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Chrysanthemum 'Jante Wells'
Chrysanthemums inject a splash of colour into late summer and autumn borders, and come in a wide range of sizes, shapes and colours. They're often still going strong within weeks of Christmas, and outlast almost everything else in cold, wet conditions.
Chrysanthemums have a long history, but although the Chinese were growing them 2,500 years ago they didn't reach Europe until 1789. Pierre Louis Blancard brought the first plants back from the Far East, and by 1802 had raised ten cultivars. Today there are more than 650 varieties available from garden centres, with 77 holding the Award of Garden Merit from the Royal Horticultural Society.
The best types for late autumn border colour are those that grow in sprays. They produce a mass of smaller blooms that are less likely to rot in wet weather. The Koreans and Rubellum group provide some of the first cultivars to flower in late summer, and are probably the most dependable. They come in a diverse range of colours and shapes.
They have slightly raised flower centres surrounded by a single rosette of petals (forget the name - they don't look like anemones!).
Plant the rooted cuttings or new divisions of border plants in spring as soon as the soil begins to warm up. They like average, free-draining soil in full sun. Cuttings raised in a greenhouse shouldn't be planted outside until the danger of frost has passed.
Plants develop into a healthy clump, known as a stool, which is easy to divide into smaller divisions, each with a single shoot and some roots. If you lift and divide your plants every third year, they'll retain their vigour and produce stocky stems that are easier to support. If you fail to lift and divide them, don't worry: the plants will survive but will gradually lose vigour.
As well as dividing plants, you can take basal cuttings in spring when you lift the plants and store them in trays of moist compost; they'll soon produce young shoots. Cut them off close to the base of the plant and root them in moist perlite, or a mix of sand and compost, kept in a warm place.
Take cuttings from the parent plant in mid-winter and place them in moist perlite. Cuttings should produce roots by March and be ready for planting outdoors in May. Pinch back (see below) spray varieties as soon as the cuttings have rooted to promote bushy growth. Then feed and water well. Outdoor varieties should be happy with less attention, provided they're grown in reasonably fertile soil.
The group called 'disbudding chrysanthemums' (e.g. 'Regalia' and 'Dorridge Beauty') perform better if the side buds are nipped off to leave a single, larger flower. Without disbudding, they often produce congested stems of flowers that are inclined to be top heavy.
Also known as stopping, you should pinch back the larger-flowered kinds by removing the top bud of the single stem. This results in new side shoots; select the two strongest and remove the rest. Once they've lengthened, pinch out their tips to encourage two more stems to form. Consequently, a single cutting will produce four blooms. If you want more flowers, which will be smaller, leave three new shoots instead of two after each pinching.
Most chrysanthemums, particularly the taller kinds, need support. Use metal linking stakes (available from garden centres) or canes and pea sticks with string. If you plan to grow your chrysanthemums in large drifts, try fixing a horizontal layer of wide-mesh bean netting above the plants at a height of around 45cm (18in). It may initially look unattractive but provides good support once the plants have grown through the netting, which makes it worth the wait.
Avoid over-feeding, especially the spray varieties, because the taller, lanky plants become very floppy and the lush growth also invites disease.
Control fungal diseases, such as powdery mildew, with specific fungicides. Plants forming warty patches on their undersides are suffering from white rust and should be destroyed.
Eelworm produces browning leaves but can be cured by heat-treating the plants. Dig up the plants, wash off the soil and immerse the roots in water at a temperature of 46°C (115°F) for five minutes.
Indoor and greenhouse varieties are more prone to pests and diseases; regularly check each plant carefully.
Remove any aphids promptly as they can introduce viruses.
National collections of chrysanthemums:
Outdoor hardy Chrysanthemums J Barker 64 Morris Way London Colney, , Hertfordshire AL2 1JN Tel: 01727 822564 Opening times: By appointment only
Indoor Chrysanthemums M Darwell - NC Coordinator, Leeds City Council Stable Courtyard Temple Newsam Estate Leeds Yorkshire, LS15 9TP Tel: 01437 710 542 Opening times: Open daily during daylight hours
Leucanthemum collection A D Allen The Shapcott Barton Estate East Knowstone South Molton Devon, EX36 4EE Tel: 01398 341664 Opening times: By appointment only
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