Lesson 6
Through winter
In containers (hardy types): move to a sheltered spot, wrap pots in fleece, water sparingly. Mulch the crown with compost. They tolerate -5°C if dry at the root.
Cut spent flower stems back to 10 cm after the first hard frost. The plant goes dormant; growth resumes in March.
For tender / show varieties: lift the crown after first hard frost, knock soil off, store in trays of dry compost in a frost-free shed (3–7°C) until February.
Cuttings (the cheapest way to multiply): in March, when the stored crown produces fresh shoots, cut 5 cm 'basal' cuttings — pencil-thick, with 2 leaf pairs. Pot in gritty compost, root in 2–3 weeks at 15°C. By May you have free plants.
Spring basal cuttings — chrysanthemum propagation in 6 steps
- 1March: bring stored stools into 12–15°C and water.
- 2Within 2–3 weeks, fresh shoots emerge from the base.
- 3When shoots are 5–8 cm tall, cut each one off at soil level.
- 4Strip lower leaves; trim base just below a node.
- 5Push into a 9 cm pot of gritty seed compost; firm and water.
- 6Cover with a polythene bag, keep at 15°C; roots in 14–21 days.