Cultural Pointers 
Chrysanthemums grow equally as well on a raised 
bench or on a ground bed. The care is slightly differ- 
ent in that raised benches dry out more frequently 
during the summer and early fall months. It must be 
remembered that a good circulation of air is desirable, 
yet a direct draft is not advisable. 
Planting Date 
The proper date of planting will naturally vary accord- 
ing to when the crop is to bloom. For natural blooming 
we prefer to plant 3 or 4 weeks before the last pinching 
date. When flowering from August to October, we 
suggest you plant 3 weeks before the pinching date. 
In the year-around flowering schedule where no pinch 
is followed, we have given the advised planting dates 
in that schedule. 
Planting Rooted Cuttings 
Many florists are planting rooted cuttings directly into 
permanent locations. This not only reduces several 
handlings and production costs, but also produces a 
better-quality bloom. We fully realize that it is often 
an impossibility for all to treat their chrysanthemums 
this way. However, we have found that young, soft 
plants are superior to hard, woody plants. Never plant 
cuttings any deeper than what they were in the propa- 
gating media; too deep will cause stem rot. Water 
heavily after planting. If new white roots are not 
formed within the first 12 hours, something is not quite 
right. 
Single-Stem or No-Pinch Method 
Cuttings are planted and allowed to grow without 
pinching. It is‘an essential practice if 3 crops a year 
are to be realized in the year-around flowering ee 
ule. Where crops are planted from September 15 to 
February |, no-pinch method produces a superior crop, 
whereas a pinched crop is weaker and of poorer 
quality. 
Light Intensity 
When planting rooted cuttings into their permanent 
position, it is necessary to shade the glass or to put 
aster cloth directly over the young plants until they are 
established. When shading the glass, be sure that the 
material is applied lightly. - 
When growing quality chrysanthemums, the higher 
the light intensity or the least amount of shade over 
the plants during the growing season, the better the 
quality of bloom. Shade on the glass is only there for 
the convenience of the grower and not for the require- 
ments of the plant. For cloth houses, the amber Saran 
is superior to the green because of more light under 
the amber covering. Naturally the plants require more 
water when growing under high light intensities. 
It is recommended to shade the plants when flowers 
are about one-half open to prevent them from sun- 
burning. When growing standards, a good practice 
would be to stretch muslin directly over the open 
blooms. This not only prevents sunburning but also 
keeps the blooms free from dirt. 
Distance of Planting 
For good quality pompons, we prefer to plant 7x8 
inches or 8x8 inches pinched once, and thin the shoots 
to 3 per plant. The outside rows will support one more 
stem than the center rows in the bed. Nothing is gained 
by planting at a closer distance. Light intensity should 
be high at the base of the plant for quality blooms, 
and if planted too closely, we have lost the factor 
which promotes quality. Large-flowered varieties are 
generally planted 8x8 inches or 8x7 inches; this also 
applies to disbud anemone and single. varieties. 
For single stem, no-pinch method pompons should 
be spaced 4x6 and standards 5x6. When further spac- 
ing is used the sprays of the pompons become too 
large. A slightly closer spacing is recommended when 
growing conditions are more favorable. 
Applying Additional Light to an Entire House 
