 Growing Gardens
with Anita Morton
Keep your mum happy
Your chrysanthe-mum, that is. Many mums will have been given a gorgeous pot
of flowering chrysanthemums on Mother's Day, and by this time they might be starting
to look a bit past their best. Prolong flowering by snipping off the dead blooms
and by keeping your 'mum in a brightly-lit room. Keep the potting mix just moist,
and be sure not to over-water.
No matter what you do, in another week or so the flowers will be over for now.
However, it's perfectly possible to keep the plant going and get another good
show of flowers next year and for years afterwards. They can be either planted
out into the garden or kept in a pot outside - the latter is often a good choice
if your soil is clayey, as chrysanthemums need good drainage. Whether in the ground
or a pot, you will need to make sure that they are very well fertilised. These
plants are greedy feeders and won't put on a good show if not given rich soil.
Cut back the foliage quite hard when you plant them out - take off as much
as half to encourage the plant to put out bushy new growth. Keep the chrysanthemum
fairly dry through the winter, but give it a bit of extra water when growth starts
up again. Pinch out the tips of new growth in spring and summer to keep the plant
compact and promote flowering.
Be aware that many potted chrysanthemums are kept artificially small by those
cunning nurserymen. When these stunted 'mums are planted out, they can prove to
be surprisingly tall next year, so bear that in mind when choosing a spot for
them. A wire support or a few bamboo stakes and some string will keep these lanky
specimens from sprawling, and will hold the flowers up off the ground.
Lismore Garden Club News
The Lismore Garden Club's next meeting will be on Thursday, June 2, at the
home of Ron and Nita Burns in Goonellabah from 1.30pm. Visitors are most welcome.
For further details phone Ron on 6624 7422.
Crucafix orchids (epidendrum) are a very hardy and common member of the orchid
family, which are well suited to our sub-tropical climate. Anyone can grow them,
even children. Crucafix orchids rank with succulents as almost 'unkillable' in
normal garden conditions. They can be propagated from stem cuttings or offsets
('kikis'), which are usually procurable from friends or neighbours.
There is a good range of colours including red, yellow, deep pink, pale pink,
apricot and orange. They can be planted in a sunny spot in the garden with good
quality potting mix or kept in a pot. Crucafix orchids are heavy feeders and respond
well to rotted animal manure, liquid fertiliser or slow release fertiliser. If
you don't already grow them, why not give them a try? Who knows, it may be your
first step toward serious orchid growing.
Gardening tip: To make a natural fungicide use equal parts of whole milk and
canola oil and add a little bicarb soda. Emulsify with a kitchen blender.
Finally: 'If we could see the miracle of a single flower clearly, our whole
life would change.' (Buddha.)
Happy gardening
Ron Burns
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