CULTURAL POINTERS 


Crown bud surrounded Terminal bud surrounded by flower buds Terminal bud selected 
by lateral buds 
DISBUDDING 
Large flowered varieties produce side shoots in the axils of the leaves which should be removed 
very close to the base at regular weekly intervals. 
The chrysanthemum usually produces two distinct types of flowering buds— Crown and Terminal. 
The first bud produced is called the crown bud and is distinguished by being surrounded by other 
lateral leaf buds. The second is the terminal bud and is surrounded by several flower buds. If 
the plant is planted especially early, a second crown bud might appear. In appearance this sec- 
ond crown bud is exactly the same as the first. 
The procedure of "Taking Bud'' depends very largely on the variety. Usually the safest rule to 
follow is not to select a bud of early or midseason varieties before August 25. In our list of 
large flowered varieties under ‘Select Bud" you will find the date on which to select the proper 
bud. If bud is selected too early a large percentage of the flowers will be crippled. 
The final selection of bud should not be made when the cluster buds are too small as this will 
very likely cause injury to the stem near the bloom. Likewise it is not advisable to delay selecting 
the bud too long. Some growers like to leave an alternate bud until they are certain that nothing 
will happen to the one finally selected. 
TEMPERATURE 
Our leading floriculturalists have shown that if chrysanthemums are grown in temperatures much 
below 50 degrees at the time of bud initiation the plants will remain vegetative and will not form 
buds. 
Blindness in this crop is usually associated with those varieties which flower the latter part of No- 
vember or later. Not all varieties initiate buds at the same date. The late flowering varieties may 
not set bud until October. The average night temperature at that date may well be below 50 
degrees. It is recommended that you keep a night temperature of 55 degrees on the late varie- 
ties until the buds are visible, after that you are safe in reducing the temperature to 48 to 50 
degrees. This raise in temperature is especially important if you are using additional light to retard 
blooming. 
