Growing environment:
- Climate and soil: well drained dandy loam soil of good texture and aeration with neutral to slightly acidic (6.5-7 pH) and high organic content is ideal.
- Temperature: air temperature 16-21 and 18-210C soil temperature is desirable.
- Irrigation: before monsoon, irrigation frequency should be increase, avoid waterlogged condition (considerable casualty during rainy season due to excess water accumulation).
Pinching and Disbudding
- Standard Chrysanthemum:
➢ Single pinching (July) is done if two flowers are desired.
➢ Double pinching (August) is done if four flowers are desired.
➢ Third pinching (September) is done for more standard flowers
- Spray Chrysanthemum:
➢ In such varieties two pinching 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.
Staking
➢ For Standard varieties, number of stakes will depend upon the number of main branches, which is allowed to bloom.
➢ In Spray type, 3-4 stakes are inserted on the bank of the pot are tied with string from bottom to top which gives good support to developing branches and finally flowers.
➢ If grown for cascade, framework of steel or wooden strips is prepared and plants are trained in different shapes.