Chrysanthemum: How to grow Fall’s Favorite Flower
Chrysanthemums are the fall’s favorite flowers, there’s no doubt about it! These flowers have a long history which dates back to thousands of years.
Let’s look at the history of Chrysanthemums:
Chrysanthemums go back to 15th century BC. The word is derived from word “chrys” that means “gold” in Greek, “anthemion” means flowers. Thus when amalgamated together it means “golden flowers.”
The chrysanthemums in olden days were only in gold color. But as times passed, different colors of chrysanthemum have been cultivated. Now, there are variety of mum flowers like white, red and purple.
The mums are not just good-looking flowers; they have significance in human life as well. The yellow center of flowers surrounded by pompon petals serves as a symbol of positivity. In Zodiac mythology, chrysanthemum is the birth flower for people born in the month of November. In America, certain cities have their official flowers, and Chrysanthemum is official flower for city of Chicago. Also, Japanese celebrate the “Festival of Happiness” that has Chrysanthemum as its epicenter. Japanese celebrate the ‘mums’ in unique way, some people put the petals of mum at the bottom of their wine glass which symbolizes the healthy, long and prosperous life. Even Chinese sojourn these flowers, so do Romans.
Chrysanthemums are beautiful flowers and they should be grown by following tips that are mentioned below:
Adequate sunlight:
It gets quite tough to grow Chrysanthemums during chilly winters, as mums require sufficient sunlight to grow well. Do you know mums get grown best when placed under full sunlight? The mums have an active nutrient in it, which use the sunlight that falls on them to grow to their best ability. They need lot of water as well and good supply of nutrients alongside ample of sunlight.
Get the most suitable flower:
Chrysanthemums are available in hundreds of different types of ranges. There are different colors of mums, in different shapes and sizes. Everyone has their own preferences in selecting their type of mum flowers. Choose the one that suits the best for you. They can be classified on basis of height, size, color, bloom period etc. Get the one that fills the criteria for ‘your type’ of mum flower.
Earlier Blooms for winter climates:
The frosty areas do not despair on Chrysanthemum planting. The fall’s favorite flower does not limit itself as one season wonder. Don’t worry; you can still plant the mums during the fall. Yes, you can. If you live in cold places, where snow and frost is a norm, you need to buy earlier blooms, towards the commencement of season of fall. Mums need to be fixed at least two months before the regular seasonal time of year. It will make sure mums have well-developed their roots.
Not to plant it shallow:
The way you plant the Chrysanthemum seeds is matter of importance for appropriate budding of the flower. Use the well fertilized soil for it, as they immediately start absorbing the nutrients from it. The wet mud is a big no-no, instead well-prepared sandy soil that has good amounts of moisture but not too much like flooding is suitable for them. Mums don’t like the flooded bottom. Thus, make sure you DON’T use the soil that is like he pothole in rains. Plant the seeds deep, as they get clanged properly to soil.
Keep pinching them as they grow out of proportion:
When the plants are about 5-6 inches long, pinch the mums from each branch to encourage more blooms and thicker plants. When they spread a foot fall, nip them once more. Regular pinching of mums enables that they don’t get cluttered 
among themselves and they keep developing flourishingly. The largest flowering mums should be made free of all of their buds except the topmost one.
Division of flowers:
The Chrysanthemums need to be divided every 3-5 years as they start crowding the place and starts looking like a forest. Dividing the flowers also supports up to full-strength flowering. The best time to divide the Chrysanthemums is during spring, when normally new buds develop. A little bit of digging need to be done and the flowers can be separated. There may be many poorly-formed flowers as well which can be removed and used as natural fertilizers.
Transplantation:
The mums need to be occasionally (maybe every two years) need to be transplanted at new locations then their original ones. But it’s not possible every time. So the soil needs to be sterilized in order to avoid infection in bushes and bugs’ attack on flowers. Young divisions grow much faster and offer good flowers than their adult congested plants. Dig up the old bunches when they are 2-3 inches tall in spring time& prudently pull them apart. Transplantation helps the Chrysanthemums to survive and grow extra beautifully.
Follow these tips to help grow your Chrysanthemums- the fall’s favorite flowers.
