CHRYSANTHEMUM CUTTINGS 
(ontinuous Flowering of Chrysanthemums 
Since the advent of daylength and temperature control we have seen chrysanthemum cut flowers on the markets every 
month since 1946, thanks to our never-tiring research workers in various federal and state institutions. Season has been 
eliminated and the flowering time can be accurately controlled. 
Daylength Control 
In the locality of Ohio the days are short enough for bud formation around September 20, therefore when using black cloth 
this treatment can be discontinued at this date. However, if you are interested in preventing bud initiation it is advisable 
to start to lengthen the day with additional light August | for the 8-week group. August 10 for the 10-week group and 
August 20 for the 12-week group. 
To prevent the plants from budding in the spring it is necessary to light the plants until May |. If you want bud forma- 
tion start shading the 8- and 9-week group March 10, the 10-week group March | and the 12-week group February 20. 
Lighting 
The light intensity must be 10 foot candles to prevent bud initiation. For single benches install 100 watt lamps with reflec- 
tors spaced at six foot intervals, three feet above the plants. When lighting an entire house the lamps should be in- 
stalled in the ridge of the house, the number depending on the width of the house. The lights should be turned on at 
any time during the night. 
In the months of August, September, October, March and April the lights should be operated for three hours each night. 
During November and February it is necessary to light four hours while in December and January five hours are required. 
Yoder Brothers have found that they could overcome poor spray formation by reducing the hours of lighting to one-third 
during the last third of the lighting period. That is, if the lighting period is 60 days, the last one-third or the last 20 days 
would receive only one-third of the light normally given in that particular month. This will open up the sprays that nor- 
mally are clubbed together. 
Shading 
Use a good durable Black Cloth which when applied will reduce the light intensity to 2 foot candles or less. More light 
intensity than this will result in delayed flowering and unevenness of bloom. 
The cloth should be applied at 5 P.M. and removed at 8 A.M. Continue covering each evening on pompons until the 
latest buds show color and most of the flowers are well developed. For large flowering varieties shading can be dis- 
continued after all flowering buds have attained the diameter of approximately one-half inch. 
Be sure that covering is complete on all benches shaded, as any leaks in light will cause uneven spots in the bench at 
blooming time. 
Black cloth should be applied each evening although missing one night a week will give fair results but delayed flower- 
ing results when cloth is not applied each evening. 
Temperature Control 
For bud formation a minimum temperature of 60-65 degrees should be maintained. During the growing period a night 
temperature near 60 degrees is ideal. When black cloth treatment is started raise the night temperature to 60 until color 
shows and then drop to 52 to 55 degrees. Excessive high temperatures prohibit the bud development and during seasons 
of night temperatures above 90 degrees it is suggested that the black cloth be raised after sunset and lowered again in 
the morning before daylight. This cooler temperature hastens the development of the buds. 
When growing a single bench of pompons in a cool house, it has been a problem how to increase the temperature 
necessary for bud set. A simple method is when applying black cloth allow the cloth to drop to the floor on each side 
of the bench. Turn on the heat lines under that bench and you will find that a 60 to 65 degree temperature can be 
maintained. 
Interrupted Shading to Control Pompon Sprays 
Quality can be obtained when ycu control the spray formation in pompons. The control requires no more work than nor- 
mal but does require a little more planning. The result of controlling the spray is a more open head, uniformity, and 
larger flowers. The color is more intense with most colored varieties. 
Two general types of controlled sprays are most useful. 1. Terminal bud set, followed by a period of long days to allow 
the buds to develop greater size and the individual little flower stems to elongate. The schedule for producing this allows 
21 to 28 long days from the pinch to the first short day treatment, 12 short days, 10 long days, then short days to bloom. 
This schedule requires about 7 days longer for development than if the original short day treatment were continued to 
flowering. The sprays appear to have been disbudded because the original bud set develops on long stems. It is prob- 
ably the most desirable of the two types of controlled sprays now recommended for most markets. 2. Branched sprays 
are produced by giving 4 short days, followed by 15 to 20 long days, then short days to bloom. The first short days 
produce a crown bud which causes lateral shoots to develop below it. If 15 long days follow the short day treatment, 
the laterals will have stems 8 to 15 inches long. They form terminal clusters. If you are going to disbud or if your trade 
likes branched sprays, this is the way to get them uniform. 
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