These varieties are especially suitable for use in floral arrangement. On this date there is less than 14 hours of darkness so blacking-out has to commence on 31st August ensuring that there is a minimum of fourteen hours darkness for the next fourteen days. Production of Cutting Material Cuttings have to be produced from the old stools that have been overwintered in a cold greenhouse. By March, cuttings will be available at the base of the stool for rooting but the date of striking need not be precise because these cuttings are simply for producing mother plants which eventually provide cuttings for the final crop. This final rooting will not take place until the end of June and the beginning of July.
Chrysanthemums root fairly easily in early spring when day temperatures are relatively low.
A fairly open mixture of equal parts of loam, peat and grit with a bit of bottom heat and they will root within a fortnight. They have to be moved from the cutting tray, and there are three options, each quite successful. The objective is to produce short, healthy cuttings approximately two inches long for rooting during the last days of June and the first days of July. Pot up into 3.5 inch plastic pots in John Innes Compost No. 2. It will be necessary to give liquid feeds during June due to the restricted pot size.