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ee CHICAGO 
INOIS 
ug Getter. Mums 
By Vic BALL 
AS YOU RECEIVE CUTTINGS 
First, if wilted at all upon arrival, dip them in cold water 
and let them stand a few hours before planting. It will 
stiffen them up. If they are lightly frozen upon arrival, 
they can ordinarily be revived by thawing them very grad- 
ually. Keep them just above freezing for half a day, then 
warm up gradually. 
ABOUT EARLY BUDDING 
The symptoms: Long before the crop should normally 
set buds, each plant will throw buds—at tips, leaf axils, 
etc. Sometimes cuttings will throw buds a week or two 
after benching. Some varieties are worse than others. 
The cure: To prevent premature budding, you must: 
1. Provide additional light up to May 1: 4 hours per 
night thru February, 3 hours per night thru March, 2 hours 
thru April. Use 60 Watt bulbs 4 feet apart, 3 feet above 
plants. 
2. Keep night temperature 50° or below as long as 
possible. 
3. Keep growth soft—plenty of water, moderate feeding. 
4. Avoid varieties susceptible to early budding. Ex- 
amples: Blazing Gold, Legal Tender, Masterpiece, Silver 
Sheen, Constellation, Seneca and hardy varieties generally. 
Naturally, the earlier you take delivery of your cuttings, 
the more apt you are to have early budding troubles. 
BENCHING THE CUTTINGS 
First, whenever at all possible, plant rooted cuttings di- 
rectly to the bench where they are to flower. More often 
than not Mums in small pots are checked, hardened and 
delayed. 
If unavoidable, cuttings can be held in 21/, in. plant 
bands for 3-4 weeks. Keep well watered. If, after 30 days, 
you still aren’t ready to bench, plant band and all out doors. 
Again, lots of water. We have held late Pomps, Revelation 
and Cameo, outdoors in bands till August 26, gotten a good 
crop from them. 
Don't plant cuttings (or banded plants) too deep. A 
cutting should be set just deep enough in the soil to bury 
the roots. A deep planted cutting will be a slow growing 
plant. 
Benching dates: For outdoor shaded Pomps to flower late 
September: bench May 15. For Thanksgiving Mums and 
Pomps, bench July 5. Later varieties proportionately later. 
A good rule: Bench 3-4 weeks in advance of pinching dates 
given in this catalog. 
16 In benching, set roots of cutting just below soil surface—no deeper. 
WHAT’S A GOOD MUM SOIL? 
In our experience old greenhouse soil properly manured 
and steamed is better than fresh soil not sterilized. Some- 
how the old soil seems to have nutrients more available. 
Then, too, the sterilizing greatly improves it’s structure. 
tins like it. 
Starting with the old soil, we add 1 wheelbarrow of 
rotted cattle manure per 100 sq. ft. We then steam to 180° 
for 30 minutes (See “Grower Talks’, November 1947). 
After this, we add 4 lbs. 20% superphosphate per 100 
square feet, rototill it in, then bench cuttings. 
Fresh outdoor soil may be used. Add manure and phos- 
phate as above. We prefer to sterilize even fresh soil— 
you eliminate weeds, soil insects—and diseases, many of 
which are found in our field soils. 
In selecting soil from outdoors, note what kind of a crop 
it produced the past season. Soil that grows good corn will 
likely grow good Mums. 
In re-using old greenhouse soils, you must be alert for ex- 
cesses Of soluble salts. These may accumulate from heavy 
fertilizing of the previous crop. Also a very hard water 
will add great quantities of calctum, sulfates, etc. If in 
doubt, send a teacupful in to us for soluble salts test. 
Symptoms of excess soluble salts: general restriction of 
growth, even burning of roots. 
Lastly, we like to have fertilizer levels, nitrates and 
potash especially, low at benching time. Build them up 
later. Soil tests are the best guide. 
CORRECT SPACINGS 
FOR POMPS we prefer 7 x 8 inches trimmed to the best 
three shoots per plant. Heavy late sorts on the ground may 
need more room. Example: Revelation. 
FOR MUMS 8 x8 inches with two flowers per plant is 
a good spacing. Standards may be grown from one to four 
blooms per plant. Many retailers can use the somewhat 
smaller blooms grown three per plant. Some varieties won't 
stand it. What can you sell? 
SINGLE STEM CULTURE. By spacing both Mums and 
Pomps 6 x 6 and growing one shoot per plant, it is possible 
to save 3-4 weeks time in the bench. This may permit 
working in an extra crop each year—otherwise not possible. 
For example: Good 4 to 5 inch Good News Mums can be 
flowered on 36 inch stems by September 5 from a June 2 
benching. Space 6 x 6, no pinch, shade June 30. Likewise, 
the new white Pomp, Encore, can be flowered September 20 
if benched June 24, shaded July 24. Space 6 x 6, no pinch. 
Growers producing three crops of Mums a year are forced 
to single stem culture because of the time it saves. For 
details see page 19. 
It’s important. 
