| Upon Arrival - Water as needed and keep in a full sun location until you are ready to plant. If you are
holding them for more than a day or two, constant liquid feed at 200 ppm. Avoid holding rooted mum
cuttings in the tray for more than a week so they do not "harden up". This could reduce branching or make
it uneven. |
| Potting Media - Mums can be successfully produced in a number of different soil-less media. Peat-lite,
pine bark and/or coir mixes can be used, however mums grown in peat-lite mixes are more likely to blow
over in the fields because they have a lower bulk density. The pH must be adjusted after wet-out to
between 5.2 and 6.2 with the ideal pH in a range of 5.4 - 5.7. |
| Planting - Plant at the same level the cuttings were in the cell pack. Water in immediately, preferably
with liquid feed (see Fertilization section). Some bronzing of the foliage can occur from sunscald when
the cuttings are first placed in full sun. They should rebound quickly from this without any treatment. One
cutting per pot is generally used up through 9"x 6" mum pans. |
| Watering - Avoiding extremes is important; constantly waterlogged soil invites root rots and poor root
performance, underwatering can check the plant, and even encourage premature budding in the early
production stages. Drip irrigation avoids wetting the foliage and is preferable to overhead irrigation
systems. Several foliar diseases are encouraged by leaf wetting and open flowers can also be damaged by
overhead irrigation. |
| Fertilization - Water quality is important; have it tested before choosing a fertilizer program. Griffin
tests the water pH, soluble salts, and alkalinity, at no charge. Fertilizer and acid injection (if needed)
recommendations are provided with the results. |
Fertilizer Rates:
| |
Liquid Only |
Half Liquid/Half Controlled Release |
Controlled Release Only |
| At Planting |
300 ppm constant feed |
250 ppm constant feed |
300 ppm once per week |
| After 2 Weeks |
200 - 250 ppm constant feed |
300 ppm once per week |
Clear water |
| From 1st Color until Sale |
100 ppm constant feed |
Clear water |
Clear water |
|
| Use 20-20-20 during the first 2-3 weeks, including, when possible, those given the full rate of
controlled release fertilizer. This encourages soft growth that branches freely, and the plants are less likely
to set premature buds. After that, rotate 20-10-20 (3-4 times) and a calcium nitrate based fertilizer such as 15-0-15 (1 time), at the rates indicated, except those with the full rate of controlled release fertilizer. The
alkalinity of your water will dictate the best rotation of fertilizers. |
Controlled Release Rates for Different Size Containers:
| |
8 x 5 Pan
Half Liquid/
Half Cont. Release |
8 x 5 Pan
Controlled
Release Only |
9 x 6 Pan
Half Liquid/
Half Cont. Release |
9 x 6 Pan
Controlled Release Only |
Nutricote
13-13-13
(100 Days) |
1 Tablespoon
(1513 pots/bag) |
5 teaspoons
(908 pots/bag) |
4 teaspoons
(1132 pots/bag) |
2 Tablespoons
(756 pots/bag) |
Osmocote Plus
15-9-12
(8 - 9 months) |
1 Tablespoon
(1513 pots/bag) |
4 teaspoons
(1132 pots/bag) |
4 teaspoons
(1132 pots/bag) |
2 Tablespoons
(756 pots/bag) |
Osmocote Exact*
15-9-9
(5-6 months) |
1 Tablespoon
(1513 pots/bag) |
5 teaspoons
(908 pots/bag) |
4 teaspoons
(1132 pots/bag) |
2 Tablespoons
(756 pots/bag) |
| Based on trials from 3 locations in Pennsylvania during the summer of 2002. |
|
Additional Nutritional Considerations - It was mentioned earlier that the ideal soil pH for mums in
soilless mixes is 5.4-5.7. This is true in part because of the iron requirements of mums. As soil pH rises
above the ideal range, the availability of iron decreases. Iron deficiency symptoms begin with yellowing
of the youngest foliage in the growing tips. Often the veins will remain green, especially at the onset of
the problem. Mum varieties vary somewhat in their threshold for showing iron deficiency, so it is
common to see the problem begin in just a few varieties, progressing through the field if steps are not
taken to correct it. Adjusting the pH down to the ideal range by injecting sulfuric acid, or when it is
practical by using acid forming fertilizers, is the first step in preventing or correcting iron deficiency.
(Contact Griffin's Technical Department if you need assistance with this.) It may be necessary to inject
chelated iron to correct this problem. Sprint® 138 or 330 can be injected as a soil drench at 4-5 oz per 100
gallons. Foliar sprays or dry treatments to the soil are not recommended because of the increased potential
for phytotoxicity. Never apply chelated iron to plants under water stress.
Mums also benefit from additional Epsom salts being added to the irrigation water. Epsom salts
provides magnesium, which can help keep the foliage a dark green color. Use 2 oz of Epsom salts per 100
gallons along with your non-calcium based fertilizer on a constant basis, or pulse treatments of 8 oz per
100 gallons can be made every week or two as needed. Magnesium deficiency appears as interveinal
chlorosis of the lowest leaves on mums. An alternative would be to use 18-8-17 as that has additional
magnesium built in. |
| Spacing - 8"x 5" Mum pans are grown on 18" to 24" centers, with 9"x 6" mum pans requiring up to 30". Fast crop 6" can be grown on 12" to 15" centers. |
| Scheduling/Pinching - The first through the third week of June is the ideal time to plant pinched mum cuttings from cell packs for 8"x 5" or 9"x 6" pans. This allows for 1-2 additional pinches by July 5th - 15th. This is the time frame you should use to accomplish your last pinch, in order to flower on the natural flowering date. Breaks should be 3-4" long when the pinch is given. A soft pinch is all that is needed, unless premature budding has occurred, in which case a harder pinch into vegetative tissue is desirable. (See Chemical Pinching below for an alternative to hand pinching.) In recent years there has been a trend towards not pinching garden mums at all. Refer to the No Pinch section below for a brief review of this technique. |
| Fast Crop Scheduling - Some growers plant 2 pinched plants per 8"x 5" or 6"x9" pan during the first 2 weeks of July, and do not provide any additional pinches. Fast crop 6" pots can be planted at the same time, with one plant per pot. |
| Chemical Pinching - Florel can be used to replace mechanical pinching when applied as a thorough
foliar spray at 500 PPM (1.6 oz./gal.). Typically this is done one week before you would hand pinch.
Even though your cell pack mums are pinched when you receive them, they will benefit from an
application of Florel applied as soon as possible after they arrive. While this initial spray to pinched
cuttings does not increase branching, it does reduce premature budding by getting the plants under the
influence of Florel as early as possible. Repeated at two week intervals, Florel helps to keep plants
vegetative as well as providing more breaks per plant when compared to hand pinching. Florel also
reduces internode elongation, reducing or eliminating the need for other growth regulators later in the
season. Labor savings are significant and greatly appreciated! Using more than 1 pinch and 3 Florel
treatments (counting the one applied when you received the pinched cuttings) is not usually desirable. So
many branches are produced that stem strength is reduced and the plants may pull apart at flowering.
Most growers report great results from one application upon arrival, and one more 14 days later. You can
also "time" your crop with Florel, since it delays flowering. Make your last Florel application before July
1st to avoid delaying the natural season flower date. CAUTION: Highly alkaline water may need to be
treated in order for Florel to be effective. When Florel is added to your spray tank it must be able to drop
the pH of that solution to between 4.0 and 5.0 to work properly. Distilled or acidified water may be
needed in some cases. Using pHase5 to adjust the pH of the spray water to between 5.5 and 6.0 before
adding the Florel will allow the final solution to be in the correct range. Call Griffin Technical Support for
more details on the use of Florel or pHase5. |
Sample Program (normal season flowering)
- Pinched cuttings arrive about June 10th and are sprayed upon arrival with Florel @ 500 ppm
- Two days later (allows for 48 hr REI for Florel) cuttings are potted into 8 x 5 or 9 x 6 mum pans.
- Reapply Florel @ 500 ppm two weeks after the first treatment (~ June 24th)
|
No Pinch (or Florel) Technique - Many of the newer mum cultivars are quite free branching. In an
effort to reduce production costs, work has been done to show that top quality mums can be grown
without pinching. If this approach interests you, trial it on a smaller scale before devoting your entire
production to it. Crucial to the success of this technique is planting actively growing cuttings and
fertilizing them heavily (~400 ppm constant feed), especially during the first few weeks of the production
cycle. This is needed to encourage the self-branching ability of the mums. Never allow water stress
during this time, as this may check or harden growth, resulting in fewer breaks and/or premature flower
budding. Be sure to use only those cultivars that the breeders recommend for this program.
Florel treatments are relatively inexpensive and could be viewed as a "cheap insurance policy" for your crop. |
| Insects - Aphids, caterpillars, mites, thrips and whiteflies are common pests on garden mums. |
Diseases - Botrytis and various leaf spots can affect the foliage. Pythium is the most common root rot
problem for mums and preventative treatment soon after planting is recommended. Bacterial leaf spot is a
serious problem during some growing seasons. Bacterial diseases are especially difficult to control with
chemicals. Mancozeb fungicides (ex- Protect T/O), and copper sprays (ex- Phyton-27 or Camelot) have
provided some relief. Splashing water from rain or overhead irrigation can spread this disease from plant
to plant. Certain mum varieties appear to be much more susceptible than others. Keep good records and
remove those varieties that show increased susceptibility from your program.
Consult the "Insecticide and Fungicide Options for 2005" bulletin for current control options, available in PDF format. |
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