Chrysanthemum Care Methods and Daily Management Tips
There are many varieties of chrysanthemums with bright colors and high ornamental value, and they have been deeply loved by the general public for thousands of years. According to the flowering period, chrysanthemums can be divided into early chrysanthemums that bloom in September, autumn chrysanthemums from October to November, and late chrysanthemums from December to January. Chrysanthemums are perennial herbaceous flowers that prefer a cool climate, plenty of sunlight, and good ventilation, and can withstand severe cold and frost. They are highly adaptable and grow vigorously, and the daily management of potted chrysanthemums is very simple.
(1) Water and fertilizer management: The frequency and amount of watering should be determined according to the characteristics of each growth stage of the chrysanthemum. Under normal circumstances, in spring the chrysanthemum seedlings are small, so watering should be reduced, which is beneficial to root development; in summer the plants are larger, the temperature is high, and water evaporates quickly, so sufficient water is needed to replenish it in time, and water should also be sprayed on the leaves and the surrounding ground to increase air humidity; in autumn the temperature difference between day and night is large, and this is the vigorous growth period of chrysanthemums, so watering should be appropriately increased; in winter, when the seedlings overwinter, water should be controlled. "Dry orchids, wet chrysanthemums" - "wet chrysanthemums" is said in comparison with orchids, and it does not mean that the more water the better. Chrysanthemums like moisture but are averse to waterlogging. If the soil remains too wet for a long time, it will seriously affect the respiration of chrysanthemum roots, causing root hypoxia and suffocation and rot. Therefore, in rainy days, accumulated water should be drained in time, and the pot should be tilted to prevent waterlogging. Chrysanthemums should never be watered too dry or too wet, nor should they be kept half-dry and half-wet. Chrysanthemums need sufficient water, and it is important not to give "half watering," that is, watering only wets the surface soil while the roots in the deeper soil layer remain dry. Over time, in mild cases the chrysanthemum plants age and lose leaves, and in severe cases the entire chrysanthemum plant wilts and dies. Therefore, watering chrysanthemums should follow the principle of "water thoroughly when dry." In addition, when watering, be careful not to let muddy water stain the leaf surface, because this is not only troublesome to clean but also affects the ornamental value of the chrysanthemum. During the growth period, chrysanthemums should be given mainly nitrogen fertilizer, applying light fertilizer frequently. At the bud stage, nitrogen fertilizer should be stopped and potassium fertilizer applied once a week. This can also be adjusted flexibly according to the growth of the plant. If the chrysanthemum leaves are thin and yellow, it means fertilizer is needed; if the leaves are thick and dark, it means there is enough fertilizer and no fertilization is needed.
(2) Pinching, bud removal, and staking: Pinching can control plant height and the predetermined number of flowers. There are generally single-branch, double-branch, and multi-branch forms. Pinching begins when the seedlings are about 15 cm tall or when the scion has grown 3 to 4 leaves, and can be done 2 to 3 times. If growth is rapid, pinch more often; if not, pinch less often. The last pinching is generally carried out around the Beginning of Autumn. Chrysanthemums have many flower buds, but only the top bud on each branch is retained; to be safe, bud removal can be done in three stages: first leaving 3 buds, then 2, and finally 1. Generally, only 3 to 5 robust branches are kept per pot. Potted chrysanthemums have large flowers and fragile branches, so stakes should be set up and ties used for support at the last pinching.
(3) Pest and disease control: Common diseases include brown spot, black spot, powdery mildew, and root rot, all of which are fungal and are caused by excessive soil moisture and poor drainage and ventilation. Prevention is mainly achieved by improving the ecological environment. Potting soil should be disinfected with 1:80 formalin solution, and during the growth period, 80% wettable zineb solution or 50% wettable thiophanate solution can be sprayed for treatment. Pests mainly include aphids, red spiders, inchworms, chrysanthemum longhorn beetles, white grubs, leafminer larvae, grasshoppers, and snails, which can be controlled by strengthening cultivation management, manual capture, and spraying.
(4) Overwintering: In northern regions, chrysanthemums need to be moved indoors to overwinter. The specific method is: after the flowers fade, cut back the plant, water thoroughly once, place it indoors in sunlight, keep the room temperature at around 3°C, and strictly control water so that the chrysanthemum roots remain dormant. Until the weather warms up the following year, gradually increase the amount of watering and move it to a warm, sunny place to resume normal care. However, many friends today do not have the conditions at home, lacking a cold room with suitable temperature, so overwintering chrysanthemums is relatively difficult. Everyone can adapt to local conditions; those without the conditions can only give up, and buying a new pot the following year to raise again is also fine.
(5) Propagation: Home chrysanthemum growing generally uses division for propagation. After chrysanthemums bloom in autumn and winter, cut back the mother plant, and soon many new small shoots will grow. After spring begins the following year, dig out these small shoots together with the mother plant and plant them separately in pots.
In addition, chrysanthemums also have the ability to resist harmful gases such as sulfur dioxide, hydrogen fluoride, and hydrogen chloride. Growing them at home can not only beautify the environment but also reduce air pollution, which is beneficial to people's physical and mental health.
If you want to change the flowering time of chrysanthemums, for example to make them bloom earlier: chrysanthemums are short-day plants and generally can only bloom when light exposure does not exceed 10 hours per day. To make chrysanthemums bloom earlier, the photoperiod must be controlled. After the chrysanthemum plants grow to a certain stage, when the temperature is 25-30°C, controlling the daily light exposure to within 8-10 hours can allow the plants to form buds and bloom in 2 to 2.5 months. The best times to shade chrysanthemums each day are in the morning and evening. To delay flowering: starting in early September, add 3 hours of light exposure to the chrysanthemum plants around midnight every day until late October, so that the chrysanthemums can bloom around New Year's Day. If you want to delay flowering even later, you can continue giving light at night every day, and this can even make the chrysanthemums bloom at Spring Festival. Note that as winter approaches, the plants must be moved indoors for care to prevent freezing.
In short, chrysanthemum care requires attentiveness; only in this way can beautiful chrysanthemums be cultivated.
Chrysanthemum Growing Methods
1. Cuttage: Chrysanthemums can be propagated by cuttage from March to May. When cutting, choose 8-10 cm long new shoots as cuttings, remove the lower 2-3 leaves, and insert them into a shallow pot or cold frame filled with fine sand. Shade them in the first week after cutting and keep the soil moist; shade them at noon in the second week; after that, expose them to full sun. Roots begin to form in 15-21 days. You can also cut basal shoots from beside the chrysanthemum roots from November to March of the following year for cuttage. Basal shoots root quickly and grow well, making them the best propagation material.
2. Grafting: Grafting can produce extra-large standard chrysanthemums or multi-layered tall tower chrysanthemums. Generally, in summer and autumn, choose robust wild Artemisia plants as rootstock, cultivate them in a greenhouse, and graft in mid-to-late April. After grafting, use hibiscus or willow branches for support to prevent lodging.
3. Division: Division propagation can be carried out after cliff chrysanthemums bloom and before Qingming. The method is to dig up the entire mother plant in the previous autumn, shake off the soil on the roots, remove dead branches and residual roots, cut the aboveground part to 6-10 cm long, use a knife or scissors to split the connected root parts, and divide them into several small clumps, each with 2-4 stems and a complete root system, then replant. The survival rate is high.
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Introduction to Hydroponic Chrysanthemum Care Methods
Chrysanthemum
Growing chrysanthemums in a good growth environment allows you to see them bloom earlier, and of course the flowering period will also be extended. In recent years, many plant experts have been studying the advantages and disadvantages of hydroponic and soil-cultured chrysanthemums, and the conclusion is that hydroponic chrysanthemums have higher chlorophyll content and faster growth and development than soil-cultured ones. Both their ornamental value and economic value are higher than those of soil-cultured chrysanthemums. So for the convenience of flower lovers growing them hydroponically at home, below is an article compiled by the editor on hydroponic chrysanthemum care methods, which you can refer to!
Cuttage seedling raising: In mid-June, choose a plant with moderate shape and use an overwintered or spring-planted seedling as the mother plant, and cut its upper plump, pest-free tip as the cutting. The cutting should be 5 cm to 7 cm long. After collecting, remove the basal leaves and retain 2 to 3 small leaves, with the cut in a horseshoe shape. Use vermiculite as the substrate for the seedbed, place it in a pot, and first disinfect it with 50% carbendazim wettable powder at 500 times dilution. The cutting depth is about 2 cm, and the plant and row spacing are both about 3 cm. After cutting, spray thoroughly with clean water, place the cutting pot into a semi-sunken seedbed, and cover it with plastic film and reed curtains. Spray water once every 3 to 5 days after cutting, and transplanting can be done in about 20 days.
Preparation of nutrient solution: The inorganic nutrient elements required to prepare the nutrient solution are: potassium nitrate 69%, superphosphate 18%, magnesium sulfate 9.7%, urea 1.4%, ferrous sulfate 0.69%, manganese sulfate 0.27%, phosphoric acid 0.27%, anhydrous calcium chloride 0.067%, zinc acetate 0.067%.
The ratio of total inorganic elements to water is 1:500 in the early stage (mid-July to early August), 1:300 in the middle stage (mid-August to mid-September), and 1:400 in the late stage (late September to mid-October), with a pH value of 5 to 5.5. In early July, transplant chrysanthemum seedlings with intact roots all at once into new flower pots with an inner diameter of 20 cm and a depth of 14 cm. Use vermiculite as the substrate, and cover the drainage hole at the bottom of the pot with a tile.
Post-planting management: After planting, spray thoroughly with water using a watering can, cover the upper part with plastic film to protect from rain, and cover with reed curtains for shade. After 7 to 10 days of seedling recovery, remove the plastic film and reed curtains and begin applying nutrient solution once every 5 days. After application, spray some clean water to prevent the nutrient solution from remaining on the leaves and causing damage.
After the Beginning of Autumn, apply nutrient solution once every 3 days, and after budding change it to once every 5 days. If it rains, replenish the nutrient solution in time. Because the substrate is loose and soft, chrysanthemum seedlings are prone to lodging, so in the early stage, when the chrysanthemum seedlings are 10 cm to 15 cm tall, spray the leaves with 800 to 1000 times B9 solution two or three times to prevent excessive growth.
Hydroponic chrysanthemums can save water and nutrients compared with soil-cultured chrysanthemums, save labor and time, and involve less labor intensity. They are clean and hygienic, have fewer pests and diseases, are not limited by region, and can effectively prevent natural disasters.