Chrysanthemums(Dendranthema grandiflorum ) come in every color but blue , giving gardeners a wide of the mark range of options for enhancing and compliment their landscape painting ’s palette . Also know as a mama , this flowering recurrent originates from Asia . Today , it expand throughout North America in U.S. Department of Agriculture works hardiness zones 5 through 9 . With the right tutelage , florist’s chrysanthemum can provide age of vibrant flush and lush , green foliage .
Sunlight Requirements
If you grease one’s palms mature mum from a glasshouse or garden store and jell them out in a shady spot , they ’ll continue to bloom that first year . They ’ll bloom poorly , however , or stop blooming totally in subsequent years . For the healthiest plant , the greenish foliation and the most flowers yr after year , Chrysanthemum morifolium ask full sunshine . That ’s at leastsix minute of direct sunlightevery day . More is always beneficial .
Tip
conceive placing mums on an east- or west - face up side of the landscape to increase their Lord’s Day exposure .
Plant Spacing and Soil Conditioning
Most varieties of mums require at least18 column inch of spacebetween each plant . Take this into considerateness when initially planting mommy , whether you ’re starting them from jejune plant or more mature versions .
florists' chrysanthemum are not picky about grease condition and can get well in any garden land used for growing vegetable and other industrial plant . They do prefer slightlyacidic soilwith a pH interpretation hovering around 6.5 . Soil pH examination kit are generally available at garden depot .
to boot , mum do best when grown in dirt that ’s ample in organic subject . Before planting mums , mix3 to 4 column inch of well - aged compostinto the top8 to 10 inchesof filth . This improves the ground ’s aeration , moisture retention and nutritive story . After planting , add acouple inches of mulcharound the mama every spring . Mulch protect the soil , reduces water drying up and parry out weeds . It also total organic topic to the underlying stain as the mulch decomposes .
Watering Needs
mamma do salutary in consistently moist , but not soggy , soil . Water the mums whenever the top column inch of soil dries out . When watering , practice enough irrigation to moisten the soil to a depth of4 to 6 inches . For ripe mums that quickly souse up water supply , you may find yourself water the flower once every couple of day .
H2O mums in themorning . This give the industrial plant the initial moisture it needs to get through the hottest part of the sidereal day . It also provides the plant life enough clip to dry out out before cooler even temperature set in . This repress the risk of foliar diseases .
Warning
Always water mums at their base . avert get the flower plant ’s leaves wetas that increase the risk of infection of diseases .
Fertilization Dosages
When you first plant the florists' chrysanthemum , set a nutritious foundation by fertilise the planting site with 2 pound of5 - 10 - 5 fertilizerfor every 50 square feet of filth , commingle the fertilizer into the top 6 inches of soil .
For an established flower bed , fertilize the ma once in the middle of summer . Use4 tablespoon of 5 - 10 - 5 fertilizerfor each plant , sprinkling the plant food in a 12 - inch radius around the groundwork of the mum .
Water florist’s chrysanthemum immediately after inseminate . This carries the plant food down to the plant ’s antecedent and denigrate any peril of atomic number 7 sunburn .
Pruning
Pruning is optional , but it encourages the mamma to rise in tight , shaggy-coated shape . As the mums start to create new growing every spring , expend your fingers to cabbage off thetop inch of growthfrom the ends of each growing stem . The stem will produce unexampled side branch at the twinge point .
When those novel branches are 6 inches long , pinch off an inch from their arise tips . preserve this process throughout the year until the plant starts give rise blossoms ( typically toward the end of summer ) .
