Specialty vegetable crops

Technical Development

Organic Chrysanthemum

Growing Organic Chrysanthemum

Cultivation Environment :

Chrysanthemum likes a warm and moist environment with plenty of sunshine. The most suitable soil is loam which is fertile, with good drainage and a pH value between 6.0~7.0.

Planting and Spacing :

Chrysanthemum can propagate by division or cutting. Produce seedlings by cutting in warm spring (February to March) and transplant the seedlings after 4 weeks.

Planting space should be about 24 cm x 40 cm.

Application of Fertilizer and Management :

Basal dressing :	Apply 1,000 kg of mature compost to each d.c.

Top dressing :	After transplanting, apply properly diluted liquid organic fertilizer (N:P:K=5:1:1) once every two weeks. Do it twice. After that, apply peanut cake and bone meal both in the amount of 45 kg to each d.c. to the sides of the plants once a month until flower buds begin to develop. Intertilled weeding and earthing up are done at each top dressing.

Pinching :	From transplanting up to early September, perform pinching (removing the terminal buds) three to four times to facilitate the growth of the lateral buds and increase the number of branches and inflorescences.

Others :	Support the flowers with bamboo sticks and nets. Ensure suitable moisture for the cultivation soil throughout the growing period. Avoid waterlogging and pay special attention to pest control.

Harvesting :

The flower buds need about one month and more to mature into flowers. Harvest shortly before the flowers are in full bloom. Start the processes of air-drying, steaming and sun-drying immediately to turn the freshly harvested flowers into dried chrysanthemum.

Dried chrysanthemum buds can be prepared by similar processes.

Keeping Strong Plants for Reproduction:

After harvesting, keep the strong plants. Cut away the branches and stems which are above ground. Apply 3 - 6 cm of mature compost on top and cover with soil. After the dormancy period over the winter, use the shoots sprouted in spring for reproduction by cutting or division. Keep the soil slightly moist for the plants during the wintering stage.

Horticulture Section, AFCD

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