Evening star., 1947-08-31
| |Chrvsanthemum Blooms Ahead
Shorter Days and Cooler Nights Due
To Force Growth; Stalking Advised

WaGCl 1lS dllIl ASS1AAACs 49,
the best answers to food foliage.
This season our chrysanthemums
have made unusually good growth.
the showers have been frequent
enough to supply the necessary
moisture and if we have kept up
with the crab grass and weeds the
chances are that the plants have
been well cultivated. The foliage
on most plants is excellent and by
feeding we should be able to keep
! them growing strongly until flower
ing time. Some will say that this
advice is contradictory for we have
said many times to withhold ferti-
lizers from woody plants after the
first of August. However, while
chrysanthemums are woody plants,
they are more likely to suffer winter
injury If they enter the winter in a
weakened condition. BY feeding
and keeping them growing strongly
they will enter the winter in a.
healthy vigorous condition and thus
be better able to Withstand the cold
and freezes.
Many of our plants have at
tempted to set flower buds early in
the season, but where pinching was
done regularly most of the plants
were kept from Towering, except
the azaleamums. This is always
problem where we have periods OF
cool cloudy days. AS mentioned, the
plants are very sensitive to length OF
day. Those plants which have f1ow-
cred will need the feeding and care
outlined above even more than those
which have yet to give their strength
to Towering. BY feeding and care,
Towering plants oftentimes may be
kept at their best, even to the
extent of producing better colors
than those lacking this attention.
Certainly we will have the benefit
of better performances even though
we may lose the plants which is
even more likely under neglect.
How to Stake Plants.
If the gardener gives his plants
the attention recommended above
the plants will need stalking. Some
gardeners use a single stake for
small plants-those with 8 or
branches, to which each branch is
tied. For the larger plants peony
hoop may be needed or several
stakes to which the taller branches
may be tied. The peony hoop, a
circular band supported on legs Is
to 18 inches long, is probably as
easy a method of supporting the
plants as any. This may be made
from heavy wire twisted into a hoop
to which legs may be attached.
However, three or four stakes firmly
pushed into the ground may serve
the same purpose if string Is tied
around them at several levels. The
growing branches will push through
and the foliage will soon hide the
string.
This supporting of the branches
is especially necessary as the flower
buds begin to open on tall stems,
A heavy rain may break them to
the ground or we are apt to split
them apart when working in the
bed. Even though not broken off.
| IIlC VI dllCllCo yl1l6 oll VIC SAOu1lN
will have their flowers on one side
and the appearance will be spoiled.
Very few gardeners attempt dis
budding, although those who like to
prepare a few choice blooms for
local flower show will wish to do so.
1t is simple operation. All of the
side buds are removed as early as
possible, only the terminal bud be-
ing retained. OF course, not all
varieties of the hardy NUNS are
suitable for disbudding. Few of the
singles are helped by disbudding.
Some of the informal doubles are
satisfactory, but generally, the for
NAL doubles such as the Doty's pink
or white are satisfactory.
Whether you disbud or not, 1t
will pay to feed, water, cultivate
and protect your chrysanthemums
so that you may have the type, of
fall floral display which these color
full flowers can give on healthy,
vigorous appearing plants.