Chrysanths
Books
There are loads of good books on the market to tell you how to grow Chrysanths so I'll not re-invent the wheel. Two of note are :-
Chrysanthemums - The Complete Guide By Baden Locke ISBN 1 85223 890 9
Chrysanthemum Guide available from the National Chrysanthemum Society
Chrysanthemums - General
For the growing of Chrysanthemums you'll need the following bits of equipment
· Soil warming cable & thermostat or a steel tray & a paraffin lamp if you have no electric in the greenhouse.
· A heater of some kind for the greenhouse
· Various sizes of pots 3.5" & 5" for all of them & if you grow Lates flowering varieteis or Earlies in pots 8" - 10" Clay or plastic
· Seed trays to root your cuttings in of 24 cell paks.
· A cold frame is always useful to harden the plants off before you plant out.
The Early Chrysanthemum year begins with the lifting of the early stools in October. Wash & trim the roots then box them up in seed trays using GP compost & a light firm. Only water when really dry. These can be kept in the cold frame till you need them around December, when you set up the propagating bench. Give them a good water & then put them on the heat & wait for them to come back to life. The Late Chrysanthemums don't flower till November so these can be done after Christmas or left in the pots if you want to start the cutting off early.
Cuttings
Take cuttings after Christmas for most varieties although some of the Japs need to be taken before. When they are rooted they can be removed from the heat & left to grow on for a week or two then potted into 3.5" pots to grow on. Later on they are potted into 5" pots & from these either in to the beds or into Final pots. At all stages either John Innes compost can be used or a peat based compost (or peat alternative)
Feeding
Top dress bed 1 week before planting - blood, fish & bone to start with 3oz/sq yd. Plant out then 1st feed about 4 weeks after then weekly till end of July - Chempak no2. Secure to calyx split - 1 pint 20-20-20 per plant. Lates feed Sundays1level teaspoon Q4 & Wednesday 1 pint 20:20:20 All!!
Stools - Keep sucker trimmed as they grow (snap off or cut with secateurs DON'T BREAK OFF)
Spraying - Spray every 2 weeks with Rapid, Tumblebug etc for insects & Roseclear, Amstar or systhane to stop White Rust.alternate to stop them becoming immune Overhead Protection - Only really needed for exhibition
Bud bag all (Reflex's only till Covers go up) then use bigger bags (12x10 - Mediums, 13x12 Large) when bud bags full. Polythene covers are useful especially for reflex's (put up 1st week August till 1st week October) Shade with summer cloud or Rokolene inside or you can use Mortise frames & shopping bags .