
LTURAL POINTERS 
WATERING 
The knowledge of proper watering is essential to success. Chrysanthemums produce extremely heavy 
foliage and a great deal of water is required at the roots, and under ordinary conditions of bench cul- 
ture overwatering would be difficult. When grown in beds more care should be exercised in watering. 
After benching young plants grown in 2!/,"" pots, spot watering around the plants is more desirable 
than watering the entire area. When the plants become established the entire area should be given 
a thorough watering. A trowel should be used to examine the soil to determine the necessity of water- 
ing. Some soils look wet on the surface but are very dry several inches below. 
When planting rooted cuttings directly into their permanent locations it is essential to water thoroughly 
to set the soil around the plant roots. We suggest double watering again when the soil gets on the 
dry side. By this time the plants are established and regular watering should be followed. Keep hu- 
midity in the house by wetting down bench and walks. 
During the heat of the summer it is beneficial to syringe or spray the foliage of chrysanthemums. 
When syringing is started around 8:00 A.M. and continued at regular intervals, with the help of a 
light shade on the glass, the house temperature can be kept down as well as raise the humidity within 
the house. When the growth becomes thick or when the nights get chilly discontinue all syringing. 
Yet growers who grow quality mums tell us that they do not syringe their crop during the entire 
season. 
TEMPERATURE 
This crop will make its most growth during cool weather. During the summer, syringing overhead plus 
a light shade on the glass will help keep the plants cool. 
It has been 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 flower 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 de- 
grees. It is recommended that you keep a night temperature of 55 degrees on the late varieties 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. 
CUTTING FLOWERS 
Quality flowers can be easily ruined by improper cutting and marketing. Standards should have 
their centers well developed before cutting as half open blooms will not have good keeping qualities. 
Pompons are ready to cut when the majority of the buds on the spray are open. If pompons are al- 
lowed to remain on the plant too long the quality is greatly reduced. There is also a great difference 
in weight of pompons cut when ready as compared with those held on the plant for some time before 
cutting. The Chrysanthemum Society of America recommends that pompons be marketed in 9 ounce 
bunches, although it is our opinion that when we grow a uniform spray we will market them by number 
rather than by weight. 
Standards are the most difficult to market. Over-crowding in the shipping boxes is the most common 
error. Pack so that there is ample room for each bloom, with sufficient cleating to hold the flowers in 
their proper positions. Pompons should be tied in neat bunches so to show off the flowers and yet not 
tangle with other bunches when handled. 
SS ee 


an 
= | Livek a = s mr ” . 
k E. Cremer 
ad <a 
Entire House of Marie De Petris—-Grown by Fran 
