Chrysanthemums

[Lesley Jay]

At the back end of last year the chrysanthemums were dug up, cut back and pack into trays of compost. They were stored in the greenhouse, unheated, until January when the heater was lit. Some sprouted new growth and my OH has taken some cuttings but alot of the chysanthemum roots seem dead. They have no growth at all. My OH watered the compost they are in today but are they dead? What did we do wrong?

[STEVE PARTRIDGE]

Hi Lesley Jay, the Chrysanthemum roots/stools that you refer to are usually discarded after you have taken cuttings as they will not produce very good second year growth if any at all as you have found, the same thing happens to mine every year. Last Autumn I saved 50 stools and then this Spring I have 120+ new plants which is plenty, if you plant them into some fresh compost then the extra nutrients in this might encourage some more regrowth for you, hope this helps Steve.

http://www.myallotments.blogspot.com

[Lesley Jay]

Steve if I have to throw those roots away I will loose alot of chrysanthemums. What do I do with the roots that are showing some new growth? Do I take the new growth for more cuttings? How do you store your chrysanthemums over winter?

[nick the grief]

Treat them like you would a dahlia tuber LJ. they will stand a bit more cold & some people thing they are better if they have a cold spell. Hust sso long as they are dry & cold.

I assume they are sprays are they LJ?

[Lesley Jay]

They are half sprays and half of the big ones. They were lovely last year and I don't want to loose them. I don't know how to treat a dahlia Nick. Is there any trick to bring these roots back to life?

[nick the grief]

All I do is put them somewhere light & warm (my prop bench) &water them & they sprout.

When you dig them up do you trim the roots LJ? I cut all mine with an old kithen knife to a "cube" about 3"-4" all ways & then put about 6 to a seed tray.

I can't help you with chrysanth cuttings I'm afraid, all my stools have been outed now. If you're struggling next year let me know areound January time & I can take some for you. I only grow about 4 Disbud varieties & about 10 spray varieties. Hopefully I'l take some foto's this summer & post them on the lotties website so you can see what they look like.

[Lesley Jay]

They weren't watered Nick. That must be what we did wrong. Do you keep them watered all through the winter? Looks like another order to Woolmans.

[STEVE PARTRIDGE]

Hi Lesley Jay, sorry if I didn't explain very well, the last part of my previous post was in relation to the stools that you have now, place them in some fresh compost and keep moist with some bottom heat if possible to try to encourage some more regrowth for cuttings, they will be slightly later than those that you have already taken but should still give you some blooms this year, I overwinter them by lifting and cutting down to about 6" tall and place on some slightly damp compost either in seed trays or a bread basket with a black bag used as a liner, then I place these underneath my staging in the cold greenhouse until the following Spring when I do what I have described above to generate the cutting material, hope that you manage to get some more cuttings from them, regards Steve.

[nick the grief]

Don't order from Woolmans LJ. If you can, go here as they do "trays" of mixed ones really cheap & you can sort out the one you want.

Harold Walker
Oakfield Nurseries
Huntington
Chester
CH3 6EA
Tel: 01244 320731


They have a website as well so you can look at the piccies.

[Lesley Jay]

Thanks Steve and Nick. I will let you know how I get on. We might have a run to Chester and see what Oakfield Nurseries have.

[nick the grief]

They are pretty good to deal with. I had some of mine from them in the past. In fact I had 4 off them this year. Can't remember how much the "trays" are but I think it's all the spares that they have rooted (you want 3 so you take 5 just in case & they all root!!) & they box them up & sell them.

35 to a tray in 5 varieties £12.49 available from April for collection only - I've just found there catalogue !

I don't know what sort you'd be after but any of the Enbee Weddings are good single sprays.

Double sprays - most are OK there are a family called Margaret (Margaret, Bronze margaret etc) the blooms are nice, they flower a tad later than other so will giive you some later blooms but they are swine for white rust round here. & if you don't like spraying with fungicides, I'd leave them alone if possible.

As to garden Disbuds,

Cornetto - Yellow intermediate grown with 4 or 5 on they flower a bit bigger than a tennis ball and are stunning.
Keystone - Purple inside petel & silver reverse same as above
Kate Harding - bronze reflex (looks like a mop, but a beautiful one !, the way the petals hang but they shed the water better than incurving types )
Dorridge Beauty - red Reflex but a large flowerd one.

Having said all that they probably won't have any of these for sale! Still you could always order some of them next year.

[Lesley Jay]

Thanks Nick we will definately go and have a look. I really want the big bloom chrysanthemums. Apart from the fact that they are gorgeous I want them to show at our local show in September.

[nick the grief]

Definately go for Cornetto Then LJ, It's a fairly easy one to grow. Kate Harding is OK for showing. And Max Riley is a nice Incurve (sort of a deep Yellow/light Bronze colour).

I can e-mail you the catalogue of a friend of mine if you like when It's out later on this year so you can have a look & see if there are any that you fancy. I think it will be available at the National Show in September at Stafford if you get there.

[Lesley Jay]

Thanks Nick I have sent you a PM.