Garden Mums
Friday, 10 June 2005 14:23
Growers have been getting in rooted mum cuttings this week and planting in the 90 plus heat. Avoid water and other stresses on newly planted mums - giving them enough water and feed per care directions. Problems that we've seen over the years include crown buds on cuttings, premature budding and flowering, short plants, burned roots, high salts, lack of nutrients and several diseases. For a fact sheet that addresses these issues see:
Garden Mums - Past Crop Problems and Production Tips
Tips for successful early season production to prevent premature budding (Tips taken from Yoder website)
Always water-in freshly planted cuttings with a fertilizer solution containing 200 to 300 ppm of nitrogen, phosphorous and potassium immediately after planting. The cuttings will establish faster and grow more rapidly.
Do not stress the young plants during their first 4 to 5 weeks of growth. Keep plants moist, well fertilized and properly spaced. This is even more important during the first 10 days of the crop.
Give garden mums "hard" pinches, rather than "soft" pinches. Remove at least ½" of new growth when pinching. This helps to minimize premature budding. Often, only 5 to 7 leaves are left on the plant after the first pinch. Rooted cuttings are usually ready to pinch 10 to 15 days after planting.
For garden mum cultural information see: Yoder Website
Leanne Tina
