IN THE CHRYSANTHEMUM
GARDEN
Starting another season always
gets one enthusiastic and the aim is always to improve on last year's
results, so let's give ourselves a boost by taking precautions and getting
our act together. From the start let me emphasise it is only common
sense procedures and growing methods which will get us over the line,
with specimen blooms, not beyond anyone's reach.
Firstly, ensure you have done the right thing by loosening the soil
around the stool and giving a good top dressing (for the newcomer -
compost with fertiliser mixed). Spray with a good insecticide and fungicide
(I like Pirimor and Mancozeb) one can always expect aphids on a warm
day after the rain, and mildew if the cultivars are in a shady part
of the garden.
Around the end of August and the beginning of September one can begin
to take cuttings. Start with your large exhibition varieties through
to the decoratives, fantasies, singles and sprays. There is one exception
to this rule. I believe you can't start early enough in taking cascade
cuttings. They need a long full season for maximum results. In Japan
they maintain two years growing is more beneficial.
Get a 50/50 mix of coarse sand and peat ( I* use coco peat block) and
river sand, obtained from any good nursery. It is not necessary to add
fertiliser at this stage, unless you have to delay getting around to
potting on, in the short term, when a pinch of fertiliser might be added.
If this happens though, it means you are getting off to a bad start,
the object is to keep a continuously growing plant.
You now have your striking mixture. Get your trays and pots thoroughly
clean and sterilised. It is essential that hygiene be maintained throughout.
I have a plastic garbage bin filled with water and a strong bleach.
I soak the pots and trays overnight. Prevention is better than cure.
When taking your cuttings they should be from the outer rim of the stool
wherever possible. They must be sturdy and not spindly. Sturdy cuttings
give sturdy cultivars. Spindly ones get nowhere. They should be 2 to
2.5 inches long, cut to a leaf node. Always cut and strike double what
you require, you then have a choice when potting on and means that you
have spares you can distribute. When taking your cuttings have three
containers prepared with a mixture of pesticide and fungicide. Clensil
is a very good product. Allow the cuttings to soak in the mixture and
as you empty one container drop another batch of cuttings in. Now dib
them around the outside of a pot. You can use a hormone striking powder.
Some people like to use honey, either method is satisfactory, but you
can be equally successful without either of them.
Put the pots in a protected area, where there is good but not strong
sunlight. For the first few days it may be necessary to give a light
spray or misting twice a day to prevent wilting. You will soon notice
when they have started rooting, with new growth coming away.
You are now reaching the second stage where you have good strong plants
with healthy white roots, a sure sign you have done everything right.
Around the end of September and into October you should prepare your
potting mix. I like to be 3 weeks in advance with this, as it gives
ample time to have the pH correct. For the beginner this means a balance
between alkalinity and acidity in the potting mix. I aim for a pH of
6 to 6.5. A pH soil testing kit is very important.
It is at this stage some growers make a mistake and start feeding too
much. What you must aim for is good steady growth that emphasises building
a good root system. A good handful of Growplus or Osmocote is ample.
If you follow the John Innes formula then use the base mix to the barrow.
At all times think of hygiene and have sufficient clean 3 inch pots
for your requirements. Choose the cultivars which have made strong root
growth. It is now important that you commence a register of dates. When
you took the last cutting, when you made your first potting up and follow
this up throughout the season. In this way you will build up records
that will help you with timing in future seasons.
So let's get our three R's in motion
1. Remember at all times that hygiene is essential
2. Remember keep a regular spraying routine, even if there are no 'baddies'
present, one night can cause a disaster
3. Remember to keep a calendar of dates
Cutting dates, potting dates, stopping dates, bud showing dates.
They really help to get a good bloom in the end.
GOOD
GROWING AND MAY SOME GOOD FAIRY BE AT THE BOTTOM OF YOUR GARDEN.
