CHRYSANTHEMUMS FOR EXHIBITION.

Hutt News, Volume 11, Issue 11, 9 August 1928, Page 3

CHRYSANTHEMUMS FOR EXHIBITION.

(Lecture delivered before the Hutt Valley Horticultural Society by R^_Pointon, Esq.). Raising Tlie Young Plants. Select a piece of ground/ fairly well sheltered, in a dry position, and of a free, sandy condition. Take up the old stools and select short, sturdy suckers, those farthest away from the main stem are preferable, cut square across at bottom leaving a few roots. Plant these in rows one foot apart and six inches between the plants. See that the base of the young plant is firm on j the bottom of the hole, press the soil firmly around the sucker. The right time to take suckers is the-third week j in. August- for most varieties, but late | blooming, plants should be taken earlier, j Starting some varieties the second week -in July. Early ,blooming varieties should "be taken the first week in September. Keep the nursery bed free from weeds as slugs are very fond of the young plants. Preparing Show Beds. - Select a piece of ground open to the sunlight, with a northerly aspect. Make raised beds on top _of hard ground, the beds should be three feet wide, with six-inch boards as borders to keep the soil in place. The soil should consist of turfy loam, that has been rotted for at least six months. In August, chop up and turn soil, mixing with it a six-inch potfuli each of. lime and bonedust to the barrow load. Place soil in beds and thoroughly press until soil is quite hard. About the middle of October place plants in bed six inches from boards, ami i.veuty inches from plant to plant, pressing the soil hard around plants. Staking and Tieing. At the end of each row drive a stake ' fii-miy into the ground, on these stretch two wires, one six inches from the ground, and one three feet from the ground. Tie secureiy to the wires three thin sticks for each plant, about eight inches apart, and to these securely tie the plants as they grow. Treatment of Plarnss. About the first week in December a bud will appear on the crown of the ■ plants, this is known as the break bud. Shoots will now appear, select four of these and keep tied to sticks to prevent the wind from loreaking them off. Three shoots are all that are required, but it is better to have a spare shoot, in case one should get broken off. In January another bud will appear on each shoot, this is known as a first crown bud and should be removed, allowing another shoot to grow. This in turn will produce a bud, known as a second crown, and should be kept. Remove all side shoots, otherwise these shoots will grow and the bud will gradually fade away. This bud should appear from the fifth to the twentieth of February, which will be in time for local shows. As the bud advances, watch should be kept for insect pests, which should be removed, otherwise damage will be done and a badly formed flower will be the result. As soon as the flowers show colour, the bed should.be covered with a strong calico sheet, as it is impossible to produce exhibition flowers if they are exposed to the weather. Feeding and. Watering. time should the plants be albecome dry. Just before taking the buds, give a watering~^with Nitrate of Soda, half an ounce to a gallon of water. In a week's time water with Sulphate of Anmonia, loz. to 1 gallon of water. Each week and until the flowers 'are about half out, water with weak liquid manure, made as follows: —Take about half a kerosene tin of cow or sheep manure, and a six inch pot of soot, place in a bag and let ' it soak in a barrel of water for 48 hours, remove the bag and water the plants with the following solution: half manure water and half clean water. Disease and Insects. -;._. The chrysanthemum is subject to two 1& diseases, rust and mildew. Rust is first observed on the under side of the leaves in small dark red spots. If not checked these quickly spread and the plants will soon be Tuined. For this disease spray with Lime Sulphur solution, one in,eighty, being" sure that the • under sides of the leaves are thoroughlycovered with the mixture. I find that to prevent this disease it is necessary to^spray once a week from planting until the blooms show colour, when it is accessary to stop spraying, as the solu- . ' £ion burns the petals. Mildew flrst shows by the leaves turning yellow, or a white powder-like subsfance on the . leaves. The treatment mentioned for

rust is also sufficient for mildew. In all cases where either disease appears on the leaves-it Is best-to remove all -affected leays, keeping the bed clean. Insects. Greenfly attack the young shoots and buds. Spraying wiith Blackleaf 40 soon removes the pests. Caterpillars and earwigs do a great amount of harm to the buds and flowers. These should be removed by hand-picking, preferably at night when they, can be more easily located. Where the bed v» securely covered, picking is best left until the day before the show. To pick the blooms, take a iStiek twelve inches long, place under the bloom, just touching the base of the petal with it, and cut to that length. Bemove all foliage, for if this is left on the bloom it, will soon wilt. Place in water until taking to Stow. In staging see that each bloom is packed securely in vase to prevent knocking about. Place qii table, the largest Mortals in centre, and try to place so that no two blooms of the same variety or colour arc next to each other. After placing on table brush carefully with a very soft brush to remove any dirt. Attending to Old Stools. As soon as all blooms have beeit cut, cut down the plants and remove all leaves and stalks. Dig up stools and plant out in a bed in the garden until the time to take off shoot.