


Many varieties of Pompons as well as large Mums are well suited for pot 
plant use. Not at all difficult to grow either. 
about a month and planted from it carefully, or if not in 
small pots over 3 or 4 weeks, they have a chance of coming 
along unchecked; but we’ll take our chance on the rooted 
cuttings for another reason: Handling and space the early 
propagation requires adds substantially to costs. 
But the crux of this proposition is to have enuf cuttings 
to put in the sand about 3 weeks before the beds are ready 
to plant. In fact, putting in the cuttings should be con- 
sidered as the first operation in planting. Topping quite 
eatly rooted stock of scarce or valuable varieties will in- 
crease available stock when wanted. Also timely topping 
of stock plant growth will help. Also in topping go down 
deep enuf to get a cutting and root it to make stock plants 
for later cutting. It should be easy to spread the planting 
time over a month or 6 weeks, and that should help con- 
siderably in having cuttings when wanted. 
Planting out cuttings direct should be done by someone 
who can pick out the weakest and such should be pianted 
in the outside rows. Also, we plant a few extra ones in 
the bed as possible replacements. After the first good 
watering, the development of new roots is encouraged by 
letting the soil become fairly dry before again watering. 
SHORT STEMMED POMPONS 
Every season some short stemmed pompons are met 
with in any market, and this considerably reduces their 
value compared with stock on 3-4 ft. stems. Usually this 
fault is not due to late planting but to the fact that they 
just didn’t dig in and grow from the start as they should 
have. To add water and fertility to such a condition with- 
out knowing what is in the soil will usually make matters 
al 
Fe 
worse. By holding them somewhat on the dry side, white 
roots will develop and push them out of this condition, 
but the delayed action will count against them. But it ts 
of more importance to realize that it is usually due to a 
check to growth in the early stages. 
cuttings in clean open soil and not starting them off in 
overwet soil, there’s no reason that we can think of for 
By using rooted 
their not growing freely. 
SPACING 
This question is a rather vital one for commercial 
growers, for it does bear on the net results. We some- 
times get the impression that there is a tendency to over 
space, but this may be due to lack of possible growth or 
late planting. it difficult to make 
definite suggestions. However, with big standard Mums 
planted in June or early July, 8x 8 in. with 2 flowers per 
plant is standard commercial’ practice. With a 4 ft. raised 
bed this might be closed up some, say 7x 8. This spacing 
with one flower to a plant will of course produce some 
larger flowers, but they will not return as much as will the 
two smaller flowers per plant with the same spacing. For 
most retail growers the net will be still higher if at least 
These factors make 
part of the planting carried 4-5 flowers per plant, using 
the same 8 x 8 spacing. In England the tendency is almost 
exclusively toward smaller flowers and more of them. They 
are largely grown there outdoors during the summer in 
what appears to be 10 in. pots with from 12-16 flowers 
per plant. In the Paris market the bigger they are the 
better they like them, so better make it some of each size. 
Pompons we like to space 6x7, or for strong growers 
planted early 6x8 in. Top half way down at a height 
of 8 in. and carry up about three stems: no further top- 
ping is necessary. As already stated, if side growths are 
trimmed out once from about the base, this plan makes 
for longer stems because there is no waste of the plant's 
energy in making brushy blind growth. 
WATERING 
This is probably the most important factor in the profit- 
able culture of any crop. There is just one way to deter- 
mine whether or not water should be supplied and that is 
to dig down 6 or 8 in. in deep beds and examine the soil. 
If it is wet enuf to ball up in the hand, chances are it 
should be let alone. While this comes close to being a hard 
and fast rule, we must also consider the strength and 
health of growth. A raised bed in the fall filled with roots 
and strong heavy growth can hardly be overwatered. On 
the other hand, with temperatures in the 90’s growth is 
not nearly so active as during cool fall weather and water. 
(continued on page 13) 
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