Chrysanthemum Pot Plant Culture 
Like cut flowers, chrysanthemum pot plants are very 
profitable the year-around. To flower pot plants the 
ear-around, it is necessary to lay out a plan and fol- 
ow it to the nth degree. In the following pages, you 
will find a schedule that has been working successfully 
for the past several years. 
A good, fibrous silt loam directly from the field, to 
which one-quarter of well-rotted manure or German 
peat has been added, plus an application of super- 
phosphate will give excellent ee Steam eae 
tion of the soil is advisable. You can plant immediately 
after steaming, provided you water heavily after plant- 
ing the cuttings. 
Watering and Humidity 
After planting, water thoroughly to set the soil around 
the roots. Repeat this type of watering when the soil 
gets dry. Organic matter in the soil will facilitate 
watering and will tend to avoid extreme fluctuations 
in moisture supply. You can overwater a chrysanthe- 
mum as easily as a poinsettia plant. Overwatering will 
pH the roots, and the tops will take on a very yellow 
color. 
For best results, grow all potted chrysanthemums 
under glass. Do not shade the glass any more than 
necessary. Shade on the glass is only there for the 
convenience of the grower and not for the require- 
ments of the plant. Keep humidity in the house by 
wetting down benches and walks, and by an occasional 
syringing over the plants. 
Fertilizing 
The foliage should retain a bright green luster through- 
out the life of the plant. The lower leaves should never 
be allowed to turn a light green due to low fertility. 
A strong well-grown pot plant is a well-fed plant. Pot 
plants should be fed more frequently than those grown 
in a bench, as constant leaching lowers the nutrient 
level in pots faster than in bench culture. 
Liquid fertilizers are very effective. Weekly feedings 
have produced excellent results. After the cuttings are 
planted, water the plants in with a weak solution (starter 
solution) of ammonium sulfate. Feed every week with 
a half strength ammonium sulfate, | ounce to 4 gallons 
of water. When buds are visable, feed with 15-30-15, 
15-15-15, or 20-20-20 at the rate of | ounce to 4 gal- 
lons of water, Last feeding should be made when the 
plants are ready to sell. During the winter months do 
not feed as frequently. 
Brown edges on the margins of the leaves during the 
summer have been attributed to too much phosphate 
and potassium in the soil or in the fertilizer. Some 
growers have preferred to go easy on these elements, 
and their plants showed very little of the marginal 
burning during the hot summer days. 
Temperature 
Chrysanthemum pot plants do much better when grown 
as a 65-degree crop. Lower temperatures will cause 
an uneven and poor growth. After color shows, finish 
in a cooler temperature. The pinks and bronzes will 
be a better color when allowed to develop their color 
in a bright cool house. 
Shading and Disbudding 
Use same procedure as for cut flower crop. Black 
cloth treatment should continue until the buds are 
taken. The last pinch is usually made the same day 
short-day treatment is started. However, if you are 
troubled with tall potted plants, delay the last pinch 
10 to 14 days after starting the shading program, Dis- 
bud each shoot to one bud when buds are large 
enough to handle. 
Bonnaffon Deluxe — Singe-Pinch Method 
41 
