Gettings Started With Chrysanthemum Plants
During January in the west it is time to start chrysanthemum cuttings. It’s a good idea in late February and March to start new chrysanthemum plants. Use only the tips of the new growth that starts from the roots. Make your cuttings 3 or 4 inches long and be sure to use a sharp knife or razor blade so the cuts are clean and sharp. Root them in pure sand. Divisions or “Irishman’s cuttings” as they are scornfully called by many “mum specialists” are easier to start and there is less work involved than with cuttings but there is no doubt that the best flowers are produced from plants which are grown fresh each year from tip cuttings.
Time to set out delphiniums - You can save about six months’ growing time by buying young delphinium clumps from the nurseries. If you set them out now, good flower crops can be expected between May and June along with another blooming period in August and September. Two delphinium musts are: a well-drained fertile soil and protection at this time of the year from snails and slugs. Use any of the modern metaldehyde bug pellets containing metaldehyde should help provide control.
Growing spring flowers from seed. During the next 60 days many flowers for cutting as well as general outdoor color can be planted. If you are not a seed sower, in most cases it is possible to buy plants already started. Good bets are calendulas, snapdragons, stocks, scabiosas and sweet peas. There is no use trying to jump the gun and plant seeds of heat-lovers like asters, marigolds and zinnias until April.
Starting begonia tubers - The #1 bulbous plant for shaded gardens throughout the West is unquestionably the tuberous begonia. This beautiful plant has come to front rank popularity in the short space of time. It has won its top, spot because of its ease of culture, long blooming season and ability to thrive in the shade.
The tubers are easy to start. Use flats of leaf mold and sand mixed in a 50-50 ratio. Gently place each tuber, with the top side up, level with the surface. It is better to have the tubers too shallow than too deep, the usual cause of rot. Tubers are usually spaced about 3 or 4 inches apart so that large vigorous root systems can develop.
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