Like roses, chrysanthemums have been one of the most popular flowers for centuries. The tendencies here only change depending on the diversity of species and the techniques of raising them. Every year, breeders create a new variety of shapes and colors and technologists offer increasingly successful methods for growing cut flowers. In the gardens, beds are traditionally laid out with the pretty flowers, which provide a colorful joy in autumn when all the other flowers wither. The chrysanthemum bushes offered by flower suppliers, garden centers and flower shops are becoming increasingly popular and in demand. Many people ask themselves how it works, whether you can do it yourself and whether a special procedure is necessary.
Thanks to many years of breeding, the species diversity of these pretty flowers is particularly large and the care of chrysanthemums is particularly important. The different varieties can be divided into groups based on different characteristics. For this reason, different classifications exist. The varieties that are grown to serve as cut flowers are not suitable as bushes. For this purpose, it is necessary to use the varieties intended for flower pots, whose stems have many branches and are densely leafy.
Caring for chrysanthemums and shaping a bush
The easiest way to get the right variety is to buy a ready-made chrysanthemum bush from the flower shop or greenhouse where they are grown. Use a mother plant to grow new, attractive specimens. As you know, the pretty flowers can be propagated by seeds or by vegetative propagation and mostly by cuttings. The seed method is only used in breeding to create new varieties. Propagation by cuttings is the best way to maintain the quality of the chosen variety.
A royal guest from the Far East
Today hardly anyone knows where the pretty chrysanthemums actually come from. Information about when exactly people began growing this flower in their gardens has been lost over the centuries. There are only various legends and traditions about their origins. “An emperor once lived in what is now China. He was, as is often told in folk tales, cruel and greedy. He learned that a flower grows on an island in the sea that has eternal life force. But its miraculous power can only be revealed if it is picked by an honest person. But the Emperor knew that he was not such a person, and he also knew that there was no honest person in his castle. So he sent a group of virgin youths and girls. However, no one returned. They all stayed on the island and founded their new homeland, Japan.”
Hironishi-Chrysanthemum
Such an event is hardly the cornerstone of the cult of the pretty chrysanthemums in Eastern countries. And yet today is the 16-leafHironishi-Chrysanthemumdepicted on the national coat of arms of Japan. In Japan, one of the most popular national holidays is that of the Chrysanthemum on September 9th. And the Chinese revere this flower just as much. The ninth month of the year is named after her and the ninth day of that month is a holiday. It wasn't until the end of the 15th century that the flowers came to Europe in several different colors. The colors were pink, white, purple and cream, but the most impressive was probably the yellow chrysanthemum. When trying to translate the word “chrysanthemum”, the two Greek words “chrysos”, which means gold, and “anthemon” – flower, come up.
The demands of pretty flowers on the environment
These flowers require loose soil rich in nutrients. Before planting, the soil should be worked well and fertilized with organic fertilizer. These are important conditions for the flower to develop normally in the garden. If you want to grow it in a flower pot as a houseplant, you need a mixture of garden soil and organic fertilizer. You can't get calcareous soil and acidic soil is also harmful for you. It is best to provide the pretty chrysanthemums with neutral soil with a pH of 6.5 to 7.5.
Light and warmth in winter
Even though the pretty chrysanthemums are not heat-loving flowers, they are still sensitive to low temperatures. They can hibernate best at temperatures between 4 and 6 degrees. They can only form flowers when the temperature is 10 to 35 degrees. Light is also very important for the proper development of flowers. She loves short days and develops best when the day is 12 hours long.
Flowering time to order
You can enjoy the beautiful flowers at any time of the year. This requires a greenhouse that can provide the necessary temperature and humidity even in winter. However, the most important role is played by light. Two weeks after planting the seedlings in a permanent place in the greenhouse, it is darkened with the help of special lines, thereby achieving a short day of 12 hours. Exactly 10 weeks later, or at most half a day earlier or later, the flowers are ready to be cut. This is how flowers are produced for every day in Holland. There are more for working days and less for public holidays.
The technique of shaping
The technique of forming a chrysanthemum bush begins with the fact that the cutting must take root. Several cuttings are usually used for this purpose. They are taken from the mother plant early in the morning when it is still cool. In addition, the plant should have been watered generously beforehand. The cuttings are taken using sharp scissors or a sharp knife. Under no circumstances should you pinch them off with your fingers, as this will crush the part of the plant tissue that will later root. Several cuttings are taken from a mother plant. However, you should make sure that you maintain their bushy shape.
Promote the root
To make the cuttings root faster and easier, you can also use rooting promoters. The active components of such a remedy are chemicals that stimulate the formation of roots. In most cases, the cuttings will root without its help, provided all the conditions are met, but the process is slower and not so safe. Only the lower end (1 to 2 mm) of the cutting is dipped in this growth stimulant. Since you want multiple cuttings to grow roots, it is best if you plant them in propagation containers. These should be filled with suitable soil consisting of peat and sand or perlite. To plant the cuttings of the pretty chrysanthemums, make a small opening in the soil with a stick or rod. If the soil is slightly moist, no soil will fall back into the hole and you can insert the cutting without any problems. Then fill the hole with soil using the finders without pressing them in heavily. It must remain sufficiently loose.
Plastic instead of ceramic pot
If you don't have special growing containers for rooting the cuttings, small plastic pots will also suffice. However, make sure that they have drainage holes at the bottom so that excess water does not accumulate. After 20 to 25 days the cuttings have the The pretty flowers have already taken root and are removed from the growing containers. This is easily done by lightly pressing the floor from below. Plant the cuttings in individual, small flower pots. You do not need to remove the soil around the roots. On the contrary. It even ensures that the cuttings are transplanted successfully. The soil in the new pot should also be slightly compacted. The cuttings will soon form new and many roots in the new flower pot.
Pruning the plants
To give the pretty chrysanthemums a bushy shape, their tips must be trimmed regularly. This causes the plant to grow in all directions. There is an important rule here: June 15th is the last day to prune the chrysanthemum as a potted plant. The trimming itself is also done with sharp scissors or with your fingers.
process of growth
The root formation process lasts about 20 days. It is important to ensure a constant temperature of no more than 18 degrees and a high air and soil humidity of 80%. To maintain moisture, the pretty chrysanthemums must initially be sprayed with water every day. Over time, spraying should decrease and as soon as the first roots form, stop completely and even induce a short dry period.
Fertilizer and development
It is best to fertilize the repotted cuttings of the pretty chrysanthemums once with a solution of Kristalon Spezial. This is inorganic fertilizer that contains nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, magnesium, manganese, molybdenum and zinc and guarantees the cuttings a better start to growth and a stronger development of the root system. But you can also do someHome remedies for fertilizinguse. It is also recommended to water the newly planted cuttings with a fungicide solution to disinfect the soil and prevent rotting. After a week or two, the flower pot will now be too small for the pretty flowers, so the plants will have to be repotted into larger ones. If all of this is done before June 1st, only one plant should be planted in this larger pot. If June 1st is already over, plant three plants.
