ADVERTISEMENTS:
This article throws light upon the top nine methods of propagation of chrysanthemum. The methods are: 1. Terminal Cuttings 2. Root Suckers 3. Seeds 4. Pinching and Disbudding 5. Standard Chrysanthemum 6. Spray Chrysanthemum 7. Staking 8. Growing of Chrysanthemum in Pots 9. Growing for Loose Flowers.
Method # 1. Terminal Cuttings:
These cuttings are taken from healthy stock plants from middle to end of June. 5-7 cm long cuttings are made by shearing basal leaves and cutting half of open leaves. For enhancing rooting, these cuttings can also be treated with Seradix-1 powder or 25 ppm NAA. Then these cuttings are planted in sand in pots or beds and are kept in partial shade.
Water is sprayed 4-5 times a day. Rooting takes place in 2-3 weeks and these cuttings are ready for transplanting. To avoid the rotting of cuttings, Captan (0.3%) or Brasicol (0.2%) should be applied in irrigation water once or twice.
Method # 2. Root Suckers:
ADVERTISEMENTS:
After flowering, the plants are planted in partial shade and ample of irrigation and fertilizer is applied for encouragement of root suckers. When these root suckers are 10-15 cm high, they are separated in February or March and planted in small pots and later on planted in bigger pots.
Method # 3. Seeds:
This method of propagation is used by breeders to evolve new varieties. In majority of varieties seed set is less due to self-incompatibility and lack of pollination in winter by honey-bees. By artificial crossing seeds are obtained and sown for creating new variations.
Method # 4. Pinching and Disbudding:
These are important operations which should be done carefully at appropriate time. The objective of pinching is to encourage the side branches and it should be repeated to encourage more number of branches depending upon the number of blooms to be retained.
On the contrary, disbudding is done to remove the side branches which arise from axillary buds so that number of flowers is limited and blooms of better size are obtained. If disbudding is not followed, many branches will be produced and bear the flowers which will affect the quality of blooms ultimately.
Method # 5. Standard Chrysanthemum:
ADVERTISEMENTS:
ADVERTISEMENTS:
In this case single bloom on a branch is allowed to produce. The standard chrysanthemum Varieties have the genetic potential to produce single bigger sized bloom on a branch if disbudding and proper feeding is done. The pinching is not done if only one central bloom is desired on the main branch and only disbudding is done regularly in such cases.
Single pinching is done, if two flowers are desired whereas double pinching is done for four flowers. Similarly more number of pinching can be done to produce more standard flowers per plant. Regular disbudding is done to produce single flowers on single branch. First pinching is done in July and second in August and finally in September.
Method # 6. Spray Chrysanthemum:
These types produce small to medium sized numerous flowers and do not have genetic potential to produce bigger size bloom irrespective of disbudding and best fertilization. These are planted for mass effect in beds or for commercial production.
In such varieties two pinching’s are required to encourage lateral growth. First pinching is done at 4 weeks after planting and second after 7 weeks of planting. No or little disbudding is done. These spray chrysanthemum are also trained as cascades or in different shapes.
Method # 7. Staking:
Staking is very necessary to provide the support whether plants are grown in pots or in field. There are only a few flowering varieties which neither require pinching nor staking and hence known as no stake no pinch varieties. For standard varieties, number of stakes will depend upon the number of main branches which have been allowed to produce bloom.
In spray type, 3-4 stakes are inserted on the band of the pot and are tied with string from bottom to top which gives good support to developing branches and finally flowers. When the plants are grown for cascade, the framework of steel or wooden strips is prepared first and plants are trained according to shape.
Method # 8. Growing of Chrysanthemum in Pots:
Chrysanthemums are grown in pots to decorate verandahs, window gardens and to create colourful islands in the lawn. It provides a great pleasure in growing chrysanthemum in pots. Mostly earthen pots of different sizes are used. Now-a-days use of plastic pots is also on the increase.
The common pot mixture used is comprised of 3 parts garden soil: 1 part sand, 1 part leaf mould and 1 part of well rotten farmyard manure. Pots are filled by putting concave side of 3-5 pieces of crocks over the drain hole. For growing chrysanthemums in pots, plants are propagated by root suckers or terminal cuttings but latter method is preferred.
ADVERTISEMENTS:
The terminal cuttings are got rooted by the method as described earlier. Rooted cuttings are transplanted in mid to end of July in small pots measuring 10 cm. The pots are watered twice depending upon the requirements. The plant grows sufficiently in a month and it needs repotting in bigger size pot measuring about 15 cm.
Final repotting is done in end of September when plants are transferred to 25-30 cm pot. Staking is done according to type of variety and method of training. Pinching and disbudding is also done according to type of variety and method of training as described earlier. Regular feeding with nitrogenous, phosphoric and potassic fertilizers in small doses is helpful in keeping plants healthy and to obtain good size blooms. Urea should not be applied as this is known to cause phytotoxicity.
At the time of appearance of buds, feeding with dilute solutions of cakes and superphosphate is highly beneficial in obtaining good size and shine of bloom. The use of growth retardants like phosphon or Alar is very effective in producing better size of blooms on dwarf plants. The soil drenching is done with Alar @ 33 g/100 L or phosphon at 10% liquid formulations normally at the rate of 100 ml of solution for 15 cm pot has been found effective.
Method # 9. Growing for Loose Flowers:
The commercial cultivation of small flowered varieties of pompon or decorative group like Cameo, Baggi, Santi, Birbal Sahni etc. around the big cities has been found profitable. For raising commercial crop, a fresh crop is to be raised and grow every year. Soil is prepared in end of June by cultivating 2-3 times and adding of 10-15 cartloads of farmyard manure along with 100 kg single superphosphate and 133 kg of Muriate of Potash/acre before planting as basal dose.
ADVERTISEMENTS:
The rooted cuttings prepared by the method described earlier are transplanted at the distance 30 × 20 cm in the evening hours of the day in middle of July. Irrigation is done immediately. In order to encourage the branching and ultimate flowering, pinching of apical portion of shoots should be done 4 and 7 weeks after transplanting. The application of 320 kg CAN/acre should be split into three doses and should be applied at the interval for 30 days.
Flowering occurs in November if planting has been done in July which continues up to six weeks. Flowering time can be extended by delay in planting up to end of August. Fully opened flowers are picked in late hours of day when dew has dried up. Soon after harvest, flowers are packed in baskets containing 3-4 kg of flowers. These varieties produce about 6000 kg of flowers/acre and are sold at a good price.
