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Chrysanthemums have been popping up in garden stores in recent weeks. Chrysanthemums are the most popular fall flowers. Labor Day isn’t here yet, so it’s still summer. So why the rush on chrysanthemums?
I have a good friend, a former colleague, Wayne Beckwith, who hated seeing the first shipment of chrysanthemums. I think of him every time the first shipment of chrysanthemums arrives in August. To him, the chrysanthemums were a sign that not only was summer ending, but winter was also just around the corner. I know other people who feel the same about pumpkin spice coffee and beer.
The chrysanthemums sold now do not bloom all fall. They bloom in warmer temperatures and once they begin blooming, they last about two to three weeks. These chrysanthemums are available for people looking for fresh, live flowers before Labor Day.
These early chrysanthemums are just a small taste of what’s coming in the coming weeks. You’ll see chrysanthemums for sale in September wherever you buy spring flowers. In greenhouses where the chrysanthemums are grown for retail, they are grown in multiple cultures. The grower we work with grows four different chrysanthemum cultures.
Do you know what harvest you will get
The timing of the different harvests has a specific purpose. For example, chrysanthemums reach their maximum number of colorful flowers at different times in the fall. The first harvest is in August. Further harvests reach their peak in the first half of September and another later in the month. The last harvest is grown in early to mid-October to bring color.
Before you buy your chrysanthemums, consider when you want them to bloom. If you have a pot of summer flowers that are wilting, you can replace them with chrysanthemums. Remember that chrysanthemums only bloom once. They won’t bloom all season.
As we get into the September season, the different chrysanthemum crops overlap. You will see some chrysanthemums that are very colorful and have full blooms. Other chrysanthemums still have firm buds. The ones with the full blooms are for you if you need or want color right away. At the same time, you have to be aware that these chrysanthemums are reaching their blooming season and will be ready in a week or two at most.
You probably want to get the maximum flower color from your chrysanthemums for as long as possible. To do this, you should buy chrysanthemums with what are known as dense buds. You can’t see any color in these. If you are picky about color, you have to trust the label.
If you don’t trust the labels, buy chrysanthemums with the color “cracking.” This is the term we use to describe when the flower buds are just bursting open and only some of the petals are showing the color.
In the last century, we planted chrysanthemums after frosts ruined our summer flowers. That doesn’t happen anymore. Many of the flowers we plant in May can look beautiful well into October. If you want to change the look of your garden to fall, you’ll need to remove the spring flowers.
If you wait until nature takes its course and frost kills off your summer flowers, you most likely won’t find any chrysanthemums. If you want to have a beautiful show of colorful chrysanthemums in October, mark your calendar to buy them no later than the first of the month.
