Chrysanthemum Planting Calendar January and February

By now your plants should be in their final pots.
Large exhibitions, I put in 10 inch pots, all the others go into 12 inch but only 3/4 filled with potting mix. The reason for using the bigger pot is so that there is more room to space the extra canes around the edge of the pot.

The first stop (that is pinch the growing tip out) should be done about the 20^th December, when the side shoots are about an inch long. Leave 3 on large exhibition, 5 on decorative, six on all the others, take the rest of the side shoots off. The second stop, large exhibitions 7th January, decorative 10th January, the rest 20th January, except for the Princess Ann family, they should be stopped on 29th January. If you keep records and these dates do not suit your area (because there is a difference from one side of the street to the other) you can adjust next year. Leave one shoot per lateral and take the rest off.

Start feeding 4 weeks after putting into final pots (that's if your potting mix had some fertilizer in it) using a high nitrogen feed either dry or liquid feed. In the third week of February change to high potash feed, preferably liquid.

Put your stakes in when the laterals are long enough to tie in, space the stakes around the edge of the pot, so that when they bloom the flowers won't touch. Remember large exhibitions should be bigger than 6 inches, decoratives no bigger than 6 inches, spiders and quills can get to 8 inches or more.

I always put insulation around my pots, either roofing insulation or 6 layers of newspaper that stops the roots from cooking. Some people bury the pot with just the rim showing above the ground, which also stops the pots blowing over.

Keep your eye open for thrip and caterpillars at this time of year, and at the first sign, spray.

Good growing, hope to see lots of blooms on the show bench, you have got to be in it to win it.

CHRYSANTHEMUM GROWERS CALENDAR CULTURAL NOTES FOR JANUARY AND FEBRUARY by Roy Shilling as printed in Chrysanthemum News, January/February 2001. Chrysanthemum News is the newsletter of the West Australian Chrysanthemum Society Inc.
By now your plants should be in their final pots. Large exhibitions, I put in 10 inch pots, all the others go into 12 inch but only 3/4 filled with potting mix. The reason for using the bigger pot is so that there is more room to space the extra canes around the edge of the pot. The first stop (that is pinch the growing tip out) should be done about the 20^th December, when the side shoots are about an inch long. Leave 3 on large exhibition, 5 on decorative, six on all the others, take the rest of the side shoots off. The second stop, large exhibitions 7th January, decorative 10th January, the rest 20th January, except for the Princess Ann family, they should be stopped on 29th January. If you keep records and these dates do not suit your area (because there is a difference from one side of the street to the other) you can adjust next year. Leave one shoot per lateral and take the rest off. Start feeding 4 weeks after putting into final pots (that's if your potting mix had some fertilizer in it) using a high nitrogen feed either dry or liquid feed. In the third week of February change to high potash feed, preferably liquid. Put your stakes in when the laterals are long enough to tie in, space the stakes around the edge of the pot, so that when they bloom the flowers won't touch. Remember large exhibitions should be bigger than 6 inches, decoratives no bigger than 6 inches, spiders and quills can get to 8 inches or more. I always put insulation around my pots, either roofing insulation or 6 layers of newspaper that stops the roots from cooking. Some people bury the pot with just the rim showing above the ground, which also stops the pots blowing over. Keep your eye open for thrip and caterpillars at this time of year, and at the first sign, spray. Good growing, hope to see lots of blooms on the show bench, you have got to be in it to win it.