Brighten Your Garden By Mulching
Sunday, August 2nd, 2009Mulching not only protects the shallow roots of Chrysanthemums from the heat but keeps the soil cool and holds the moisture. It protects the lower leaves from soil splashing when rain falls. Soil splashed on the leaves looks untidy besides encouraging foliar nematodes. Mulching keeps down weeds and cultivation is unnecessary. Any material that does not pack and permits air penetration is good for mulching. I do not like peat because it forms a mat on top and water enters with difficulty.
Feeding may be carried out with the watering program. Each two or three weeks is often enough to feed if the beds were well enriched before planting. I use a 5-10-5 commercial fertilizer, follow directions in mixing and apply soon after watering the plot. Fertilizer applied to dry roots will burn them. Some growers apply a two-inch top dressing of manure in July, repeat the process in August, again in September and that is the end of their feeding. They grow fine mums. Because it is trouble to remove the mulch and replace it, and because well-rotted barnyard fertilizer is not easy to get. I use the commercial product. In any case feeding should stop when color shows, otherwise the bloom is likely to be soft and of poor quality.