Gardening: Chrysanthemum a wonderful plant for pots and flower beds – information and care tips

One of the most characteristic signs in the garden or on the balcony that summer is definitely behind and winter is approaching is the blooming Chrysanthemums that have been in full bloom since the beginning of autumn.

A tropical shrub native to China and one of the most durable and beautiful perennial ornamental plants with impressive daisy flowers, Chrysanthemum is equally suitable for planting in pots and flower beds. It is also one of the most preferred flowers for a vase due to its durability since freshly cut chrysanthemums if you change the water every 2-3 days and slightly cut the bottom of the shoots can withstand water for more than two weeks, and because of the great variety of shape and shade of flowers in all tones of white, red, orange, yellow and pink-purple.

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Both the native and the cultivable varieties of Chrysanthemum are really … endless and differ in terms of plant height, size and shade of flowers, and the flowering period.

The low varieties with medium and large flowers are more suitable for small planting pots while the tall Chrysanthemums in some varieties whose flowering period the small flowers form an impressive flower “ball” can be planted either in large pots or mainly in flower beds.

It is not a plant with special requirements nor is it easily affected by diseases. In cases of iodine (leaf whitening) due to excessive moisture, meligra or other common weeds use a common spray preparation that will be found in all nurseries and as a precaution, you can spray Chrysanthemums every 2 weeks with an ecological fungicide that will make a spoon of green soap and a spoonful of alcohol in a liter of water.
Soil: Use enriched outdoor soil.

Location: Chrysanthemum needs a lot of sun or even more precisely a lot of light, but its direct exposure to intense sunlight, especially at noon, can result in the “burning” of the leaves and the general stress of the plant. Choose a spot with plenty of indirect light, especially in the early morning and afternoon.
It thrives in semi-shady places but its flowering is reduced.

Watering: The autumn varieties do not need watering more than 2-3 times a week, depending of course on the location, the sun they receive, the weather conditions, etc. and always after the soil has started to dry.
Early varieties that bloom in spring-summer should of course be watered more often, every 1-2 days when the soil is dry.
During watering, make sure that the leaves do not get wet to prevent diseases and that the soil has good drainage so that not only the surface soil but also the roots between the waterings can dry out so as not to risk rotting due to excessive moisture…

Fertilization: Like all flowering plants, Chrysanthemum needs regular fertilization, which provides the plant with the necessary nutrients to stay strong and healthy.
From early spring to late fall, use a common grain fertilizer for flower beds or water-soluble chrysanthemums in planting pots.

Pruning: Already flowering plants only need to be “cleaned” of any dry twigs while cutting the already dried flowers helps a lot in its flowering.
January – February when the flowering is complete the Chrysanthemum needs deep pruning, removing almost 1/3 of the plant on the outside and of course all the dried flowers.
In the spring the pruned plant will slowly begin to fill up again with petals and in summer or autumn with new flowers, depending on whether it is a late or early variety.

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Transplantation: After pruning is the best time to transplant Chrysanthemum directly into the soil or into a larger pot.

Multiplication: New Chrysanthemum plants can be obtained by planting seeds or cuttings in the spring and early summer, but also by the process of dividing rhizomes, which is mainly used by professional growers.

When the plant is pruned, after the end of its flowering, it is easier to have an accurate picture of the stems and all the small “seedlings” that fly out of the lower part of the central shoot are visible. Carefully cut these new pieces and plant in fluffy topsoil or after removing the plant from the soil, carefully separate the rhizomes together with the soil that holds the roots in two and transplant.
Plants that come from seeds usually bloom in the second year after planting, while the seeds are the way to get impressive colorful plants by placing in the same pot seeds from varieties of different shades.