Chrysanthemums are a must-have for the fall garden. No other fall flower delivers as much color for as long and as reliably as good mums.
Mums liven up the fading fall garden with handsome flowers of nearly all shades and colors. Some varieties have daisy blooms; others may be rounded globes, flat, fringed, quill shape, or spoon shape. They work exceptionally well in container plantings and pots.As a rule, chrysanthemums are generally easy to grow and care for. They can grow in a wide range of soils, as long as it is free draining. Sunny or semi-shaded locations are suitable, although those that grow in the shade will probably flower later in the autumn.
Many gardeners recommend that chrysanthemums be pinched out to maintain a bushy form. Pinching out should be done mid-spring to early summer. You should pinch out the tip when growing. As the plant reaches around six inches in height, you can then pinch out the side branches.
You may need to stake your plants against winds and, although most varieties are hardy, some may need protecting over the winter if they are tender.
images by farhan ahmad from Chrysanthemum and Autumn flower show at Rawalpindi 2012.
Mum flower contains Pyrethrin, a compound which has insecticidal properties and is a ingredient in organic pest control products. I am yet to find out whether how this compound can be obtained from flower(do this require any special process).
Mum buds are attacked by aphids, but as soon as it starts to flower...aphids tend to leave it alone.
Pinching plant well before flowering results in bushier growth.
After flowering, in late winter.....babies produced by the plant can be separated and planted elsewhere. If left un-touched, plant will become over-crowded and competing for nutrients, thus weak. The mother plant is cut and discarded.
Mums require certain minimum day length to flower which is Late November & December (Zone 9B),Plant Blooms profusely for about 15 days. Flower life is also long about 15 days as well.
Benefit.....This plant flowers when nothing else is flowering in winters, rather everything is slumbering.....
Drawback..... You have to keep the plant for almost an year without any blooms.
Great flower power and immense range of colors and textures.
They can also be grown from seed and suckers apart from cuttings. More commonly the method is by separating suckers or by taking cuttings around Monsoon in July/August. One has to keep a close eye on aphids, mites and leaf miner.
"Florist’s Mum is one of the best plants for removing formaldehyde, benzene and ammonia from the atmosphere. Its overall rating is 7.4 on a count of 10: for the removal of chemical vapours (nine), for ease of growth (four), for resistance to insect infestation (eight) and transpiration rate (eight). (source: NASA research)" http://www.tribuneindia.com/2007/200708 ... garden.htm
Can we identify the color of flowers from the size and shape of leaves? because i m interested buying different colors of mums, but the problem is identification before flowering season
Flower shape will differ for each variety but they cannot be used to identify a specific colour and size of the flower unless the particular variety has been tagged. The range of Chysanthemum is very diverse consisting of thousands of varieties. I would advise focussing on having selected varieties based on your preference.
My question is still here, Can we identify the color of flowers from the size and shape of plant's leaves (not flower leaves)? because last year i had bought many plants of mums from a nearby nursery, the gardener said these all plants have different colors of flowers, but at the blooming time they all bloomed in only one color
It seems there is a typo error in my previous statement as i wrote Flower instead of "Shape & size of leaves" (the first word). The corrected para which i had meant to write orginally is.
Shape & size of leaves will differ for each variety but they cannot be used to identify a specific colour and size of the flower unless the particular variety has been tagged. At best without any labelling the leaf would only reveal that the variety is different. The range of Chysanthemum is very diverse consisting of thousands of varieties. I would advise focussing on having selected varieties based on your preference.
