped by applying liquid manure at the present lime and two further applications made at weekly intervals. For healthy plants the first application should not be made until the last week in January or early in February. If the sc.il is inclined to be dry, give" .. liberal watering before applying the first liquid manure. The manure can he applied on three consecutive days, using j to 1 gallon of liquid each day to every plant. Rake the sur face of the ground on the fourth day to prevent a crust forming and give no further liquid for about 10 days, when the process can be repeated. Many different manures can be used in liquid form with beneficial results. Nitrogen is the most forcing form of plant food and is probably best for this purpose. Suitable nitrogenous fertilisers are sulphate of ammonia or nitrate of soda. Dissolve one heaped egg-cup full in four gallons of water. Fresh cow manure diluted in water also makes a suitable liquid manure. It can be taken that the main feeding month for chrysanthemums is the month following the selecting of the buds and it is important that the plants should have an abundant supply of water during this period. If manure is not being applied at this time and the weather is mostly fine the plants should be watered periodically to ensure abundant soil moisture. If the soil is inclined to become dry. -watering gnould be '■on

Unued until the blooms arc almost fully opened. If blooms are maturing too early, refrain from watering. PESTS AND DISEASES Thgre are three major troubles that fall under this heading, i.e., the small green leaf-roller caterpillar, aphis, and leaf rust. The firstmentioned insects are a source of much trouble in eating into the flower buds and also the petals of the blooms in all stages of development. This pest usually makes its appearance about the present time and become more plentiful as the season advances if control measures are not adopted. The only satisfactory control is bv spraying every 14 to 17 days with arsenate of lead powder, loz., plus 3oz. hydrated lime to four gallons of water. As this spray will stain the blooms, hand-picking of the grubs has to be resorted to once the blooms open.

The aphis can be a serious pest at all stages of growth. Satisfactory control can be effected by spraying whenever the aphis is observed with nicotine sulphate, one teaspoonful plus loz. soap to one gallon of water. This spray will also stain blooms and so must be discontinued when the blooms are open. However, if the aphis is kept in goof control earlier in the season it will not usually cause serious damage during the blossoming period. Nicotine sulphate and the arsenate of lead-lime solutions can readily be applied in combination, in which caso the soap must he omit.ted.

Leaf rust is more difficult to contend with, and while many different spraying specifics are recommended for its control, the writer is doubtful whethei most of these spraying liquids have any appreciable effect on the disease. Prob ably the most promising spray for the control of leaf-rust is a somewhat new form of sulphur known as colloidal sulphur. Use at a strength of 2oz. (avoirdupois) to four gallons of watei every 14 days from the first appearance of the disease until the blooms commence to open.

The concluding article by the write! will appear in the Herald about th< end of February and wdl deal with tin care of the blooms before picking and the staging of the blooms.