A Detailed Guide to Chrysanthemum morifolium 'Huangju' Planting Techniques and Field Management

Chrysanthemum morifolium 'Huangju' is a common flower in our country. It can not only be used as medicinal material but also brewed as tea, so its edible value is very high, and it is grown in many regions. So what are the planting techniques for Chrysanthemum morifolium 'Huangju'?

1. Site selection and land preparation

Chrysanthemum morifolium 'Huangju' has low requirements for soil, with neutral sandy soil rich in humus being the best. Then deep-plow the land about 25cm, and apply 2000kg of decomposed farmyard manure and 50kg of calcium magnesium phosphate fertilizer per mu, turning the fertilizer into the soil as base fertilizer. Rake the soil fine and make beds, with a bed width of 90cm, a ditch width of 30cm, and a ditch depth of 30cm. After the land is leveled, cover the bed surface with black plastic film, ensuring that no water accumulates inside the film. While applying the base fertilizer, broadcast 1.5kg of 3% phoxim granules and 0.5kg of 50% carbendazim wettable powder per mu, which can prevent and control root rot, stem rot, leaf blight, gray leaf spot, white grubs, cutworms, and other diseases and pests.

2. Planting

(1) Division propagation: After harvesting the chrysanthemum flowers in November, cut off the aboveground part of the chrysanthemum level with the ground. Apply a layer of soil and miscellaneous manure in the chrysanthemum plot to keep it warm through the winter. In April of the following year, when the chrysanthemum seedlings grow to 15cm high, divide them and plant them in the field.

(2) Cutting propagation: Generally, seedlings are raised from mid-February to late March, and transplanted when the seedling age is about 1 month.

3. Transplanting

Cutting seedlings are transplanted from mid-March to late April, and division seedlings are transplanted in April, with about 2000 plants transplanted per mu, not exceeding 2400 plants at most. 1-2 days before lifting the seedlings, spray the seedlings with 800 times dilution of 50% carbendazim wettable powder for sterilization. Choose a cloudy day or the evening of a sunny day for transplanting, planting 2 rows per bed, with both plant spacing and row spacing of 50cm, and a planting hole depth of 6cm. Select seedlings with well-developed root systems for planting; plant 1 cutting seedling per hole, and 1-2 division seedlings per hole. After planting, cover with soil and press firmly, and water thoroughly to settle the roots; for film-covered transplanting, seal the transplanting holes tightly with soil so that no air can pass through. If the seedlings are relatively large, the terminal buds can be removed to reduce nutrient consumption and improve the transplanting survival rate.

4. Field management techniques

(1) Cultivation and weeding: For open-field Chrysanthemum morifolium 'Huangju', generally 5 times of cultivation and weeding are carried out each year during the growing period, once each from May to September, following the weeding principle of “weed early, weed small” to prevent weeds from affecting the growth vigor of the Chrysanthemum morifolium 'Huangju' plants. During cultivation and weeding, shallow cultivation is advisable to avoid damaging the root system. If roots become exposed, soil should be banked up promptly to prevent lodging. For fields where Chrysanthemum morifolium 'Huangju' is transplanted with film cover, pull out the weeds under the plants and use herbicides to clear weeds in the ditches. Pay attention to the weather forecast to ensure that there is no rain within 3 days after applying the herbicide.

(2) Water management: Chrysanthemum morifolium 'Huangju' dislikes waterlogging. If excessive rain in summer causes water accumulation, the roots are prone to rot and the plants may die. Therefore, drainage management should be strengthened, and careful inspections should be made before and after each rain to ensure smooth drainage. If drought occurs during the flowering period, water promptly.

(3) Timely topdressing: Chrysanthemum morifolium 'Huangju' likes fertilizer. When sufficient base fertilizer has been applied, topdressing should still be carried out according to the different growth stages. For open-field planting, the first topdressing is after the plants are pruned, applying 1500kg of human and livestock manure water or 25kg of 45% potassium sulfate compound fertilizer per mu; the second is foliar spraying of a 0.2%-0.3% potassium dihydrogen phosphate solution during the bud stage. For chrysanthemum fields with sufficient base fertilizer and film-covered transplanting, branch fertilizer may not be applied, but if fertilizer is lacking in the later growth stage, 25kg of compound fertilizer per mu should be broadcast in the furrows in mid-to-late August. Chrysanthemum morifolium 'Huangju' should be given less nitrogen fertilizer; otherwise, the rate of dried flowers is low and the chrysanthemum quality is poor.

(4) Shoot pruning: In mid-to-late May, choose a sunny or cloudy day to carry out shoot pruning once, cutting the shoots leaving 2-3cm above the ground. After that, keep 3-5 strong-growing branches and remove the other weaker branches, which helps ensure the flowering time and chrysanthemum quality.

(5) Trellising: Plants that have undergone shoot pruning have many branches and a large number of flowers, and the flowers are concentrated at the top of the plants. In rainy weather, the plants are prone to lodging, so supports should be set up on the bed surface to prevent lodging.

5. Harvesting

Chrysanthemum morifolium 'Huangju' flowers over a relatively long period, but the flower-picking time is fairly concentrated, mainly in early November. When the flowers are 3/4 open, choose a sunny morning after the dew has dried for harvesting. After harvesting, process promptly to prevent the flowers from rotting and discoloring.

Overall, Chrysanthemum morifolium 'Huangju' is still quite easy to grow. It can be planted by division and cutting, and after planting, it is enough to do a good job in watering, fertilizing, disease and pest control, and other work.