DATE:   10/02/97 
WRITER: Bob Polomski, (864) 656-2604 
  
Chrysanthemums Make Fall More Beautiful 
  
     CLEMSON -- Each day you watch your flower garden slowly
wither, and you wonder how you can make it last. 
     Plant chrysanthemums. Nothing matches their ability to
extend the season to the first heavy freeze. 
     They flower in the shorter days of late summer and early
fall. Their blooms can be yellow, rust, red or bronze like the
leaves of a hardwood forest during autumn. White, pink and
lavender colors are also available. 
     Button, pompon, spoon, spider and daisy are only a few of
the flower forms available, and they can be used in borders, as
accent plants, or to replant containers that were filled with
summer annuals. Their long-lasting cut flowers also are a welcome
bonus to any room in your house. 
     Size differs among cultivars, but can be manipulated by the
gardener. 
     If you would like extra-large blooms, remove all of the
flower buds on the stem except for the large terminal bud in the
center of the cluster. This will greatly reduce the total number
of flowers, but the one that does open will be larger and more
showy. 
     This method, in combination with careful cultivar selection,
is used to produce the large mums you see at football games.  
      Many garden centers have a wide array of mums available in
full bloom. These mums, grown in gallon containers, can easily be
planted in a well-drained site in full sun to produce an instant
show. 
      Mums are relatively easy-to-grow perennials. However,
careful site and cultivar selection and proper cultural practices
are needed for maximum show. 
     Diseases and insects can cause problems -- especially stem
rot, powdery mildew, aphids and spider mites. Greenhouse-grown
mums received as potted plants are not hardy and won't survive
even the mildest winter. 
      If pest problems occur, consult your local Clemson
Extension agent or Master Gardener for recommended control
measures. 
     As you enjoy the mums in bloom around your neighborhood,
take note of your favorites. Perhaps you can arrange for a trade
of starts next spring, when they are divided and thinned. Or,
get the name so you can order it from a catalog to plant in your
favorite spot.  -- Bob Polomski, Clemson Extension consumer
horticulturist. 
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     If you have gardening questions or comments, write to
Agricultural News and Publications, Clemson University, A-101
Poole Agricultural Center, Box 340311, Clemson, S.C. 29634-0311.
                          END