Giga 
tue 
WEST CHICAGO 
IKUNOIS 
4. Especially on spring crops, plants just seem 
to go wild—tall, rank growth, few or no buds, grow 
6 ft. tall. 
If a Mum plant is allowed to grow much beyond 
18 to 24 inches tall before short days are started 
(start shade or lights off date), it seems to go 
wild. It goes into a rank sort of vegetative growth. 
The taller it gets without setting buds, the more 
impossible it is to make them set. 
If such a bed reaches 36 inches without bud set, 
better discard the plants. 
What can be done to prevent it? 
a. As a general rule, short days should be 
started on any mum crop when it reaches 18 to 
24 inches—regardless of desired flowering date. 
The shorter the plant when short days start, the 
more prompt and even the bud set. Too few 
long days though, mean too short stems. Spring Pomps under lights—to delay bud formation until adequate 
u ‘ stems develop. Where a substantial number of beds are being lighted, 
b. If plants are over 20-22 inches tall before the “demand” charge can be reduced by lighting half the beds before 
shade (or lights off) date, maintain a generous hea tae 
63°, better 65-67° till buds are well formed. 
Also, be sure sateen used (if crop is shaded) is 
b. Under-fed—soil tests will tell. 
tight and of good quality. c. Under-watered—a good soaking every third 
Ah woe: day on raised benches in summer. 
c. Maintain 63° from planting till short days | 
start. Cooler temperatures here can aggravate d. Cuttings planted too deep. (It will surely 
the problem. make a bed uneven!) 
d. Be mindful that certain varieties are prone to e. Sy POs ake you sure you don't have 
go on a vegetative spree of this kind. Examples: them? Dig a few plants. 
Encore, Golden Chord, Moonglow, Majorette. f. Excess salts—try a Solu-bridge test. Your 
state school can do it. 
4. Growth is uneven, slow. ‘‘Why don’t my 
mums grow like those in the catalog pictures?” 5. Plants break slowly and sparsely after the 
Suggestions: pinch. 
a. Soil needs more humus—peat or manure. 4 
by volume every year is standard among many 
good growers. Ever notice how often plants in a 
tight, heavy soil will mildew? a. have ample nitrogen, potash, etc. 
b. have ample sunlight (crowding, excess shade 
on glass, and cloudy weather can interfere 
here). 
It’s the same story with an azalea, carnation, or 
a mum. To get good breaks a plant must 
c. have loose soil and ample watering. 
6. Cuttings set buds two weeks after planting. 
What's wrong? 
This one usually happens to the fellow who 
orders cuttings to arrive in March or April and 
isn’t set up to light them. 
Lhewcure: 
a. Mums that you want to keep vegetative must 
be lighted between July 15 and May 15. See 
page 14 for details. 
b. It helps a lot to prevent this premature bud 
set if plants are kept in a cool house—50°. 
c. Keep plants well watered and fed. 
d. Remember that earlier flowering kinds bud 
easiest. Examples: Blazing Gold, Legal Tender, 
Masterpiece, Silver Sheen, Constellation, Sen- 
ENCORE eca, and all hardy varieties. 
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