When Do Chrysanthemums Bloom? Detailed Guide to Care Methods and Precautions

The chrysanthemum is one of China's top ten famous flowers, one of the Four Gentlemen among flowers, and one of the world's four major cut flowers. It is because of the chrysanthemum's noble character of braving the cold and snow that Tao Yuanming wrote the famous line, “Picking chrysanthemums by the eastern fence, leisurely gazing at the southern mountains”. So when do chrysanthemums bloom? How do you grow them? What are theprecautions?

I. When Do Chrysanthemums Bloom

Different varieties bloom at different times. Spring chrysanthemums bloom in spring. Summer chrysanthemums bloom twice, once in the fifth lunar month and once in the ninth lunar month. Autumn chrysanthemums: divided into early chrysanthemums and medium-sized chrysanthemums. Late chrysanthemums: October to November. Cold chrysanthemums: December to January of the following year. Chamomile: blooms in May and withers in November. Wild chrysanthemums: June to November. Small red chrysanthemums: July to October.

1. Spring Chrysanthemum

As the name suggests, this variety blooms in spring, but because of today's technological advances, people can use artificial induction to extend or change its blooming time, so its blooming days can be altered by temperature and light.

2. Summer Chrysanthemum

This variety has another name, the five-nine chrysanthemum, and this name is closely tied to its blooming. It blooms twice, once in the fifth lunar month and once in the ninth lunar month. If we take certain protective measures, we can make it bloom in the fifth and tenth solar months.

3. Autumn Chrysanthemum

This variety can be further subdivided, with differences in early and late blooming. The early ones are generally called early chrysanthemums, blooming in mid-to-late September, and belong to the medium-sized chrysanthemum type.

4. Late Chrysanthemum

This variety is relatively large and belongs to the large-flowered chrysanthemum type. Currently everyone grows this one, and it is also very common, blooming from October to November.

5. Cold Chrysanthemum

This one has another name, winter chrysanthemum, and from the name you can tell its blooming time. Clearly it blooms in winter. Its specific blooming period is from December to January of the following year.

6. Chamomile

This one is perennial, not a plant that withers and dies after one year and never grows again. Its height is between 30 cm and 1.5 m. It blooms in May and withers in November.

7. Wild Chrysanthemum

This one is also perennial and is somewhat shorter than chamomile, reaching a maximum height of 1 m. Its blooming time is from June to November.

8. Small Red Chrysanthemum

This variety is even shorter, reaching a maximum height of only 6 dm. Its blooming time is between July and October.

II. How to Grow Chrysanthemums

1. Soil

To grow chrysanthemums, use soil with high nutrient content and strong drainage capacity. Generally, you can mix leaf mold, sandy soil, and fertilizer cake residue evenly in a 6:3:1 ratio to prepare it. After preparing it, you can add a little vinegar to lower the soil's pH value, making it more conducive to the chrysanthemum's growth.

2. Water

When watering chrysanthemums, aim for "dry when dry, wet when wet" and never leave the soil half-dry and half-wet. In addition, be careful to promptly drain any standing water from the soil during the rainy season, otherwise it can easily cause root rot.

3. Light

As a typical short-day plant, the chrysanthemum does not need very long light exposure to bloom. On the contrary, if the light period is too long, it will only grow leaves and fail to produce flowers. Apart from the blooming period, it can be given slightly longer sun exposure at other times.

4. Temperature

Chrysanthemums like cool conditions and are slightly cold-tolerant. The suitable growing temperature is 18-21°C. In summer, the maximum should not exceed 32°C, and in winter, the minimum should not fall below 10°C. When it first blooms, the temperature should not be below 17°C, and in the middle and later stages of the blooming period it can drop to 15-13°C.

III. Precautions for Growing Chrysanthemums

1. Repot Every Year

After growing for a year, the nutrients in the soil of the chrysanthemum's pot are basically used up, so at this time you should replace it with fresh potting soil rich in nutrients. Repotting is generally done in spring.

2. Prune Promptly

During the vigorous seedling stage, chrysanthemums need their side buds removed to reduce nutrient consumption. When buds first begin to form, you should choose the unwanted buds and cut them off, so as to increase the nutrient supply available to the remaining buds and make the flowers that open larger and more vivid.