October 2014: Potted chrysanthemum is Houseplant of the month
In October 2014 the Houseplant of the month is the potted chrysanthemum. Each month we choose a Houseplant of the month and you can also join in with this campaign. That is really easy with our free to download POS material, which you can find underneath in the link
The story of the potted chrysanthemum
Chrysanthemum means golden flower. It comes from the Greek word chrysos meaning gold and anthemon meaning flower. Many varieties are actually yellow, but potted chrysanthemums are also available in red, purple, pink, orange, white, green, bi-coloured and multi-coloured. The chrysanthemum is one of the oldest flowers which have been cultured, in China. The chrysanthemum is also really popular in Japan. The Chrysanthemum Indicum Group, which many potted chrysanthemums belong to, comes from Indonesia.
Potted chrysanthemum production
The plants naturally flower in the autumn, when the days get shorter. The plant responds to these short days by producing buds. Because the grower mimics nature in the greenhouse, the plant is available all year round. We see ball chrysanthemums especially in the autumn, as this is their natural flowering period.
What do you need to look out for when purchasing potted chrysanthemums?
• Selection. Look out for the pot size, thickness, height and number of buds which are able to flower on the plant.
• Health. The plant needs to be free of pests and diseases. If the plant is damaged or not perfect, this has often been caused by transport or storage. You can also find dead flowers or yellow leaves on the plants. Botrytis can develop if there is too much moisture between the leaves.
• Maturity. In the darker months it is important to purchase plants which are mature enough. When they don’t get much light, buds can easily fall off or not open.
• Storage temperature. A potted chrysanthemum can be cool stored at around 5°C, but for as short a time as possible. When the plant is stored too warm, it will mature quicker and is more difficult to sell. Leave the plant in its sleeve during the transport and storage phase, but watch out for a too high humidity (RV) or condensation in the cellophane.
Range of potted chrysanthemums
The range of chrysanthemums is very versatile. The range is classified by:
• Spray (more flowers per stem)
• Bloom (one flower per stem)
• Type of flower shape:
• Single flowering
• Double flowering
• Daisy-like
• Spider
• Pompon
• Separate group within the potted range of chrysanthemums::
• Bloom chrysanthemums for home or garden
• Garden mums (winter hardy chrysanthemum)
Care tips for consumers
The potted chrysanthemum is a rich and long flowering plant. Give it a light position with regular water. To keep the plant richly flowering for a long time, it needs plant food once every 3 weeks. Read the plant label first as some growers are producing plants which don’t need plant food, because this will damage the eco system in the pot. Carefully remove the dead flowers, but take care you don’t damage the buds.
Creative tips for the potted chrysanthemum
Potted chrysanthemums are frequently used around Halloween and All Saints but the plants are available all year round as a houseplant. The plants can also stand outside in the frost free months. The beautiful autumn colours combine really well with other autumn products and around Christmas they are also available in red and white to symbolize the season.
You can download the images and the poster (link) below for free.
