Detailed Explanation of Spray Chrysanthemum Cultivation Techniques and Management Key Points

The public enjoys viewing chrysanthemums, preferring to see three to five blooms on a single plant, with a graceful and lively posture; they love to see the "three branches and nine tops" form, with clusters of blossoms, symbolizing "three abundances and nine tops," embodying traditional folk customs.

I. Variety Selection: Choose varieties that are loved by the public, have a wide range of adaptability, strong stress resistance, moderate plant type, upright stems, uniform leaves, full flower form, brilliant flower colors, and long flowering periods. Fewer but finer varieties are preferred; do not choose rare late-blooming or difficult-to-grow varieties.

II. Mother Plant Maintenance: In the Beijing area, mother plant perennial roots can overwinter in open ground or in a sun frame (cold frame). For perennial roots overwintering in open ground, cuttings can be propagated in July and planted in a wind-sheltered, sun-facing bed with a plant-to-row spacing of 30 cm. In early winter, cut off the stems and water thoroughly with frozen water. The perennial roots are cold-resistant but not resistant to wind drying, so they can be covered with a layer of chopped straw. When the ground thaws in spring, remove the covering, and new shoots will gradually sprout. For perennial roots overwintering in a sun frame (cold frame), these are potted chrysanthemum plants. After flowering, cut off the old stems and move out the entire root ball, remove the outer layer of fertile soil and associated roots, spray with medium-concentration lime sulfur mixture and other insecticidal and sterilizing pesticides, then heel in the root balls side by side in the sun frame, pressing the soil firmly. If the soil is dry, spray water to keep it moist but not too wet. In winter, cover with plastic film for cold protection; during the coldest periods, cover with cattail mats at night. During the day, pay attention to light, ventilation, and maintain temperature below 5°C; at night, around 0°C. The following spring, move them out and plant in beds at a spacing of about 45 cm according to the size of the root clumps. After planting, depending on soil moisture conditions (dry or wet), water thoroughly once or twice, and loosen the soil in a timely manner to preserve moisture.

When the new shoots of the perennial roots grow into 10 cm new branches, begin thinning branches and pinching. First thin out the dense and weak small branches, then pinch off the growing tips of the remaining healthy branches to promote the growth of numerous new branches in preparation for cutting propagation. If the new branches do not develop vigorously, apply a quick-acting fertilizer as appropriate to boost their strength. However, mother plant maintenance generally requires controlled fertilization and frequent watering to make the branches grow solid and mature; do not use heavy fertilizer or large amounts of water, to prevent the branches from becoming fat and tender with weak quality, which would affect the survival rate of cuttings. For households growing a small number of chrysanthemums, after flowering in late autumn, cut off the old plant and leave it in the original pot in a sunny, cool place (around 0°C); the following spring when taken outdoors, branches will grow, and cuttings can be propagated in the same way.

III. Cutting Propagation and Seedling Cultivation: Cutting propagation is a commonly used method for traditional shaped artistic chrysanthemums. It is simple and easy to perform, has a high success rate of propagation, and can maintain the excellent traits of each variety. Through cutting propagation, all organs of the entire plant gain new growth advantages, which can both prevent premature aging of the plant and inhibit the degeneration of varietal traits.

1. Cutting Timing: Carry out in stages according to the size, shape, and number of blooming heads of the cultivated plants.

Large "three branches and nine tops" chrysanthemums: In early May, the first stage of cutting propagation, cut the growing tips of new branches from the mother plant.

Medium three-to-five-bloom chrysanthemums: In early June, the second stage of cutting propagation, use the branches that continue to grow from the mother plant after the first stage of cutting collection.

Short single-stem chrysanthemums (for general desk chrysanthemums): In mid-to-late July, the third stage of cutting propagation. Select and cut the top branches growing from the upper part of the mother plant after the second stage of cutting collection. The buds should be plump, the growth vigorous, and there should be no signs of lateral buds sprouting at the leaf axils. Cut the cuttings slightly shorter, about 7 cm long.

2. Cutting Method: One or two days before cutting, spray once each with insecticidal and sterilizing pesticides. The next morning, select and cut about 10 cm long vigorous new branches (the stem cross-section should be green, fleshy, and solid; do not use those with white, cotton-like, hollow cut surfaces) as cuttings. Cut flat at 1 mm below the node base, and at the same time remove the lower 1-2 leaves that would go into the soil; larger upper leaves can be partially trimmed to prevent the cuttings from wilting and rooting slowly.

The cutting substrate uses plain sand or a mixture of half vermiculite and half fully decomposed general potting soil, mixed evenly, with an appropriate amount of insecticide and sterilizing pesticide added. For small-scale cutting, use shallow pots or seedling pots, about 15 plants per pot. For large-scale production, use cutting boxes 70 cm long, 40 cm wide, 10 cm high, with 3 drainage slits 3 mm wide at the bottom; about 100 cuttings per box. First place a 2 cm thick layer of coarse sand at the bottom of the box as a drainage layer, then fill with the substrate and press flat, covering the surface with 1 cm of washed river sand. When cutting, use a bamboo chopstick to poke holes, insert the cuttings one or two leaf nodes into the soil; not too deep, but ensure close contact with the substrate. After cutting, immediately spray thoroughly with water; after the pot soil settles, straighten and align the cuttings again.

For May cuttings when the weather is dry and windy, place them in front of a greenhouse or large shed with doors and windows open, and put up shading. For June and July cuttings, place them under a shade frame in a cool, moist, and ventilated environment; the substrate should be kept constantly moist. Depending on whether the weather is dry or wet, promptly spray water on the substrate and surrounding ground every day; do not let the substrate dry out. Cutting containers should be elevated, not placed directly on the ground. Within 3 weeks of cutting, provide heavy shade; afterward, reduce shade, allowing light in the morning and evening; at 5 weeks, expose to full sunlight for hardening. After 6 weeks, transplant the seedlings with soil balls for separate planting.

IV. Cultivation Management

1. Transplanting and Separate Planting: For the first and second stage cuttings, use general potting soil or highly permeable sandy loam with 20% decomposed human and animal manure (20:80 manure soil), and plant with soil balls into No. 1 tube pots (10 cm inner diameter) for maintenance. When white roots extend from the bottom of the pot, use fertilized potting soil or 30:70 manure soil. For the first stage "three branches and nine tops" seedlings, repot into No. 2 vat tube pots; for the second stage three-to-five-bloom seedlings, repot into chrysanthemum tube pots for final planting. The third stage cuttings are directly planted into No. 2 tube pots for final planting. Fill the planting pots with soil to 80% full and place on a high platform for maintenance. 2. Pruning and Shaping: For the first stage cuttings, cultivate the "three branches and nine tops" form. When the cuttings survive, pinch off the growing tip before the bud center elongates. The top of the cutting is tender and the leaf nodes are dense, so several lateral buds will quickly appear; at this time, select and keep 3 uniform, parallel new shoots to develop branches, and remove the rest. When the 3 new branches grow 3-4 flat leaves, pinch again, keeping 3-4 new buds per branch to develop branches. When the new branches reach 30 cm, prune and set the shape, retaining 7 to 11 branches; use odd numbers, not even numbers. Gather the plant with fine string and tie appropriately with thin bamboo to keep the plant well-proportioned. For the second stage cuttings, cultivate three-to-five-bloom chrysanthemums. Generally, for three-branch plants, after the first pinching, do not pinch again; shape appropriately to maintain the balance of the three branches. For five-bloom plants, after the first pinching, keep two or three new buds to develop branches; when they grow 3 to 4 flat leaves, pinch once more to develop branches, and finally set the shape with 5 branches.

Pruning and shaping, framing and tying, bud removal, shape setting, and conditioning all follow the conventional operations for artistic chrysanthemum cultivation.

3. Watering and Fertilizing: Chrysanthemums like moisture but fear waterlogging; they like fertilizer but fear excessive stimulation. Water and fertilizer application should follow a "first controlled, then released" approach coordinated with the season. During the high-temperature growing period in spring and summer, keep the pot soil moist but not waterlogged for long periods, to prevent yellowing from excess water and aging of lower leaves. During the cool development period in autumn, the pot soil should be kept moist without drying out between waterings; the branch tips should remain fresh and not wilt. In early September, use one part fertilized potting soil mixed with 50% farmyard manure as a top dressing, spread on the pot surface, then loosen the soil and water it in. As temperatures drop, gradually increase water and fertilizer. After mid-September, according to the growth condition of the potted chrysanthemums, use a mixed solution of 0.1% urea and 0.2% potassium dihydrogen phosphate as a top dressing, once a week. Alternatively, alternately apply medium-concentration decomposed hoof piece water or oil cake and other organic liquid fertilizer water until the flowers are short, the buds show color, and then stop fertilizing. When the flowers are 40% open and the central petals begin to loosen, they can be displayed or marketed.