0800 046 74430800 046 7443
Chrysanthemums Direct, Holmes Chapel Road, Over Peover, Knutsford, Cheshire.
0800 046 74430800 046 7443
Chrysanthemums Direct, Holmes Chapel Road, Over Peover, Knutsford, Cheshire.
Cascades and Bonsai
We are delighted to be offering, by popular demand, seven varieties of these rarely offered Cascade Chrysanthemums. They will present a challenge to the grower, but will be well worth the effort for the spectacular show they produce in the late autumn. Ideally, receive your plants as early in the year as possible, bearing in mind that they will need protecting from frost. On receipt, pot into 9cm pots using John Innes No. 1. The plants should be kept growing at a temperature of about 14°C, and when the pots are full of root they can be moved on into 13cm pots, this time using John Innes No.2 . The plants can either be grown on in a cool greenhouse, or moved into cold frames about the beginning of April. Mid-May should see the plants ready for a move into their final 23cm pots, using John Innes No 3. Potting them into these pots, however, is where the first real difference occurs from growing other forms of Chrysanthemums.
As it is difficult to bend the plants to any great degree without snapping them, you will need to give them a good start towards trailing down by planting them in the final pot at an angle. The plants can now be trained to trail downwards, but as with any other plants they will, if left to their own devices, still try to grow up towards the light. The aim is to train the plant to trail down giving a true cascade. To achieve this, place the pot on a raised surface and regularly tie the growing tip to one or more canes inclined down at an angle, generally about 45 degrees from the horizontal, from the pot. The simplest way to support these canes is to insert a small cane upright in the pot and tie the top of the inclined cane to it. The lower part of the cane will need to be secured to provide stability. The plants break naturally, but the side shoots can be pinched to help build up the shape of the plant. All pinching should stop in early September, allowing the flower buds to develop.
Feed regularly, using our tried and tested fertilizer. Pay particular attention to watering because, with the pots in an elevated position, there is the tendency for them to dry out more frequently. About mid-September the plants need to be moved into the greenhouse for flowering. When in the greenhouse, watering should be little and often. Flowering should be from early November, when they will give you a mass of cascading colour.
Cascades can also be trained into many other shapes, including columns, spirals and Bonsai.
As it is difficult to bend the plants to any great degree without snapping them, you will need to give them a good start towards trailing down by planting them in the final pot at an angle. The plants can now be trained to trail downwards, but as with any other plants they will, if left to their own devices, still try to grow up towards the light. The aim is to train the plant to trail down giving a true cascade. To achieve this, place the pot on a raised surface and regularly tie the growing tip to one or more canes inclined down at an angle, generally about 45 degrees from the horizontal, from the pot. The simplest way to support these canes is to insert a small cane upright in the pot and tie the top of the inclined cane to it. The lower part of the cane will need to be secured to provide stability. The plants break naturally, but the side shoots can be pinched to help build up the shape of the plant. All pinching should stop in early September, allowing the flower buds to develop.
Feed regularly, using our tried and tested fertilizer. Pay particular attention to watering because, with the pots in an elevated position, there is the tendency for them to dry out more frequently. About mid-September the plants need to be moved into the greenhouse for flowering. When in the greenhouse, watering should be little and often. Flowering should be from early November, when they will give you a mass of cascading colour.
Cascades can also be trained into many other shapes, including columns, spirals and Bonsai.
Bonsai Chrysanthemums are best started from a cutting as early in the year as possible, therefore, aim to receive your plants in February. Make sure to protect them from frost, ideally in a heated greenhouse. If you wish to create an over rock or exposed root style, pot into deep pots to encourage long roots.
By mid-May you should begin the initial wiring and pruning as the plants are more pliable at this time of year. Train in your preferred traditional Bonsai style.
Prune regularly, removing old training wires and any larger leaves. Keep pinching out growing tips to create a fine branch system. Stop pinching out by mid-August to allow flower buds to develop. As the buds form remove any that are too close together to give an even spacing of the final flowers.
A constant watch on watering is needed, as drying out will severely compromise the plant's growth. Only feed sparingly, otherwise large leaves and long internodes will form spoiling the shape.
Flowering will be late October/November so move into a cold greenhouse before any frosts.
Although we are not Bonsai experts, the above gives a brief guide to growing. It is not an easy method of cultivation and requires lots of attention through the growing season, but hopefully the results will be worth the effort.
By mid-May you should begin the initial wiring and pruning as the plants are more pliable at this time of year. Train in your preferred traditional Bonsai style.
Prune regularly, removing old training wires and any larger leaves. Keep pinching out growing tips to create a fine branch system. Stop pinching out by mid-August to allow flower buds to develop. As the buds form remove any that are too close together to give an even spacing of the final flowers.
A constant watch on watering is needed, as drying out will severely compromise the plant's growth. Only feed sparingly, otherwise large leaves and long internodes will form spoiling the shape.
Flowering will be late October/November so move into a cold greenhouse before any frosts.
Although we are not Bonsai experts, the above gives a brief guide to growing. It is not an easy method of cultivation and requires lots of attention through the growing season, but hopefully the results will be worth the effort.
Plant Prices and Delivery costs
All plants and collections are clearly priced on the website. All our individual plants are priced at £3.50 each
Buy any 10 plants, or more, and receive a 10% discount.
The discount will be applied at the checkout.
Postage and packing on all orders is £6.25, regardless of the number of plants ordered.
We are unable to deliver to addresses outside Great Britain and, unfortunately, this includes Northern Ireland.
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