"Taking' the Chrysanthemum Bud — By I. L. Powell, ?s 



A SIMPLE EXPLANATION OF THE MYSTERIOUS PROCESS BY WHICH THE FOUNDATION IS 

 LAID FOR THE FINE BLOOMS OF NOVEMBER— JUST HOW YOU TOO MAY GET SHOW BLOOMS 



~D IGHT now is the critical time for 

 -■-*- the chrysanthemum grower. "Tak- 

 ing the bud" — that is, the selecting of 

 the individual bud that is to, make the big 

 bloom of November — is done from the 

 middle of August on. "Taking the bud" 

 means selecting the bud that is to be re- 

 tained and removing all others. The 

 best time to do this varies with the different 

 varieties, and has to be decided largely 

 by experience. A safe rule for the begin- 

 ner is to " take " no bud before August 20th. 



As to the bud, the growing tip of the 

 plant will appear to divide, and instead of 

 a single stem continuing to grow, there 

 will be (generally) three branches growing 

 from the top of the plant. In the axil 

 of these branches will "appear a small, 

 elongated bud. This is the "crown bud," 

 important in the production of first-class 

 chrysanthemum blooms. 



There are always in cultivation a few va- 

 rieties on which the crown bud produces 

 an inferior bloom, but with most varieties 

 blooms produced from crown buds, selected 

 at the proper time will prove superior, 

 other things being equal. The question 

 of whether the crown bud shall be used 

 or discarded will occasionally depend upon 

 the variety producing it, but generally 

 upon the date on which it makes its appear- 

 ance. This matter will be fully discussed 

 farther on. To get first-class exhibition 

 blooms, it is important that the crown bud 

 be selected whenever it appears at the 

 proper time. Blooms of the same variety 

 will often be fully one fourth larger from 

 crown than from terminal buds. They 

 will also be fuller and of better substance, 

 and the stem and foliage will generally 

 be better, although some varieties develop 

 a long bare "neck" just below the bloom 

 when the crown bud is used. Blooms of 

 pink varieties sometimes lack color when 

 crown buds are used, but this also is not 

 a serious objection, if the bud has not 

 been taken too early. 



If it is desired to " take" the crown bud, 



The " crown " bud which produces generaUy the 

 largest blooms, but sometimes lacks foliage 



all • the little branches that have started 

 to grow about it must be removed before 

 they are an inch long, care being taken 

 that the bud is not damaged in doing so. 

 The point of a small knife blade is a good 

 instrument for doing this work. If the 

 branches are not removed, the crown bud 

 will not develop, the branches appropriat- 

 ing all the substance necessary to its devel- 

 opment. 



When a crown bud is formed early in 

 August and is not taken, the branch that 

 is let grow will produce what is called a 

 second crown bud. This differs slightly 

 from the first crown bud in having short 

 "terminal" growths about it, and they 

 show buds at the same time as the crown 

 bud; almost as soon as the latter can be 

 seen. This second crown bud will gener- 

 ally make a first-class bloom. While per- 

 haps not quite so large as a bloom from 

 the first crown bud, it will be better 

 finished. 



If the time is not propitious, or if for 

 any other reason it is desired that either of 

 the crown buds shall be discarded, remove 

 all branches that have started from 

 the top of the plant except the strongest 

 and best one, allowing this to remain and 

 develop. Generally this will grow for 

 three or four weeks, and then produce 

 three or four globular or slightly flattened 

 buds in a compact cluster. These are 

 known as "terminal" buds, so called 

 because they terminate the plant's season 

 of growth and if they are all removed 

 the plant will produce no flowers. If 

 it is desired to use a terminal bud for pro- 

 ducing a bloom, all the buds of the cluster 

 are removed except the central or largest 

 one. The same method may be used for 

 removing these as was advised for the 



Removing " terminal " buds, or ■' taking the crown ' 

 bud. Be careful not to do any injury 



66 



crown bud, and the same care must be 

 taken in order that the remaining bud be 

 not damaged. Thus it will be seen that 

 "taking" the bud is merely selecting and 

 deciding which bud to retain. The opera- 

 tion of removing the discarded buds and 

 growths is called "disbudding." 



Disbudding should never be done during 

 the heat of the day, as the growth is then 

 wilted and tough, and there is greater 

 danger of damaging the remaining buds. 

 If done in the early morning or during 

 cool, cloudy weather, while the growth 

 is firm, the buds will snap out very easily. 



The question of whether to take the 

 crown bud, or allow the plant to grow and 

 develop a terminal bud, can only be de- 

 termined by the judgment of the operator 

 in each individual instance. A general 

 principle that may be used as a guide 

 is that cool, dry weather conditions tend 

 to hasten the formation of buds, and 

 vice versa. In the northern hemisphere 

 the chrysanthemum generally forms its 

 buds during the months of August and 

 September. In the southern hemisphere 

 they would be formed in February and 

 March. In the vicinity of the fortieth de- 

 gree of North latitude, and in the eastern 

 part of the United States, the earliest 

 date on which crown buds of the best mid- 

 season or late exhibition varieties may be 

 taken with reasonable assurance that they 

 will develop good blooms is August 15th, 

 and only a very few varieties will develop 

 satisfactory blooms from buds taken be- 

 fore the twentieth. Crown buds of early 

 flowering varieties may be taken as early 

 as August 1st with reasonable assurance 

 of producing good blooms. Farther north, 

 or when grown at a high altitude, they 

 might possibly be taken a few days earlier; 

 while farther south they could not be taken 

 so early. There is sometimes considerable 

 difference between plants of the same 

 variety grown in the same locality by 

 different growers. 





Result of not taking the bud. The terminal 

 shoots are sapping strength. The crown may yet 

 be taken however 





