BUHL GaeeR. MUMS GG 
of your store, if you are a retail grower. Here are the percen- 
tages we use for the Chicago market: 
Percentage of Pomps and Standards—by Flowerng Periods 
Jan. } July- Sept.- Nov.- 
Feb. March April May June Aug. Oct. Dec. 
% Pomps 90 90 WD 75 70 80 60 60 
% Standards 10 10 25 25 30 20 40 40 
Color Percentages of Pomps—by Flowering Periods 
Jan. April July- Sept.- 
Feb. March May June Aug. Oct. 
% White 40 40 50 60 40 30 20 33 
% Yellow 35 40 35 30 40 40 40 20 
% Pink 5) 10 15) 10 10 10 10 10 
% Bronze 10 10 _ — 10 20 30 35 
Color Percentages of Standards (Mums) by periods 
Jan. April- July- Sept.- 
Feb. March May June Aug. Oct. Noy. Dec 
% White 50 50 50 60 35 3D 30 40 
% Yellow 40 40 40 30 40 40 35) 20 
% Pink 10 10 10 10 —— 10 10 
% Bronze _ 25 25 DS 30 
About Single Stemmed Mums 
Each of the schedules gives dates for both pinched and un- 
pinched culture. Why single stemmed Mums? 
After several season’s experience with unpinched crops, we 
believe that, while there is added cost of cuttings because of 
the closer spacing, there are advantages that more than offset 
this cost—on some crops. First, you save 3-5 weeks’ time by 
eliminating the pinch. Production seems generally some better; 
sprays seem to form up better, especially in winter and spring. 
A good example: cloth house Pomps if pinched can’t be 
flowered before Labor Day. A single stemmed crop planted 
May 7 flowers August 7—and on our market last year they 
brought 30c per bunch more than in September. Where you 
are figuring a tight rotation in the greenhouse this saving of 
3-5 weeks might mean getting an extra crop in. Single stemmed 
culture is a must on 3-crops-a-year Mum growing. 
Where standards (big Mums) are grown single stemmed, 
in practically all cases, the first center bud that appears 
should be left on and allowed to develop. Removal of side 
buds must be done before they over-grow the center bud! 
Try it! 
Lighting Details 
The purpose of lights on winter crops is to delay bud for- 
mation till sufficient stem has developed. If you are getting 
premature bud formation at the corners (farthest away from 
the bulbs), your light intensity is too low. Best way is to 
check with a light meter—can be borrowed from your Public 
Service Company or electrical contractor. 10 foot candles 
minimum is ample, we shoot for at least 7 all over; one large 
grower works on an absolute minimum of 5. 
For single 4 ft. beds, one string of 60 watt bulbs with re- 
flectors spaced 4 ft. apart and 3 ft. above plant tops is ade- 
quate. Where two beds are to be lighted together, one string 
of 100 watt bulbs with reflectors does it. A string of 150 watt 
bulbs will handle three 314 ft. beds for us. 
To reduce sizes of electric mains, the area to be lighted can 
be split in half. The first half is lighted the required number 
of hours before midnight; the second half gets the same num- 
ber of hours light after midnight. Also 230 volt lines will 
help reduce main sizes on some installations. Consult your 
electrician. 
Some growers fasten 150 watt or larger “self reflector” 
bulbs to the roof of the houses, lighting the entire house. 
When to Stop Lighting—and Shading 
Following are safe dates for Middle West and East: 
1. Where long days are required, continue lights in spring 
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WEST CHICAGO 
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Lights! The real test of adequate light intensity is the plants’ 
behavior—if you see premature buds appearing around the poorer 
lighted corners, and between bulbs, that means more foot 
candles are needed. 
until May 1. Start lights in fall on August 1. 
2. Where short days are required, start applying cloth 
February 15 on late varieties if not already in full bud; March 
15 for early kinds. 
Stop shading October 5 on late varieties; September 10 on 
early ones. 
Ken Post of Cornell points out the importance of tempera- 
tures here. If 60° is strictly maintained he finds no shade 
needed between September 20 and April 1. 
Attention Southern Growers 
The off-season schedules and variety lists that follow were 
worked out for midwest and eastern conditions. Growers lo- 
cated more than 300-350 miles north or south of the Chicago 
latitude will find dates and varieties not always suitable. 
Write for special schedules for your latitude. 
Round the Clock Mums 
Three crops a year on one bench are being produced by 
quite a few Mum growers around the United States and 
Canada. That’s a story in itself! Write us for our three-crops 
a-year program. 
About Spray Formation 
Some varieties during certain winter periods tend toward a 
clubby, tight spray. To some extent this is a question of va- 
rieties; avoid those that make poor sprays. In general, the 
normally late varieties make better sprays for January-Febru- 
ary-March flowering than will the earlier kinds. 
Also, many growers reduce the period of light to 1 hour 
during the last one-third of the lighting period to improve 
spray form. For example, on the crop to flower January 17, 
lights would be turned on only 1 hour nightly from September 
26 to October 11. 
Unchecked, Rapid Growth 
These schedules are all based on a rapid, unchecked growth. 
You should realize 8-10 inches of new growth on a cutting 
within 30 days of benching. If you aren't getting it, here are 
things to look for: 
1. Poorly rooted, hard cuttings; too long in the sand. 
2. Tight soil; poorly drained and aerated. Add peat or 
manure. 
3. Nutrient deficiency—lack of nitrates, potash or phos- 
phate. 
Too cold—they grow much faster at 60° than at 45°! 
Too dry—soil must be kept uniformly moist. 
. Bugs. 
Some growers are concerned that such soft, rapid growth 
will result in soft stems and flowers—as would certainly be 
the case with a bed of Snaps. Mums are a different animal. 
They like the heat. 
nvr 
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