Cultural Suggestions for Cascades 





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Tying and Pinching (see drawings and photos) 
Cultural Suggestions — Commercial & Exhibition Types 
SOIL PREPARATION. Chrysanthemum beds should be prepared 
early by spading into the ground a liberal amount of decayéd 
manure. The ground should be spaded toa depth of 12 to 15 
inches. Peat is used if ground is either too sandy or too heavy. 
FERTILIZING. About three applications of complete fertilizers, 
such as ‘’Gaviota,’’ ‘‘Vigoro,” etc., should be made at two to four 
pounds per 100 square feet. Feedings should be avoided during 
periods of extreme heat or when soil is too dry. The soil is wat- 
ered before the application if necessary. The last application is 
made when buds are large enough to make the final selection 
(Figure 2 above). 
STOPPING. When the plant is established in a garden and has 
developed two or three pairs of matured leaves, the center or the 
main growth is nipped off. From then on, the plant should be re- 
stricted to form about three or four shoots in order to obtain large 
blooms. For a late blooming variety, the main growths of these 
new shoots may be nipped off again around July 15 in order to 
regulate the height. 
For large pompons and anemones, six to eight stems are al- 
lowed to grow to a plant.. Other cultures for these are similar with 
those of large flowering varieties. 
DISBUDDING. (See drawings above.) Immediately after new 
shoots of your selection begin to send out new laterals, they 
should be removed very close at the base (see lowest lateral of 
Figure 1) at regular intervals of about once a week. This procedure 
should be adhered to religiously in order to obtain successful 
results. 
SELECTION OF BUDS. The first bud produced by the plant is 
called the ‘Crown bud” and is distinguished by being surrounded 
with leaves. The ‘’Terminal bud” appears later in clusters sur- 
rounded with flower buds. 
The procedure of ‘taking buds’’ depends very largely on the 
variety, and no fast rules can be given, but we recommend reten- 
tion of terminal buds for majority of early flowering Commercial 
and Exhibition types, particularly here in Southern California. The 
safest rule, we find, is not to save buds formed before August 20 
in our district. Retention of early formed ‘Crown buds” often re- 
sults with large percentage of crippled flowers, especially when a 
large amount of nitrogen fertilizer remains unconsumed by the 
plant. Furthermore, since the hottest period of the year usually 
comes during the month of September and early October, the haz- 
ards of burnt petals and fading of colors are too frequently expe- 
rienced when early crown buds are retained in our district. 
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