The chrysanthemum is a very popular flower that is grown commercially, and its many-coloured blooms rank among the top in international trade. Buds appear in October and flowers open in November, staying fresh on the plant for 20 to 25 days. In popularity it comes second only to the rose. It comes in many shades, of which copper, golden, yellow, purple, red, brown and a green chrysanthemum called "Green Goddess" are especially popular. With demand in the flower market, there is potential for commercial production.

Chrysanthemums prefer relatively cool weather and sunny spots. In Bangladesh winter is the best time to grow them. Well-drained loam and sandy soils rich in organic matter are suitable, and soil pH should ideally be 6.0-7.0.

Seedlings can be raised from seed, suckers or stem cuttings. Plants raised from seed do not give good flowers and take a long time to bloom, while cuttings and suckers do not have this problem. In Bangladesh plants are usually raised from stem cuttings, starting from mid-July. Cuttings 8-10 cm long, cut at a slant from healthy one-year-old stems and set in a bed or bucket, will root. Around February, when flowering is over, plants are cut back to 15-20 cm above the soil. After a while suckers emerge from the base of the cut stems; when they are 5-7 cm long they are separated from the mother plant and planted in a shaded seedbed or pot. From May to July the seedlings must be protected from rain and strong sun.

Before final planting in the field or in pots, seedlings can be moved to separate beds or pots to improve their flowering. The right time to plant them in the field or pots is October-November, at a spacing of 30 x 25 depending on the variety.

For pots, a mixture of 2 parts soil, 2 parts cow dung, 1 part leaf compost and 1 part bone meal, with 3 grams of TSP and 3 grams of muriate of potash, is best. Of 8 grams of urea, half should be top-dressed 25-30 days after planting the sucker or cutting, during vegetative growth, and the rest when flower buds appear.

Removing unwanted immature flower buds is called disbudding. If a young plant flowers early, the buds should be removed at once. For large flowers, keep the central bud and cut off the two side buds; for medium-sized flowers, remove the central bud.

Aphids are very small, soft and blackish-green, and they become much more common in winter. They suck sap from leaves, shoot tips and flowers, and infested new buds and leaves curl up.

If the attack is heavy, spray a dimethoate insecticide (Perfekthion, Sungor, Rogor or Tafgor 40 EC) at 2.0 ml per litre of water, or an imidacloprid insecticide (Tido or Imitaf) at 2 ml per litre, two or three times at 10-day intervals.

Chrysanthemums picked in bud will not open. Cut them with a long stem using a sharp knife, early in the morning or in the afternoon, when the outer petals have fully opened and the central petals have started to open.

Source: Staff Correspondent. First published in Bengali on The Agro News.