FLOWER GARDEN

Timaru Herald, Volume CXLII, Issue 20587, 28 November 1936, Page 15 (Supplement)

FLOWER GARDEN

CASCADE CHRYSANTHEMUMS From the Orient has come a new style in Chrysanthemum growing. The Japanese for many years have been cultivating their mountain Chrysanthemums in cascade fashion, but only during the past two years have American and European gardeners become acquainted with the methods employed to produce these exceedingly decorativespecimens. It might be well to explain here that these cascade Chrysanthemums are so trained that the main stems hang downwards over the side of the pot in whlcli they are grown for a length of several feet, and from these arise the numerous laterals and sub-laterals which bear the flowers. The flowers are single in various shades of red, pink, yellow, white and bronze, and a particularly well-grown specimen may carry from two to three thousand blooms fully expanded at the one time so that, when elevated on a suitable stand, the plant presents to the eye a veritable floral cascade. These plants are now available in nine distinct colours from an Auckland firm The secret of their cultivation was made known to western growers in an article contributed to an English technical journal by Kan Yashiroda, a young student who graduated from the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, England, in 1926, and later returned to his native land. Subsequent to the publication of this article, a few growers in England and America attempted to train domestic varieties In the manner

Mr Yashiroda described, but the majority of these did not possess the necessary pliability of stem to make them adaptable for this mode of culture

The cultural requirements of cas.-adc Chrysanthemums are exactly similar to those of other greenhouse "Mu'n’s.” except in the matter of training and this necessitates considerable attention and much patience.

When the young plant is a few inches high, the growing tip is pinched out in order to induce branching Of the shoots which appear as a result ci this operation, the strongest is selected ns a leader and the others are again pinched back when they develop three leaves. A stake is then inserted in the pot at angle of forty-five degrees and the leader Is kept tied down to it, and from this time onwards throughout the Summer it is of the utmost importance that this stick and, consequently, tne growing point of the leader point towards the north. This arrangement permits the lateral growths, which appear, to receive the maximum amount of light as reference to tne diagram will show. All growth which appear, with the exception or the growing point, must be stopped at tne second or third leaf-joint, and this operation must be repeated as often as necessary until the middle of August after which date pinching ceases.

Throughout the Summer, potting into successively larger pots is attended to as growth demands, the soil being sweet and rich as is appreciated by all •'Mums.’ In Japan the ingredients of

the potting compost are proportioned with exactitude and mixed with the greatest care. The most successful growers have their own composts which are guarded as professional secrets. This minute care does not seem to be necessary, however, as the plants flourish under the treatment usually given to Chrysanthemums by British growers.

Watering must, of course, receive attention, and at least once every week or ten days the plants should be thoroughly sprayed with an approved insecticide. This treatment is based upon the axiom that an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. On all bright sunny days throughout the Summer, spraying the foliage with clear water from the hose will prove beneficial as a control measure for pests, and as a means of supply the atmospheric humidity necessary to prevent the growths from hardening. A position in full sunshine in a thoroughly well-ventilated greenhouse is best from a cultural viewpoint. About the time of the last stopping, the work of bringing the plant to a horizontal position should be begun. This is done by gradually lowering the stake a few inches at a time at three or four day intervals until the desired position is attained, and in such position the plant is allowed to remain until the flower buds are well set when the operation of “hanging" must receive attention.

Hanging is a delicate task and requires care, for the stem can be readily snapped and the work of a season undone by any ungentle handling. First, the support stick is removed, the long stems resting on

the arms of a helper meanwhile. The pot is then raised upon a suitable stand and the stems lowered until they hang vertically over the side. After hanging, the pots must be so placed that the flowers are faced to the north, a position which enables them to receive at this stage the full benefit of the available sunlight. This detail is of the utmost importance to the uniform development of the flowers.

Should the main stem appear to be too brittle to permit of hanging without danger of breaking, take some fine copper wire and wind this in a tight spiral about the portion of the stem, where the bending will take place, and then bring the stem as gradually as possible into the new position, the wire to be carefully removed a few days later. TIMELY TASKS Why should seed beds be made fine and firm?—ln thus case, the aim is the converse of that of hoeing. The necessity is to bring the soil moisture near to the usrface to be available for the germinating seeds and for the tiny rootlets which they will emit. Also, as the seeds cannot germinate, and the seedlings cannot exist, in air alone, the soil needs to be fine in order to reduce the size of the pore spaces between the particles. It follows that the smaller the seeds the finer and firmer should be the soil in which they

I are sown. But as soon as the seeds | have germinated and the seedlings I can be seen, the soil surface should be carefully broken up again with the I Dutch hoe in the case of open ground, or with a pointed stick in the case of pans and boxes, to prevent it from cracking and drying out, and to keep the moisture below the surface for the roots of the little plants.