Frequently Asked Questions &
Cuttings and Growing Reference

Because I grow for larger blooms, I work to a schedule throughout the year. Here's an example: Section 1 & 2 cuttings are taken in July/early August Sections 3 - 5 are taken a few weeks after that, August into September Sections 6 - 12 can be taken later Any cultivars grown as sprays can be taken into November Once you start to get into December - February it becomes difficult to keep cuttings moist and get the plants to the right stage for flowering in April/May. Chrysanthemums trigger blooming based on the change in daylight, so the later the cutting is taken, the less time for the plant to gain sufficient strength to flower well. It also means that any cuttings taken when the plant is preparing to bloom will not take root reliably. I want you to have a chance to have the best start growing your flowers, so the timings I work to will make it easier to do that.

Shipping will be a flat rate of $25 for a maximum of 20 cuttings. This is to make sure that cuttings can be handled with the right size packaging to accomodate.

I ship within Australia except WA, NT and TAS. Local pick-up is also available in Daylesford. Please select local pick-up at checkout if desired. I will then be in contact with to organise a convenient time.

Preforma plugs are a convenient and mess-free way to manage chrysanthemum cuttings! It also means I can keep packaging needs to a minimum to get your plants to you quickly and easily at a low cost. If you are looking for plants, consider becoming a member of the Victoria Chrysanthemum Society (even if you are out of state!). We hold a plant sale in October each year for members and when you become a member you will recieve free plants. It's a great way to get started with a slightly more advanced plant and lots of information to help you get growing.

As I am starting out small and I have finite space for plants, it's difficult for me to easily predict in advance what volume of cuttings I will have for each cultivar. I also want to avoid the situation where I take pre-orders and have to refund them because I cannot fulfil them. This may change into the future, but it is not likely to change in the short term.

Join my mailing list and I will give you advance warning before stock levels are updated on the website. I'll let you know what cultivars will be listed and anything you need to know about timings. If you want a combination of sections 1 & 2 and also 4 - 6 cultivars, I will list them in the second drop or later listings. You will still get good size blooms on the sections 1 & 2s but you will need to consider your stopping times to get the plant to the right size. The first drop will be for sections 1 & 2 only - please keep this in mind when ordering. I know it's annoying if you have to pay shipping twice, but it's important to make it easy for me to manage your orders and get your plants to you at the right time.

You will recieve rooted cuttings in jiffy pre-forma plugs. They will be roughly 5 - 6 weeks after the cutting had been taken, with sufficient roots to give the plant a good start at life. Cuttings are grown with minimal water added as the plugs are pre-moistened. This is to avoid damping off during the rooting phase. They are grown on heat mats at a low temperature to promote root growth during winter, indoors under humidity domes. Once they are ready, the humidity dome will be removed to help them strengthen before postage. The moisture levels of the cuttings will be checked before postage to ensure they do not dry out - but it's really important to open and check them on the day they arrive and get ready to plant.

It's really important that you plan ahead for shipping. I'll send you an advance notice so you can have everything organised. You'll need: Quality Potting Mix Small, round pots (I use garden city plastics Propagation 75mm Round Tubes) Any additional labels you wish to use A little bit of spare time to get straight onto potting! When your cuttings arrive, be ready to take them out and pot them up as soon as possible. Make sure you label them and that your labels are firmly in place. Provide them water once potted to ensure they can soak all that moisture up! Avoid fertilisers initally as the plants are still very young. You can use a very diluted seaweed fertiliser (such as Seasol) to give them a boost if they are looking a bit sad after postage. Keep them in a bright spot out of direct sunlight initially and slowly harden them off. If you are able to keep them in a greenhouse whilst they are still small, please do.

For detailed information, I strongly recommend connecting with your local chrysanthemum society so that you can draw from decades of experience from growers. These instructions are for growing larger blooms and are very high level - but you can always plant your cuttings in your garden to enjoy! When growing as sprays, the cuttings can be started later and planted differently. I don't tend to grow in that manner, so have not included instructions here for that method. Here is a high level guide: After your initial potting into small pots (ie: Propagation 75mm Round Tubes) then mark on your calendar +6 weeks. That will be the timing to move up to the next size pot. During that 6 weeks you can start adding thrive or a similar fertiliser to your fertilising/watering routine for vegetative growth. You will need to "stop" or "pinch" your plants for the first time during that period (or when potting on) to stop the growth - much in the same way you would a dahlia or zinnia to promote side shoots. Make sure you leave 5 - 6 leaf nodes for these side shoots to start. When you move onto your next pot size you can add some slow release fertiliser to your potting mix (and small amounts of blood and bone or super phosphate). Everyone has their own method here so try to learn from others and experiment. It's always a good idea to measure and write down what you are doing so you know what to repeat when it works out well. Mark on your calendar another 6 weeks for your next potting on. By now it will start to warm up so you need to make sure whilst in your smaller pots that you keep moisture up to your plants. They can be pretty hardy but this is a peak growing phase. You will also start to find that your plants need support. Bamboo stakes are perfect, and I use "softie tie" to make sure I don't damage the stems and allow for stems to grow wider whilst still providing support. Around the time you are moving onto your next pots, you will need to "stop" your plants again on those side shoots that grew after your last stop. You will select 3 - 4 main stems and remove other lower growth (except for leaves!!). You may even see them start to "break" and produce side shoots. This is good and a sign your plant is ready to be stopped, but consider stopping at a lower height. The taller your plant at this stage, the taller it is going to be when it is ready to flower and it will be much harder to work with and keep supported at that time. When you move onto your final pot, again add slow release fertiliser, blood and bone and other fertilisers to aid growth. Stake well at this stage - for sections 1 - 4 it's worth using 1.8m bamboo stakes so you have less work to do later. Your plants can still exceed this height!! Cover with shade cloth (white 30% is a good option) in December/January to protect from the harsh sun. Keep fertilising and watering regularly, and checking your supports. Switch to a flowering fertiliser in January/February with watering. In late February you will start to see buds. When you start to see colour in the buds, stop fertilising, or reduce sigificantly. When the wind picks up in March, consider covering your plants to protect the upcoming blooms from wind and rain. Keep on supporting them as they grow and make sure when your blooms are opening that you prevent them from opening on an angle staking upright. You've worked this hard all year, make sure you take the time to ensure those flowers are as good as they can be! Marvel at your hard work in April & May!

Australian Chrysanthemum Societies Chrysanthemum Society of Victoria Bendigo Goldfields Chrysanthemum Association Inc WA Chrysanthemum Society Facebook Groups Chrysanthemum Society Victoria Facebook Group Bendigo Goldfields Chrysanthemum Society Facebook Group Ron Seaton's Chrysanthemums (Ronlynn Gardens)