Caring for potted chrysanthemums at home

Flowers

Chrysanthemums are one of the few plants whose flowering can be observed throughout the growing season until late autumn.-It's important to choose the right variety. But these wonderful moments can be extended by growing the flower in a pot at home. Below, we'll discuss the care needed for this chrysanthemum after purchase.

Varieties for home

Chrysanthemums themselves can vary in height, ranging from 15 cm to 1.5 m. However, for indoor gardening, it's best to choose compact varieties, such as the Chinese chrysanthemum and the mulberry-leaved chrysanthemum.

Chinese chrysanthemum

A low bush, covered in flowers that obscure the stems and leaves. As it grows, it forms blooming globes. Even a novice gardener can care for this potted chrysanthemum at home. It doesn't even require pruning after purchase.

Mulberry-leaved chrysanthemum

A larger form. The leaves reach up to 7 cm in length. The underside of the leaf has glaucous hairs.

All the flowers are collected in baskets. The center of the flower is always yellow, and along the edge-petals of various colors.

Advantages of varieties for the home

The varieties described above were bred artificially, and therefore have a number of properties that garden flowers do not have:

High resistance to diseases.
Do not require formation.
Flowering lasts almost 2 months.

Please note!

Despite all the advantages, there's one drawback. If you try to grow chrysanthemums from collected seeds, you'll likely get completely different results, as these plants are hybrids.

Other varieties

The variety of chrysanthemums for the home is not limited to Chinese selections. Here are a few more varieties:

Korean spherical. Low-growing bushes, shaped like a ball.
Multiflora. Beautiful flowers that look like colorful pillows in pots.
Cascade. Trailing chrysanthemums. Look great in hanging pots.

In addition to the species listed, other varieties, such as Indian ones, are also suitable for growing in greenhouses.

Care instructions

Some aspects of caring for potted chrysanthemums at home differ from those generally accepted by gardeners.

We bought chrysanthemums, what next?

During the cold season, when you bring your purchase home, inspect the flower. However, it would be better to do this in the store.

If it's warm outside, you can place the bush under some trees for a week, where there's diffused light, and observe.

If you notice spots on the leaves, small insects, or other damage on your plant, you should remove the leaf blades and water the plant from all sides with a cool shower.

Illumination

Unlike many plants, chrysanthemums don't like direct sunlight. And many varieties begin blooming when the daylight hours have already shortened by several hours. Therefore, a south-facing windowsill or balcony isn't ideal. Instead, place the plant on a west- or east-facing window.

Temperature

Chrysanthemums don't like high temperatures. They should stay below 23 degrees Celsius in summer.

In autumn, when the main flowering period begins, on average– +15.

In winter, you can place the flower on an insulated balcony, where the temperature is not higher than +8, but not lower than +3 degrees.

For reference!

Chrysanthemums can withstand light, short-term frosts down to -2.

How to water

Water only after the top layer of soil in the pot has dried out. Moisten thoroughly, but do not overwater. Remove any excess water.

In very hot weather, it is worth placing a container of water next to the flower.

Winter care

During winter, the plant, like most others, goes dormant. Potted chrysanthemums require little care at home during this period. Only newly purchased flowers require more careful preparation.

First, you need to cut any flower, leaving about 10 cm.

Then moisten it and place it in a cool place: on a balcony, in a basement, in a very cold entrance hall or on a terrace, where it will remain until the end of March.

The chrysanthemum is inspected periodically. If necessary, it is watered, but not earlier than after three weeks.

Transfer

Caring for a potted chrysanthemum at home after purchase in the spring begins with this.

Overwintered plants are also replanted.

Select a pot 2-3 cm larger than the previous one.
It is washed thoroughly, then dipped into a solution of potassium permanganate for disinfection.
They take special purchased soil or make it themselves by adding sand and humus to the garden soil.
Organic fertilizers are added.
The bottom is covered with expanded clay.
Cover the top one-third with soil.
Place the flower, straightening the roots.
Fill the soil to a depth of half a centimeter, compact it well, and water it.

Young plants need to be repotted every year, adults-in a year.

Top dressing

After repotting, you can skip fertilizing for three weeks if organic matter was added. Then, by mid-summer, begin replacing nitrogen with potassium and phosphorus.

Bush formation and decorative pruning

They are produced some time after purchase. When a chrysanthemum comes home from the store, it looks wonderful because it's been maintained with stimulants. But after a couple of weeks, the beautiful bush may begin to crumble.

In this case, it is necessary to pinch some stems, and those that interfere inside the plant-delete.

If the cut branches are good, they are placed in water to root. The bad ones are thrown away.

Chrysanthemum propagation

If the chrysanthemum was purchased in a pot and has taken root well at home, then after it blooms or in early spring, you can take cuttings with three leaves to grow young plants. To propagate, make an oblique cut below the bottom leaf and above the top leaf.-straight. The leaves are cut in half.

Prepare a soil mixture similar to that used for replanting flowers. Plant the branches at an angle, keeping the soil well moist. Cover the container with plastic or a clear plastic jar.

While the chrysanthemum is taking root, the plantings are inspected and ventilated to prevent moisture stagnation, which can lead to the development of fungal diseases.

Advice!

Remove the covering only when new leaves begin to appear on the cuttings and the plant itself begins to grow.

Another way to get new flowers is to divide the bush when replanting.

Carefully remove the chrysanthemum from its container and shake off the soil. You can rinse the roots under running water. Then, take a sharp knife, disinfect it in a solution of potassium permanganate or wipe it with alcohol. Use it to separate small sections of the plant. Be sure the cuttings have roots. Plant the resulting clumps in pots in the same way as when repotting.

Problems with indoor chrysanthemums

Although indoor flowers are less likely to be affected by diseases and pests, they can still sometimes be unavoidable, especially immediately after purchase.

Diseases that may appear include gray mold, septoria leaf spot, and powdery mildew. These diseases are controlled with fungicides. Unfortunately, if the disease is left untreated, the chrysanthemum must be discarded.

Aphids, thrips, and nematodes are frequent visitors to flowers. They are sprayed with insecticides such as Actellic, Biotlin, and Actara.

A video of beautifully blooming potted chrysanthemums grown at home can be a wonderful addition to any family celebration. To achieve the desired result, simply take proper care of the flower at home after purchase. And the results will not be long in coming.