Topic: Chrysathemums

[AlanP]

I would like to grow some Chrysanthemums that flower in Nov/Dec.
I believe that you can grow them outside and then move them into a greenhouse or polytunnel to flower, is this right.
Do they go into the greenhouse after the tomatoes have finished?
I have just ordered a catalogue but am not sure what type to order so any guide lines would be appreciated.

So many questions  :)

Alan

[Tee Gee]

I would like to grow some Chrysanthemums that flower in Nov/Dec.

And the best of luck!! If you have not grown Chrysant's before may I suggest you try 'earlies' first before you grow 'lates', they require basically the same culture up to flowering time other than they are usually grown in 10" pots as opposed to in beds.

Lates are a labour of love whereas earlies are quite easy to grow, as seen here;

http://www.thegardenersalmanac.co.uk/Data/Chrys%20disbuds/Chrys%20disbuds.htm

In both cases you will have to decide if you are growing disbuds or sprays, sprays are easier!

Early sprays and disbuds can be grown entirely outdoors although disbuds benefit from some form of cover, a car port arrangement works quite well.

With lates; disbuds and sprays are grown quite differently e.g disbuds require heat and ventilation and a fan heater is advisable to prevent 'damping off.

Late sprays require periods of total darkness and maximum light DAILY.

These are cultural instructions for early sprays; http://www.thegardenersalmanac.co.uk/Data/Chrys%20Sprays/Chrys-Sprays.htm

I have included slide shows on propagation and varieties which might help you in you selection.( click on 'see graphic here;)

Sorry I don't have much info' on lates but when I found out the difficulty involved in getting good quality blooms I gave up growing them afraid.

Having said that I do know a little about them but I will leave that unsaid until you decide what you are going to grow.

[shirlton]

 Hi Alan, I use Teegees web site regularly. His chrysanth section is really good. You won't go wrong if you follow his directions.

[RSJK]

Tee Gee thats a great page you have for your advice on chysanths... Thanks

[Dadnlad]

Having read your spray chrysanths page TeeGee, I feel inspired to 'have a go' at those this year ;D

Would it be better to buy dormant tubers now, or young plants in spring ?

Any recommended suppliers ?

[Tee Gee]

I feel inspired to 'have a go' at those this year Grin

Which ones Sprays Or Disbuds?

Would it be better to buy dormant tubers now, or young plants in spring ?

Sorry to correct you but they are not'tubers'

When you lift them at the end of the season they are known as 'stools'

When you buy them in they are rooted cuttings!

Any recommended suppliers ?

This is the problem area.

There is a lot of diseased stock about e.g White Rust!!

THe best bet would be to check with chrysant societies in your area and buy plants from these guys.

If they are any good they should have disease free stock.

Once you decide and have had a look around get back to us.

ps I am not being evasive here but it is a big subject and until you decide what you prefer to grow I would rather not comment on anything classified as 'best'!!

Decide if you want to grow;

1) Early Sprays ;Doubles, singles or both

2) Late Sprays;Doubles, singles or both

3) Early disbuds; Large-incurved or reflex, Medium-Incurved or reflex or a permutation of them all

4)Late disbuds; Large-incurved or reflex, Medium-Incurved or reflex or a permutation of them all

Then there are all the species................as I say it is a big subject!

Just a word of warning from my experience try to specialise in one possibly two groups, to get best results.

It is better to learn to walk before learning how to run!

[shirlton]

Hi Dadnlad, I got my Chrysanths from Woolmans Nurseries. I got 2 spray collections. I find these the best to grow on the allotment. They are easier than tring to grow the big ones. I did grow some incurves last year but they take a lot of looking after what with disbudding and having to keep tying up, cos they get really tall. When the flowers did come it was much later in the year and the frost got them. I like the sprays anyhow. I may try to see if I can grow the large ones as sprays cos I don't want to throw them away. I'm hoping Teegee will get back to me on that one. BTW don't do what I did the first season. I took hundreds of cuttings much more than I needed. They are so easy to do.

[Tee Gee]

. I may try to see if I can grow the large ones as sprays

You wont grow them as spays as such, simply because of their genetic make up.

Having said that you could dispense with the name 'disbuds' and dont disbud them and leave them to their own resources.

Just stop them (nip out growing tip) mid may to early june then allow them to branch naturally and don't disbud them and you should end up with numerous flower heads on each stem multiplied by the number of shoots they generate after stopping.

Does that make sense? if not get back to me.

BTW propagate as normal i.e. as shown on my website!

[shirlton]

So what you are saying is treat them as I do the sprays. That's what i thought.Thanks Teegee for getting back.

[Dadnlad]

Oops - correct terminology duly noted ;) ;D

I prefer the look of sprays(probably doubles) rather than the larger blooms, and as they seem much easier to look after I'm gonna go for early flowering sprays

Halls of Heddon have a very tempting range and are listed on the Chrysanth Society site, and T&M have a nice looking collection, also J Parkers - anyone had any experience with them ? :-\

From your chrysanths page TeeGee, I presume max 10 plants for a 15 foot row ?
 
cheers for your advice :-*

[Tee Gee]

I presume max 10 plants for a 15 foot row

More or less possibly 12.

I work on 15" both ways

[shirlton]

I like woolmans. I had a good show last year

[Dadnlad]

Cheers shirlton, I'll check them out ;D

[shirlton]

http://www.unwins.co.uk/chrysanthemums-early-decorative-spray-pid1401.html
Dadanlad
They have some chrysanth here that may suit you. My catalogue came today

[Tee Gee]

Yes I got an Unwins catalogue today as well.

Was amazed to see how much I have been undercutting myself in the past few years.

I have been selling mine at £5 per dozen in 3" pots hardened off and ready for planting out.

When you compare my price with Unwins i.e. £14 for plug plants of unknown variety

I think I will have to have a re-think this year.

[mikey]

have just placed an order with Elm House Nurseries

http://www.elm-house.co.uk/chrysanthemum

Bloom 6 x earlies and 6 lates (12 different plants) £9.90

Decorative Sprays 6 x earlies and 6 lates (12 different plants) £9.90

If you order on the web enter Early-Bird  in the voucher box and you get £2.50 deducted from your total order value

Note: ..... the voucher offer ends at midnight 31 January

 
 

[davyw1]

Dont know if this will be of any help to any begginer but both Paul Harmer and John Peace are freinds of mine. Paul who has now gone away from sprays won the nationals with carnations last year

http://www.garden-video.co.uk/earlycult.in21st.century.htm

[sunloving]

Hi
I bought the gompie, bepie packs last year from woolmans, it was my first year of growing them and i lived at the top of a windy hill cold in Northern Ireland There was no soil treatment and they fended for themselves.
They were fabulous! the two types stayed outside and flowerered all the way from august through the hard frosts in dec and jan and produced masses of flowers for cutting. They had a very long vase life and all i did was tie them up. (no disbudding or coddling)
so i can unresearvably recomend these two varieties from woolmans. when i cut them down i took cuttings (in early jan) these are now leafy in the cool greenhouse. Brilliant.
Go for it.
x sunloving