Hangzhou White Chrysanthemum Planting Methods and Key Field Management Techniques

Introduction to Hangzhou White Chrysanthemum planting methods and field management: Hangzhou White Chrysanthemum, also known as sweet chrysanthemum, white chrysanthemum, tea chrysanthemum, medicinal chrysanthemum, Xiaotanghuang, and button chrysanthemum. Hangzhou White Chrysanthemum is highly adaptable, but grows best in loose, fertile, moist loam or sandy loam. Keep the growing medium moist at ordinary times, but never let it stay waterlogged for long periods, which causes root rot and affects growth and development. Hangzhou White Chrysanthemum is relatively cold-tolerant and not tolerant of high temperatures. The optimum growth temperature is 15°C to 25°C. In open-field cultivation in flower beds, it can overwinter safely above -5°C. Below -5°C for prolonged periods, the leaves freeze, dry up and turn yellow, but when the temperature rises it can still sprout leaves, form buds and bloom.

Planting Methods of Hangzhou White Chrysanthemum

I. Variety Selection

Select and promote the two varieties with better growth and better taste, Late Xiaoyangju and Early Xiaoyangju, reduce Dayangju, and eliminate the poorer-quality foreign variety DabaiJu, so as to maintain the authentic quality of Hangzhou White Chrysanthemum and improve its overall quality. For fields used as seedling beds, select and purify and rejuvenate the stock during the previous year's growing period and flowering period, and remove off-type plants.

II. Raising Strong Seedlings

1. Seedling field selection: Choose fields with good soil fertility, high and dry terrain, good Hangzhou White Chrysanthemum growth and few diseases and pests for seed retention, and do a good job of weed removal and safe overwintering.

2. Raising strong seedlings: After the beginning of spring, apply 200 kg of human excrement and urine and 100 kg of plant ash to the seedling bed, dig drainage ditches around it, and transplant at the appropriate time. In spring, growth is generally fast and the degree of lignification of the plants is low, so they are not easy to survive; therefore, transplant after rainy days or before rain to increase the survival rate.

3. Strong seedling selection: When transplanting, select chrysanthemum seedlings that grow well, are free of diseases and pests, are 12-25 cm tall per plant, have thick stems and well-developed root systems.

III. Field Management

1. Practice crop rotation: Because the soil in old areas is relatively compact, generally carry out crop rotation every two years. For continuous cropping in the same place, the beds must be changed and deeply plowed; avoid replanting on the original beds. It is best to choose paddy-upland rotation, which helps reduce disease.

2. Base fertilizer and field preparation: Before planting, plow the field once, and apply base fertilizer while preparing the land. Depending on field fertility, apply 1000-1500 kg of organic fertilizer per mu, make beds 1.2 m wide with ditches 0.3 m wide, and shape the bed surface like a turtle shell.

3. Planting time and density:

The planting time of Hangzhou White Chrysanthemum is generally in early to mid-April, no later than early May. Planting density depends on the cropping system and planting period, generally 3500-5000 plants per mu. For fields planted later, increase the density appropriately. If there are intercrops, the intercrops must be harvested before mid-July.

Planting method: Hole planting or planting in opened transplanting furrows may be used, with a density of 1.2 m × 20—30 cm, 2 plants per hole, and a planting depth of 10—15 cm, planted in the middle of each bed, with 50 kg of phosphate fertilizer per mu applied in the holes. If planting is delayed and the plants are relatively large, they may be planted at a slight slant. After planting, water thoroughly to settle the roots; in case of drought, water to relieve the drought so as to ensure the survival rate.

4. Planting patterns: Mainly two methods, paddy-upland rotation and dryland intercropping. Paddy-upland rotation can reduce disease and achieve high quality and high yield. The growth period of Hangzhou White Chrysanthemum lasts as long as 8 months, and early growth is slow, so farmers mostly use intercropping, such as intercropping in mulberry (fruit) orchards, tobacco-chrysanthemum intercropping, chrysanthemum-bean intercropping (cowpea, soybean), chrysanthemum-vegetable intercropping, etc., to improve comprehensive economic benefits. Intercropped crops are generally cleared before mid-July, and layering and fertilizer and water management are carried out promptly to ensure normal later growth of the chrysanthemum seedlings. With proper management, the impact on the yield and quality of Hangzhou White Chrysanthemum is small.

5. Layering: Layering of Hangzhou White Chrysanthemum is carried out in 1—2 rounds. The first is about one month after transplanting, when the seedlings are 30-50 cm tall. At this time the degree of lignification of the chrysanthemum seedlings is low, and the stems are soft and easy to spread evenly. Before layering, weed and loosen the soil; for the loosening depth, apply bio-organic fertilizer or sheep pen manure 1000 kg once on both sides of the chrysanthemum rows. When layering, spread the branches to both sides and press them down to the ground, pressing a clod of soil every 10 cm or so to ensure the branches fully contact the loosened soil, which helps the chrysanthemum seedlings root at each node and grow side branches at the nodes. When the new side branches have grown to about 20 cm, carry out the second layering. At this time, layer from dense areas toward sparse areas so that the growth of the chrysanthemum seedlings tends to be balanced. Finish at the latest before the end of July.

6. Pinching (topping): Pinching chrysanthemum seedlings can promote branching and balance growth among chrysanthemum branches, and prevent lodging. Pinching is done after layering, when new shoots grow to 10—15 cm, taking into account both new branch height and whole-field balance, so that the lower branch buds grow evenly and the flowering period is uniform. In production, depending on growth, it is generally done in 1—2 rounds. At present, most farmers use one pinching, carried out from June to August, so that the number of branches of chrysanthemum seedlings reaches about 120,000 per mu. Pinching must be finished by the end of August; if too late, it affects the later growth of Hangzhou White Chrysanthemum, the chrysanthemum seedlings have weak re-branching ability, the flower buds are small, flowering is delayed, and they are prone to damage from early frost.

IV. Fertilizer and Water Management

1. Preventing waterlogging and resisting drought:

Hangzhou White Chrysanthemum is a dryland crop and is sensitive to water, fearing both waterlogging and drought. Especially under the influence of spring rain and plum rain, if ditches and channels are not unobstructed and cause water accumulation in the field, root suffocation is likely to occur, the basal leaves prematurely age, and even the whole plant dies. Therefore, it is necessary to dig ditches and make beds (especially in low-lying fields), ensure smooth drainage and irrigation, improve aeration conditions, and reduce infection by pathogenic bacteria. In summer and autumn, if there is prolonged drought and the chrysanthemum seedlings wilt from water loss, carry out furrow irrigation in time to resist drought and promote normal growth.

2. Reasonable fertilization:

Field fertilization principles: apply heavy base fertilizer, light seedling fertilizer, supplementary branching fertilizer, and heavy bud fertilizer. In the early stage, mainly use organic fertilizer and farmyard manure; in the later stage, mainly use quick-acting fertilizers. The main applications are as follows:

(1) Base fertilizer: Before planting Hangzhou White Chrysanthemum, apply it while plowing and preparing the land, or apply it in furrows, using 1000—1500 kg of organic fertilizer per mu. The main types of organic fertilizer include human excrement and urine, sheep pen manure, duck manure, etc., together with 50 kg of phosphate fertilizer.

(2) Seedling-establishment fertilizer: After planting and establishment, use 50—100 kg of human excrement and urine, diluted with water and poured on, to promote plant development.

(3) Layering fertilizer: Before layering, spread 1000 kg of sheep manure per mu and 10—15 kg of urea on both sides of the chrysanthemum rows, cover with loosened soil, and then layer.

(4) Branching fertilizer: Apply in August after each pinching, each time using 100—150 kg of human excrement and urine diluted with water, or 10 kg of compound fertilizer.

(5) Bud fertilizer: Early to mid-September is the bud emergence period of Hangzhou White Chrysanthemum. At this time it enters the peak growth period and reproductive growth period, and the fertilizer requirement is large. Apply 15—20 kg of urea or imported compound fertilizer to promote more and larger flower buds and uniform flowering. Apply 1—2 times depending on growth conditions.