| Introduction |
|
Chrysanthemums
are next to roses in popularity and have been in cultivation for more than 2,500 years.
There are thousands of varieties now in cultivation in different countries. There are
numerous varieties of chrysanthemum, the flowers of which may be white, cream, yellow,
red, terracotta, bronze, maroon, lilac, mauve, pink or purple. |
Varieties |
|
A few commonly grown
varieties are Snowball (white, incurved), Sonar Bangla (cream, incurved), Rose Bowl (deep
rose-pink, incurved), Alfred Simpson (crimson-red, bronze reverse incurved), Pink Cloud
(pink, incurved), Ajina Purple (rose –purple, incurving), Bronze Turner (bronze,
incurving), Coronation Pink (pale pink, reflexed), Duke of Kent (white, reflexed), Mahatma
Gandhi (mauve, tubular, reflexed), Kasturba Gandhi (white, tubular, reflexed) and Valiant
(large, white, reflexed). A few other important varieties include tubular, Kikubiori
(large, yellow, incurved), Angel Bell (large, soft, pink, incurved), Shen Meigetsu
(yellow, incurved), Grape Bowl (wine-red, incurving), Tokyo (white, spider), Rupasi Bangla
(white, spider, dwarf), Flirt (deep maroon, double Korean type), Birbal Sahani (white,
globular, pompom), Mountaineer (large, yellow, incurved), and William Turner (white,
incurved). |
| Cultivation |
|
Potting |
|
During early February,
the plants are deheaded after the flowering is over by cutting the stem about 15-25 cm
above the soil. After some time when new suckers appear at the base of the stool, these
are separated and planted in small 10cm pots. Each sucker has its own root. The potting
mixture consists of one part each of sand, soil and leaf mould and a trace of wood ashes.
The second potting is done at the end of April and the suckers are transferred to a bigger
pot of 15cm which is filled with a richer soil mixture containing one part sand, one part
soil, two parts leaf-mould, a quarter part wood ashes and one tablespoonful of bonemeal.
The third and final potting is done in August when the plants are shifted to 25-30 cm
pots. The potting mixture consists of one part sand, one part soil, two parts leaf-mould,
two parts cowdung manure, a quarter part each of small pieces of wood charcoal and wood
ashes and two tablespoonfuls of bonemeal. During May and June, the young plants must be
protected from strong sunshine and from heavy rain during the rainy season. |
| Manures and fertilisers |
|
Ammonium sulphate, about
30-35g can be mixed in two gallons of water and a pint of the mixture applied to each
plant during July-August. Soon after the appearance of flower buds, sulphate of potash may
be applied in the same way as ammonium sulphate Nitrogen promotes healthy vegetative
growth, while potash helps in developing strong and stout stems and flowers and phosphorus
produces a good root growth. |
| Watering |
|
The
young plants require frequent watering in summer but less during the rains. Over-watering
should be avoided. |
| Classification |
|
Chrysanthemum
varieties are classified into seven main groups, namely, the Incurved (like a perfect
ball), Reflexed (with drooped florets), Incurving (in which the petals incurve loosely and
irregularly), Anemone (having single petals and a tubular central disc), Pompon (with very
small-sized flowers), Singles (having a central disc and five petals or ray florets),
Miscellaneous like Spider (with a hook at the tip of petals), Spoon (with a spoon-like tip
of petals), Koreans (having small single or double flowers with a visible central disc)
and Rayonnantes (having quilled petals). |
| Pests |
|
Chafer bettle grubs |
|
The
Chafer bettle grubs appear usually in July and August at the base of the pot and cause the
wilting of plants. |
|
|
|
These
grubs should be removed by hand and destroyed. It is also useful to mix a little 5 per
cent BHC and DDT dust mixture in the soil. |
|
Aphid |
|
The
other insect pest is the aphid, which appears in the cold months and sucks the sap from
the leaves. |
|
|
|
Spraying
Malathion, 2ml in one litre of water, is effective in controlling aphids. |
| Diseases |
|
Wilt and powdery mildew |
|
Among
diseases, wilt and powdery mildew are important. The wilted plants should be uprooted and
burnt as soon as they appear. To control powdery mildew, the white mould on leaves,
dusting with sulphur is useful. |
| Topping and disbudding |
|
By
late May or early June, the young plants are pinched (topped) by removing the tip of the
main stem at a time when the young lateral shoots or "breaks" are just appearing
in the leaf axils. Topping will induce lateral growths to develop from the leaf axils. The
number of main stems one would like to keep can now be decided upon. Generally one, three
or six stems are retained for obtaining exhibition blooms. At the end of each stem there
develops the first crown bud which is allowed to develop and the lateral growths arising
in the leaf axils are disbudded or removed. The date of blooming depends mainly upon the
time of starting the suckers or cuttings and dates of topping and disbudding. The plants
will need staking during October. |
