How to get chrysanths set up for the season
Preparation and attention to detail stands you in good stead for the rest of the year
Most of my chrysanthemums are now ready to be moved into 13cm (5in) pots. I use a multi-purpose, peat-based compost to ensure good plant development. In April I’ll be starting to prepare my land where I grow my early flowering blooms, ready for planting out in May. If you’re growing in pots, get your loam or compost ready for moving your plants on into their final pots.
The first of your intermediates and incurves will need stopping (pinching the centre out) early April and the reflexing varieties the first week in May. This will train the plant to produce two to three breaks and helps you to manage the flowering time of your blooms. Stopping them at this time will mean you should have blooms ready to show in August or September.
If you need your blooms for the later shows, you should pinch the tip out (stop) after May then they’ll flower, producing the blooms throughout the autumn.
Ivor Mace (late chrysanths)
This is the time I root any late-flowering chrysanthemums I want to grow on
first crown. This is the easiest way of producing blooms for showing or cut flowers. In my case this will include all the varieties with stopping dates that are before the end of the first week in May. Any varieties with later stopping dates were rooted in late January and I’ve already potted these into 9cm (3½in) pots. The reason for this is that I’ll be stopping these varieties twice, because on first crown they’d bud too early.
Keep a close look out for aphids and, at the first sign of attack, spray with a good insecticide suitable for chrysanthemums. It’s also a good time to clean out cold frames, ready for using from April to the end of May for plants that are established.