Evergreen Chrysanthemum Association

EVERGREEN CHRYSANTHEMUM ASSOCIATION
Seattle, Washington
www.ECAmumclub.org

Jim Anshutz,Secretary

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

MEETING OF THE ECA – THURSDAY January 12, 2012 at 7 PM at the Seattle Police Athletic Association Office (SPAA) site at 11030 East Marginal Way South, Tukwila. Lots to discuss as we begin the New Year.

Dates of Spring sale and fall show.

Bob Ewing reports that the Miller Library will pass out information about our spring plant sale at the NW Flower and Garden Show at the Convention Center in early February. Bob is exploring with Furney’s a date of Saturday, April 14 for our spring sale and he will report on his findings at the January meeting. Other key ECA dates, including the Fall show and tour/picnic and Board Meeting are yet to be set/confirmed and will also be discussed at the meeting.

2012 Club Dues Reminder:
Please bring your check or cash to the January meeting to pay your 2012 Club Dues. (You may also pay dues by writing a check to the “ECA” and mailing it to Chris Brookes. Dues are $15/member or $20/couple. Paying in January helps us finalize our Annual ECA Roster for our Club and makes Chris’s job as treasurer more manageable.

2012 OFFICER/BOARD MEMBER SLATE

We will elect officers/board members at the January meeting. Nominations for Officers and Trustees for 2012 are as follows:
 
        OFFICERS:
 
       President:           Sydney Ogilvie         
       Vice President:    John Harden   `
        Secretary:           Nancy Halleen
        Treasurer:           Chris Brookes
        Past President     Ron Elliott
     
        Trustees:             3 Year Term   Don Stark – Bob Ewing                              
                                   2 Year Term      Jill Aldrich           - Larry Mayer 
                                   1 Year Term      Steve Backstrom – Mike Kubo
      .
            Cultural:                 Mark Ross,   Don Stark,   David Rynes. 
            Membership:          Bob Ewing
            Show Committee:   Don Stark,     John Harden (Co)

Special thanks to Nancy for agreeing to take over the duties of Secretary as I get ready for a new hip!

Supplies At January Meeting
Make sure to call Don if you have items you need. M & R mix needs must be know in advance of the meeting by calling Don. Price is $5.50 per bag)   Also we will have available:  2 1/2″ cross bottom starting bands and lots of tags.   Fertilizer will come along at the Feb. meeting. 

.January to-do List – (Revised 1/2/06, DRS)
Success for the upcoming growing season begins with the taking of new cuttings needed for ourselves, other club members and for the upcoming public plant sales. Taking the cuttings and potting on the newly rooted cuttings are the major January activities. Hopefully we have kept last years’ stools alive and have added some 20-10-20.fertilizer. At 55 to 60 Deg room temp. our stools should now be producing the strong shoots we need.
Timing:
-Cuttings for classes #1 and #3 should be taken in late Dec. and all of January.
-Most #2 varieties are started throughout January: but Keith Luxford, Ivor Mace and
James Bryant should be started in Dec. or early January, if the stools are far enough
along to produce healthy cuttings.
-Cuttings of classes #4, #5, #14’ & #15 are usually started in late Jan. or Feb.
-Plants to be grown for Specimens (11 or more blooms) should generally be
started earlier, Nov. Dec, or Early Jan. for example.
Spiders Quills and spoons are also good candidates for January starts.

The cutting bed should be a flat four-sided box with heating cable, mat or other devices for heating the cutting medium. The box should be at least 18 in wide so that it can hold 1 or more of the 17 in by 9 in. flats. An overhead Fluorescent lamp such as a 4-foot, two-bulb shop light will provide needed light supplement for the new cuttings. Plantgrow or GrowLux bulbs are good but expensive and simple white bulbs seem to work adequately. Fill the box with 2 ½ to 3 inches of cutting media and provide heating controls to maintain the required temperature.
– Cutting bed media -A 50-50 mix washed sand and peat moss
– Cutting bed Temp -65 to 70 deg F.
Taking the cuttings:
We offer two different methods for handling the initial cuttings:
1. Place the cutting directly in the cutting bed media, maintain cutting bed heat at 65 deg
(In approximately 4 weeks the new cuttings will have roots 1 in. long and are ready to
be transplanted into 2 ½ or 3 inch pots.)
2. Fill the 2 ½ in cross bottom bands with our standard M&R growing mix. Set these
bands directly on top of the cutting media and insert your cuttings directly into the
M&R mix. Maintain cutting bed Temp at 70 deg. In 5-6 weeks the cutting should be
ready for transplanting into 4 in pots.)

The cuttings should be from 1 ½ to 2 inches long with the cut off or break at the bottom of a leaf node. It is recommended to dip each cutting into a mild insecticide/fungicide solution (1/4strength). Then dip the base into Rootone or other rooting hormone before setting the cutting into the growing media.
Cover the newly taken cuttings with a glass or clear plastic cover for up to 3 days after taking the cuttings. Leave some room under the cover so that air can get in and circulate around a bit.
Keep the cuttings moist. Don’t let the bottom of the bed dry out

Place a plant label with each cutting Label should contain the name and classification of the cutting, the date of the cutting and the grower’s initials. For example
Charlie’s Mum, (1Y)
DRS, 12/30/05

by Ivor Mace & Paul Barlow. Learn more. Want to improve your mum growing? These gents are some of the best and most experienced growers and frequent show winners.

EVERGREEN CHRYSANTHEMUM ASSOCIATION
Seattle, Washington
ECAmumclub.org

Jim Anshutz, Secretary

HAPPY HOLIDAYS

MEETING OF THE ECA – Thursday December 8th at 7 PM. Seattle Police Athletic Association Office (SPAA) site at 11030 East Marginal Way South, Tukwila, WA.

NOMINATION OF 2011 CLUB OFFICERS – The December meeting includes the election of officers for the upcoming year. Assuming incumbents are willing to serve another year – here is the current slate and positions we need to fill –as noted by “vacant”.

Offices :

Sydney Ogilvie President
John Harden Vice President
Jim Anshutz Secretary
Chris Brookes Treasurer
Past President Ron Elliott
Cultural Inst Mark Ross

Trustees 3 year term: vacant & vacant (with Don Stark agreeing to fill one the two vacancies)

2 year term: Jill Aldrich, Larry Mayer

1 year term: Vacant & vacant

Nominations are encouraged from the floor at the December meeting for all officer and trustee positions. It is up to all of us to rotate as officers periodically to provide the club fresh ideas and new perspectives.

Awards Banquet

We had record attendance at our annual awards banquet and had a good time with good food and friends. Many thanks to everyone who made it a success; the food was good (see Seattle Times food review in the December 2 paper noting Angelo’s as one of the best family-Italian restaurant in Seattle) and the trophies looked bright and shiny.

2011 CLUB DUES – Members are encouraged to pay dues for 2011. Annual dues are $15/member or $20/couple. Checks made out to the ECA or cash should be given to Chris Brooks, ECA Treasurer.

If you wish to continue receiving the Newsletters and “To Do” Lists, I encourage you to pay your dues for 2012 by January, so you are not dropped from our Database. The ECA By-Laws, Article 1, states that fees are due no later than the March meeting for members who have paid dues in 2011.

DECEMBER MEETING CULTURAL NOTES

The cultural for the December meeting will include a review of the last growing season and cultivars response, planning for the upcoming 2012 growing season, and getting new plant starts growing well.

I’m looking forward to seeing everyone at the December meeting. Come and vote for your choice of Officers for 2012!

Attached is the “To Do List for December”. I’ve also added Don Stark’s recommended top ten mum varieties that he gave us for 2010. (Don is working on an update to this list.)

Have a Merry Christmas/wonderful holiday season and hope to see you
Thursday and in the New Year!

Jim Anshutz, Secretary

DECEMBER TO DO LIST – (adapted from DRS 12/03/98 notes, Modified ll/26/04)

Success for the upcoming year begins with the care of our stock to produce the quality cuttings needed for other members, our club plant sales and ourselves. It is important that you identify your best plants of each variety and try to get your cuttings from those plants. Weak or diseased plants should be destroyed. Get a new start from another member at the plant sale if your stock is weak.

Cultivars in classes #1, #3 and#4 are usually started in late Dec. and January. The #1 varieties such as Jessie Habgood, Gigantics, Mark Woolman, Dukes and Lancaster Fold need early starts and so do the Fairweather family of #3’s. Most #2’s can be started January. Cultivar classes #4 & #5 and 14 & 15”s are usually started in Feb and March. Plants to be grown for specimen (10 or more blooms) should be started ASAP. In spite of the above suggestions for starting times. It is always a good idea to wait on the cuttings till they are ready. Cuttings should be 1” to 2” and growing vigorously.

PREPARING STOOLS FOR CUTTINGS
+ Keep pots outside and sheltered from the wind, cold, rain and slugs. It is
important for the plant stool to chill and remain relatively dry during its
dormant period until 2-4 weeks before you want to start taking cuttings.
The chilling period will produce much stronger cuttings for the next
growing cycle.
+ Protect stools from hard freezing (less than 28 degrees). Most plants
can stand a night or more of freezing temperatures but three
consecutive hard freezing nights will probably kill all but the hardiest
cultivars. During severe cold snaps a garage, shed, greenhouse, or
a tarp can be used temporarily to protect the plants until the cold
subsides.
+ Two to four weeks before the desired cutting-time bring pot stools
into heated area (60 degrees for example) and feed with a
nitrogen fertilizer such as Miracle-Grow to stimulate new growth.

TAKING CUTTINGS
+ The recommended cutting media is a 50% sand 50% Peat Moss.
However, I and others have recently switched to starting in the
M&R soilless mix that we pot into for the rest of the year. I start
Right in the 2 ½ or 3 inch pots and set them in or on the bed of
Sand in my cutting bed. I also start some of the later varieties
Directly in the 2 ½ plastic cubes that we use mostly for plant sales.
+ The cutting bed temperature should be maintained at 65F.
+ Cover the newly taken cuttings with a glass or clear plastic cover
for the 3 days after taking the cutting.
+ Cuttings should be from 1 ½ to 2 inches long with the cutoff or
break at a leaf node.
+ It is recommended to dip cuttings in a mild insecticide/fungicide
solution before setting the new cutting in the cutting media.
+ Cover the newly taken cuttings with a glass or clear plastic cover
for up to three days after taking the cuttings. Leave some room
under the cover so that air can get in and circulate around a bit.
+ Provide overhead light for the new cuttings. A 4-foot fluorescent
shop light with Growlux bulbs works great.

Don Stark’s Top Ten Mum Varieties (prepared for 2010)
1. Connie Mayhew is a #2 yellow that everyone should grow. Ed
Pawlowski has won best bloom open classes with it.

2. Len Hall is a #3 pink incurve that is reliable and in his opinion
the best #3 in our club.
3. Port Stanley is a #5 yellow incurving bloom with good form and
Color that does well with 4-5 blooms per plant.
4. Lundy and Yellow Lundy are #2 reflex varieties and in his view
the best #2 blooms in our club. You will love the yellow and the
white is brilliant. These are winners.
5. Seychelles is a #2 dark pink reflex that is big with good form
and likes a lot of fertilizer. Don Stark won best in show with a Seychelles in 2008.
6. Fairweather family (Pink, White, Salmon, Primrose Yellow)
Produces all good #3 incurves. The Primrose and yellow varieties are new and very healthy and vigorous.
7. Ralph and Yellow Ralph Lambert are #1 bronze and yellow
reflex varieties that are easy to grow two up.
8. Alexis and Apricot Alexis #5 pink and apricot varieties that you
will love to grow.
9. Stan Addison is a good #5 new comer, it grows fairly big as a
#5 when grown 2 or 3 blooms, and can be grown successfully
as a #3 when grown 5 to 7 blooms per plant.
10. Vienna Waltz is a #10 purple spider that is one of the clubs
best varieties in this class. It blooms on time, beautiful and a
winner.

EVERGREEN CHRYSANTHEMUM ASSOCIATION
Seattle, Washington

SHOWTIME

Ecamumclub.org
Jim Anshutz, Sec.

MEETING OF THE E.C.A. –THURSDAY October 13, 2011 at 7 PM at the Seattle
at the Seattle Police Athletic Association Office at 11030 East Marginal Way South, Tukwila. This is an important meeting as we develop plans for our annual mum show and confirm plans for our award banquet.

ANNUAL FLOWER SHOW – The E.C.A. annual flower show will held at Furney’s Nursery, 21215 International Blvd. Pacific Highway (99). Telephone: 206-878-8761.
on
• Friday October 28th from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m.
• Saturday, October 29th from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., and
• Sunday, October 30th from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Show set up will be Wednesday, October 26th at 1 p.m.

Please bring your flowers in Thursday. For late entries, Furney’s will have a staff member there at 7 a.m. Friday morning (Oct 28th) and Show judging will begin at 9 a.m.

Members: We need all members to attend & volunteer to help with the Show even if you don’t have any flowers to enter. We need Judge’s Helpers and Hosting on Fri, Sat. and Sunday. The Show provides a great way to get to know Club members and learn more about Chrysanthemums.

At our OCTOBER MEETING we will discuss details for setting up our show, entering blooms/plants and handling the mechanics of judging and staffing our event. Again, we need everyone’s help to make this year’s show a spectacular event. Assignments will be discussed and made at the Oct. meeting.

Kudos to Becky Cox for sending out a letter and flyer to 30 newspapers about the Show. Furney’s will contact Cisco a week before the show to announce it on his radio show. Lots of flyers have been distributed so we hope to have a big crowd!

If you have any questions about the show, please call Ron Elliott our Show Steward.
We’ll have copies of the show rules, entry form and name tags for the show at Furney’s (and hopefully at our Oct. meeting).

TROPHIES:

Last year’s Trophy winners please bring your clean trophies and give them to
Ron Elliott who will prepare them for this year’s Awards Banquet. If you have not given Ron Elliott your trophy yet please contact him
to make arrangements.

ANNUAL AWARDS BANQUET: – The E.C.A. annual awards dinner is in lieu of the November meeting and will be held at Angelo’s, 601 SW 153rd, Burien, WA. Come at 6:00 PM for the Social Hour, Dinner at 7:00 PM. Everyone is welcome to enjoy an evening with good friends, good conversation and an excellent dinner. Put it on your Calendar Thursday November 10th 6-9 PM. Dinner choices this year are Ribeye Steak, Chicken or a Vegetable Lasagna. Dinner this year will cost $20/person (assuming that the Club will once again pick up dinner costs above $20/person plus the tip.) A sign –up sheet where you list your meal preference will be available at the October Meeting as well as at Furney’s Nursery during the Flower Show. Please pay the $20/person dinner cost to Chris Brookes at the October meeting (checks made out to ECA). Steve Backstrom will again coordinate this event and will be able accept late signups by phone or email. If you have any questions regarding the Banquet Contact Steve.

Also bring your late maturing blooms for display at the E. C. A. awards dinner.

PLANT CULTURE– The October meeting will be devoted to the care and how to prepare your mums for the show. Cultural recommendations are attached. With possible rain or showers consider your sheltering options for your Plants.

December Meeting – ELECTIONS OF NEXT YEAR’S CLUB OFFICERS:

We’re rapidly approaching the time once again to vote for 2012 ECA Board of Directors/Officers. Recent members are encouraged to fill positions and get involved; seasoned club members will provide assistance. Members will vote on new Officers during our Dec. 8th meeting.

See you at the Flower Show

Note: Don Stark has suggested that the step 3 below be modified to reflect how to cut blooms for the show from advice from Cisco Morris:
Start by cutting the flowers early in the morning. That’s when the cells in the stems contain the most water.
Cut at a slant and immediately put the stems in lukewarm water. Remove any leaves that would be under water, then recut the stem under water. That removes the air bubbles that cling to the end of the stem and impede water uptake. Some further Don Stark advice: Water your plant the night before you cut the blooms.

Don also suggests the following modifications to the material below: 2. When to cut blooms: Incurves (# 3’s), 3-4 days prior to the judging. Most others, 2 days prior to the judging.

OCTOBER TO DO LIST – (adapted from Don Stark 9/98 notes)

This month the focus is finishing the blooms, and preparing them for transport to the show, and the grooming and presentation of the blooms for the show.

1. Care and Feeding
• Get support sticks under the blooms to keep them upright. A cocked bloom is discounted severely by the judges.
• Watch for aphids. Spray blooms with a very fine mist of liquid Diazinon or Nicotine Sulfate if aphids appear. Repeat every 3 to 4 days for 3 sprayings. Do not let direct sunlight hit the blooms you have sprayed till they are dry.
• Watch for and destroy earwigs. If you see petals with holes in them, you will also see telltale small terds from the earwigs. Poke around in the bloom and you will probably find the earwig holed up inside the petals. Dig him out and crush him.
• Water and feed plants sparingly. Stark does his watering with a 1-pint coffee can. Feed at approximately ½ the recommended dosage at each watering. Note, you are not watering per se, but feeding with a half-diluted solution each time the plant needs a drink. Water sparingly, preferably around 5pm (Note Bob Walker believes plants should be watered early in the day).

2. Getting Ready for the Show

• As show time approaches, you can speed up bloom development by supplemental heat (electric heaters) in the finishing areas.
• Cut the blooms 1 to 2 days before judging. (See Don’s advice above about cutting stems). Cut the stems approximately 20 inches long and immerse the stem in a bucket of water immediately. After a few minutes, make a second cut one-inch off the end of the stem under water. Let the bloom set a few more minutes, then move to a vase or other water container for transport to the show. Following this procedure, your bloom will hold up well for up to a week. The key is the second cutting under water.
• After the stem has set in water for a few minutes, remove the stem from the water and dry with a paper towel and turn the bloom upside down. Pull out all damaged or browned off petals, reset the support stake to get the bloom upright and return to the water.

3. Show Materials
• show materials will be distributed at the October meeting. You will need entry forms, bloom tags, and a show rules book to show you how you can enter your blooms.
• The following page is a show entry outline to help guide you through the show catalog contained in the show rules. Do not be afraid to ask for help in getting your blooms ready and entered.
• Good luck

EVERGREEN CHRYSANTHEMUM ASSOCIATION
Seattle, Washington
ECAmumclub.org

Jim Anshutz,Secretary

MEETING OF THE ECA – THURSDAY September 8th, 2011 at 7 PM at the Seattle Police Athletic Association Office (SPAA) site at 11030 East Marginal Way South, Tukwila.

ANNUAL GARDEN TOUR – The annual garden tour and picnic was Sunday August 14th.
Kubota Gardens was spectacular: a must see!! Great coffee and fellowship at Mary Lou & Bob Ewings and a tour of the gardens at Wesley Terrace. We finished up with an awesome picnic @ Janet & Mark Ross’ home. Great Food & fun.

SEPTEMBER MEETING: This is a very important meeting as we begin to prepare for our annual show October 29 and 30st with set up on October 28. The annual show will be held again at Furney’s Nursery, 21215 International, Blvd. and Pacific Hwy. S.

We will also discuss our exhibit and staffing for our club booth at the Aki Matsuri festival. The Aki Matsuri (Fall Festival) will be held September 10th and 11th at Bellevue College. For those of you with flowers or plants that we can display, please bring them to the September 8 meeting. We will be setting up our exhibit on Friday, September 9 so please also bring the club membership and notice of plant sale cards, the picture boards and a few vases for displaying flowers to the Thursday, September 8 meeting so they can be taken to set up at Bellevue College. We will also be calling Don, Mark, Mike Kubo, Bob and others to remind them to bring these items to our September 8 meeting.)

We need volunteers to take 2-3 hour shifts at our Aki Matusi table on Saturday and Sunday. This year’s schedule is Saturday, September 10 from 10am – 6 pm and Sunday, September 11 from 10-4:30. There will be a sign up sheet at the September meeting or email me with your willingness to help staff our booth.

Thanks to LAST YEAR’S VOLUNTEER Ron Elliott for agreeing to do the take down and to those members who have flowers/plants to show.

Directions to BCC (take 148th Ave SE Exit from I-90, get in left lane on 148th SE and turn into Bellevue College ) and a map of the Campus are available at the BCC website.
(Look for building G)

Again, for those who already have mature blooms, consider displaying them at Aki Matusi or entering them in the Puyallup Fair.

For information about the Puyallup Fair, go to HYPERLINK http://www.thefair.comwww.thefair.com on the internet. This year’s Chrysanthemum show is on September 24.

.PLANT CULTURE and SUPPLIES: – The September meeting will devote time to the care and feeding of the blooms as they develop; Club supplies will be available, place orders for specific items with Mark Ross. Cultural recommendations are attached. With possible rain or showers consider your sheltering options for September as we move to the latter part of the growing season.

SAVING PLANTS FROM DAMAGING FREEZING WEATHER

Chris Brooks wanted to share some information that could be of great assistance to members in over-wintering plants. As Chris noted many members loose plant stock during the winter because they keep everything in unheated greenhouses and sheds. None of us want to heat such poorly insulated spaces but would like to have a way of putting on that little bit of heat for a short while when temperatures approach 32 degrees F. Heaters that go as low are simply not available. Don Stark has solved the problem by plugging a heater into a portable waterproof thermostat which can be set to turn on and off anywhere above 30 degrees F. Such thermostats are not easy to find and are not cheap—often more than $75 around here. Chris found a good source out of state at Farmteck 1-800-327-6835. They sell such thermostats for $49.95. Chris states they stock about everything you would want for a farm or garden and suggests it would be pay to combine orders since their minimum shipping charges are $13. Chris suggests we discuss this at a future meeting.

SEPTEMBER TO DO LIST – (adapted from Don Stark 9/98 notes)

Once the buds have broken the membrane and some petal tips are showing, it is time to get the pots into or under some kind of shelter. The basic idea is to protect the blooms from rain and dew. If rain or dew is present when the sun strikes, you will almost certainly burn the florets. Shelters come in a variety of sizes, names, and shapes including porches, large overhanging eaves, garages, greenhouses, and temporary wood and plastic structures.

Sheltering Plants During the Bloom Cycle Starting September 1
Shelter requirements are daytime light (though it can be shady), ventilation, and temperature control.
Maximum temperature should be kept below 80 degrees F if possible. Above that temperature the probability of bloom damage due to petal rot is high. If the shelter is exposed to too much sun in the early Sept days, the temperature within the shelter can skyrocket.
Big fans keep the air moving and the temperature down. Fans also hopefully can bring air from a shady side of the shelter to cool the overall area as well.
Lining the inside of the shelter with old sheets or muslin will also reduce the heat and filter the sunlight.

Bring Pots Into Cover
Wash the pots to get rid of the crud and residue from the growing area.
Pick off old dead and damaged leaves (mostly at the bottom of the plant) that harbor pests and fungus.
Spray the plant with a fungicide and insecticide before taking to the shelter.
Watch for and destroy earwigs. They wreck blooms when they get inside.
Top-dress the pots again. Put about ½ to ¾” of the 9-Inch mix or Soilless mix on the surface of the pot and level it. Top-dressing the plants helps finish plant growth now and also promotes shoots on the plant stools for our next growing season.
Optionally, add ¼ teaspoon FeSo4 to enhance color. Do not add to plants with white or yellow blooms.
Add ¼ teaspoon of Potash to help harden off the plant and keep the blooms from being too soft.

Plant Clean Up and Cut Back to Final Lateral Count
As the plant goes to shelter, if not already done, cut back to the final lateral count selecting the best overall laterals. For #1’s keep 1 or 2 blooms per plant, #2’s keep 2 blooms per plant, #3’s and others excluding specimen plants keep 2 to 5 blooms per plant.
Stake and tie up the selected laterals and add support shingles for the blooms as you house the plant.
Remove or pick off the side laterals on the selected stems.

Fertilizing & Watering
For late season fertilizing, reduce fertilizer to ½ strength for 2-3 weeks. After the petals start to fall, gradually increase feed. Switch to a higher potash fertilizer along the lines of a 15-10-30 or other bloom feeder fertilizer and go lightly.
Watering is different at this stage as the plants are kept a little dryer at this stage. Water plants more sparingly, using about 1 pint per watering. Do not water when the temperature exceeds 75F.
There are two schools of thought as to the best time of day to water. Previous year cultural notes recommend to water in the evening as the day is cooling down to help avoid sending the plant sap to the blooms in heat of day and blowing out or cracking the bloom neck. Bob Walker recommends watering in the early part of the day.
Water/fertilize from a bucket using a 1-pint jar or similar small container. Do not use the hose and spread water everywhere on the shelter floor. Keep the finishing area dry and clean.

EVERGREEN CHRYSANTHEMUM ASSOCIATION
Seattle, Washington
Ecamumclub.org

Jim Anshutz, Secretary

ANNUAL GARDEN TOUR AND POT LUCK PICNIC
AUGUST 14TH, 2011

2011 GARDEN TOUR – The annual ECA garden tour and Picnic is scheduled for Sunday, August 14th.

This year’s tour features a special tour of Seattle’s Kubota Gardens (9 a.m.)—bring water since there are no drinking fountains); a tour of Bob Ewing’s mums and gardens at Wesley Gardens (11-12) and concludes at Mark and Janet Ross’s home where we’ll tour Mark Ross’s garden and enjoy hamburgers and hot dogs as well as pot luck dishes brought by our members (please bring your favorite folding chair if you have one since the seating is needed for the picnic). Tour directions are on pages 3-4.

As of our July meeting, 21 persons had signed up for the tour/potluck. Anyone needing a ride or who wishes to carpool, please call or email Steve Backstrom. The potluck signup sheet (salad, main dish or dessert) as of August 1 is on the last page of the Tour Directions.

Sad News

I’m sorry to report that Jill Aldrich lost her mother who passed away on June 15. I sent a card to Jill on behalf of the Club and I hope you will also express condolences to Jill.

Aki Matsuri:

The 2011 Japanese cultural heritage festival Aki Matsuri will be held at Bellevue College on Saturday, Sept 10th & Sunday, Sept. 11 at Bellevue College. (Go to www.enma.org to see information about this year’s event and directions.). This event is well attended and has been a good way to recruit Club members, help make our spring plant sales successful (we have people address post cards notifying them of our sale) and helps publicize our fall show.

Jim Anshutz has helped organize this event the last two years but will be out of town this year so we need a volunteer to take charge of recruiting and scheduling volunteers for the event, to help set up our booth (done Friday afternoon, September 9th–). Setting up the booth involves getting our Club easels/picture boards, postcards notifying addressees of our Spring sale, membership materials, plants/blooms for the two tables (with chairs) that Aki Masuri folks provide for us.

We also need volunteers to staff our booth or Saturday September 10th from 10 a.m, – 6 p.m. (as of now, only Tashiye Goff has volunteered for a Saturday shift) and volunteers for Sunday shifts 10-4:30 and then a volunteer to take down the booth Sunday afternoon (after 4 p.m.). We’ll also need members to provide blooms/plants for our booth. Last year Bob Ewing and Don Stark had the postcard notices, easels and club pictures and several members contributed blooms and plants. Hopefully we can discuss this at our picnic meeting and we’ll have one last ECA Club meeting on September 8 –the day before set up.

We expect that there will be lots of publicity for this year’s event as people collect monies for disaster relief and strong attendance is expected.

PLANT CULTURE and SUPPLIES: – Place orders for specific items with Mark Ross. Cultural recommendations are attached for August and September. It is time to consider your sheltering options for September as we move to the latter part of the growing season.

Other Member Notices

Happy Anniversary 55th for Bob and Mary Lou Ewing. August 4th

CONGRATULATONS

Happy Birthday to Ed Pawlowski.

Upcoming Puyallup Fair:

Chrysanthemums are featured on Saturday, September 24, 2011. Go to the Fair’s web site HYPERLINK “http://www.thefair.com” www.thefair.com . If you are interested in displaying at the fair, go to web site, click on Fair, then Exhibit Entries (bottom left side of page), and then click on Floral. You may be required to make online entry for by September 7 (if their online instructions are accurate).

As a reminder, please send any email address or postal address changes to Jim Anshutz. To receive future monthly notices by email only rather than US mail, please send an e-mail to Jim.

Directions – Sunday, August 14, 2011 Garden Tour
Stop 1 –Meet at 9 a.m. at the parking lot of Kubota Gardens. Their website has directions and has information about the history of the garden and other information.
Please bring some water for yourself since this park doesn’t have drinking fountains. The garden is located at Renton Avenue S. and 55th Avenue South in the Rainier Beach neighborhood of South Seattle (the street address is 9817 55th Ave S. Seattle,Wa.). There will be two docents to lead the tour.

 Directions From the North
On I-5, leave the freeway at Pacific Highway South/East Marginal Way, Exit 158
Turn left toward Martin Luther King, Jr. Way; continue up the hill on Ryan Way
Turn left on 51st Avenue South
Turn right on Renton Avenue South
Turn right on 55th Avenue South to parking lot
Directions From the South
On I-5, leave the freeway at Martin Luther King Jr., Exit 157.
Stay on Martin Luther King, Jr. Way
Turn right on Ryan Way
Turn left on 51st Avenue South
Turn right on Renton Avenue South
Turn right on 55th Avenue South to parking lot

Stop 2 – Wesley Gardens

We expect to meet at Wesley Gardens at around 11 A.M. We’ll take refreshments at Bob and Mary Lou Ewing’s cottage and then take a tour of their garden the see Bob’s main mum garden which is close by.

Stop 3 – Potluck Picnic Location – Mark and Janet Ross’s House. We expect to arrive around 12:30.

August 14 Potluck Signup Sheet from July Meeting 

                                      Number 
                                     Attending           Bringing

Steve  Backstrom           2                    Desert
Chris   Brookes               2                   Salad
Sydney Ogilvie                2                    Salad
Richard Pozniak             2                     still deciding
Don Stark                        2                     Main dish
Mary Nolting                    1                     Desert
Ann Schreibe                  1                     Salad
Bob Ewing                       2                     Main Dish
Becky Cox                                              Desert
Ronnie Elliott                    2                    Salad, desert
Nancy Halleen                                        Salad, desert
Randal Tanabe                1                    Main dish
Joan O’Sullivan                1                    Salad
Janet Anderson               1                    Salad

EVERGREEN MUM CLUB Rev Aug 3, 2010 drs
Revised feeding Program for Bloom Cycle

By mid August, after the buds are taken, it’s time to revise our feeding program. We will be switching to new formulation that is much higher potash content and reducing the amount of feed through the bloom cycle. Here’s the plan:

1. As soon as the bud has been taken, reduce your feeding level to ½ what you have been using. If you have been feeding really heavily, you might have to reduce further. A good position at this time is ½ tsp per gal of water once a week.
2. Starting mid Aug. we do two things. First feed each pot ½ tsp granular potash and 2 weeks later repeat with 1/4 tsp potash.
-When the buds break in late Aug or Sept, it’s time to change to a new fertilizer formulation with higher potash concentration. This will harden off the plants and promote better bloom development. We have been unable to find the old standby’s 15-10-45 or 20-5-30 so here’s the new recommendations for late feeding.

Liquid feeding formulation
- 1/2 tsp of the standard 20-9-20 plus ¼ tsp Sulfate of potash fertilizer per gallon of water.
Note:, the sulfate of potash doesn’t dissolve readily, so you might try mixing it with a small amount of hot water and letting it set overnight.
-Watering: The plants wont require as much water during this cycle, so you should apply only a pint of water per pot. Likewise, only a pint of your liquid fertilizer mix at a time
- after the bloom petals have emerged and dropped 1 ½ to 2 inches you may want to increase the feed by feeding more often than once a week., but use caution because you can blow the blooms with too much fertilizer

AUGUST TO DO LIST – Revised July 2005 by Don Stark and Bob Walker

August is a major growing month. Continue with the watering, feeding, and pest control programs noted in the July newsletter. l The appearance of bud color, especially for the early cultivars, signals a shift to the late season feeding program. Flush the pots at least once during the month to reduce the accumulation of fertilizer salts in the pot. Disbudding is the primary cultural activity for the first half of August. Stake and reduce the number of laterals as the buds appear and are secured. Experience suggests there is no way to get too much support for laterals and blooms. Top-dress the plants with fresh potting mix to assure maximum plant growth now and new shoots for next season.

Staking and Lateral Control

Surplus laterals are removed as the buds are firmly established for all varieties with the exception of incurves (classes 3, 13, and 23) and some intermediate types (classes 5, 15, and 25), which are culled in early September. With 2 ½ months until the ECA show, it may be conservative to wait a few more weeks for the final reduction in the event of bug damage, wind, or accidents.
Reduce the number of laterals to the final count as listed below. For early varieties follow last number, ex. #14 and #24 use #4.
For #1 and #2 cultivars, carry 1 or 2 laterals.
For #3 cultivars, carry up to 5 laterals, cull to 3 in Sept.
For #4 cultivars, carry 2 or 3 laterals.
For #5 cultivars, carry 2 to 5 laterals.

All laterals should be individually staked Fasten the laterals with “twist’ems”. If the laterals are not staked or otherwise supported, they break off with rain or breeze and also grow crooked, making the resulting bloom difficult or impossible to enter in shows.

Blooms and Bloom Support

Watch for buds and secure them as they appear. Most buds appear by August 15. Look for “rabbit-ear” leaves below the bud and laterals forming at leaf axils. As the bud reaches about ¼ inch, or the size of a small pea, it should be secured by removing the ring of side buds and the other side shoots that may appear in the leaf axils below. Keep those new laterals removed. This grooming of the selected laterals will require regular and sometimes daily attention.
Prepare strips of wood 16-18 inches long and 3/8” wide made from shingles, shakes, or ¼” plywood. Stain them green preferably. These are used to support each bloom and are secured with two “twist’ems”. Place them on the bud/lateral as the bud over-grows the stakes to protect the lateral and bud, to keep the lateral growing straight, to support the bloom, and keep the bud horizontal. A “cocked” bloom will never win a blue ribbon.

Feeding & Top-Dressing

Top-dress the pots in early August and again when the buds show color, about September 1-15. Put about 1 handful of compost or Soil less mix on the surface of the pot and level it each time you top-dress.
Water thoroughly when you water and then almost dry out the plant before watering again. If plants are yellow, first try drying them out. If drying out fails, feed ½ teaspoon Epsom salts per plant or carefully use of one of the liquid iron solutions.
Continue fertilizing until buds appear with the mid season fertilizer program as described in the July to-do list.
Flush the pots once per month to prevent fertilizer salts build-up.
The appearance of the bud especially for the early cultivars, also signals a shift to the late season feeding program. When the buds appear, stop or reduce feeding ½ strength for 1-2 weeks and water the plants more sparingly. At this stage it’s time to change the feeding program to a late season fertilizer. Either switch to a high potash fertilizer (15-11-29) or continue with the 20-10-20/20-9-20+ fertilizer and add approximately15 % by volume of Murate of Potash. In either case continue to fertilize at ½ to 2/3tsp per gal of water.

Pest Management and Housing

Review your pest management program every two weeks and correct as necessary. Have your plants free of aphids and fungus before the blooms are set to open. Aphids in blooms are cause for disqualification at shows.
Spray every two weeks with a fungicide or an insecticide/fungicide if not using Marathon as an insecticide.
Watch for and destroy earwigs. They wreck blooms when they get inside.

Finally, anticipate your housing needs and start preparations to get your show flowers under cover by the first or second week of September.

Stark, 4 July 2005
SEPTEMBER TO DO LIST – (adapted from Don Stark 9/98 notes)

Once the buds have broken the membrane and some petal tips are showing, it is time to get the pots into or under some kind of shelter. The basic idea is to protect the blooms from rain and dew. If rain or dew is present when the sun strikes, you will almost certainly burn the florets. Shelters come in a variety of sizes, names, and shapes including porches, large overhanging eaves, garages, greenhouses, and temporary wood and plastic structures.

Sheltering Plants During the Bloom Cycle Starting September 1
Shelter requirements are daytime light (though it can be shady), ventilation, and temperature control.
Maximum temperature should be kept below 80 degrees F if possible. Above that temperature the probability of bloom damage due to petal rot is high. If the shelter is exposed to too much sun in the early Sept days, the temperature within the shelter can skyrocket.
Big fans keep the air moving and the temperature down. Fans also hopefully can bring air from a shady side of the shelter to cool the overall area as well.
Lining the inside of the shelter with old sheets or muslin will also reduce the heat and filter the sunlight.

Bring Pots Into Cover
Wash the pots to get rid of the crud and residue from the growing area.
Pick off old dead and damaged leaves (mostly at the bottom of the plant) that harbor pests and fungus.
Spray the plant with a fungicide and insecticide before taking to the shelter.
Watch for and destroy earwigs. They wreck blooms when they get inside.
Top-dress the pots again. Put about ½ to ¾” of the 9-Inch mix or Soilless mix on the surface of the pot and level it. Top-dressing the plants helps finish plant growth now and also promotes shoots on the plant stools for our next growing season.
Optionally, add ¼ teaspoon FeSo4 to enhance color. Do not add to plants with white or yellow blooms.
Add ¼ teaspoon of Potash to help harden off the plant and keep the blooms from being too soft.

Plant Clean Up and Cut Back to Final Lateral Count
As the plant goes to shelter, if not already done, cut back to the final lateral count selecting the best overall laterals. For #1’s keep 1 or 2 blooms per plant, #2’s keep 2 blooms per plant, #3’s and others excluding specimen plants keep 2 to 5 blooms per plant.
Stake and tie up the selected laterals and add support shingles for the blooms as you house the plant.
Remove or pick off the side laterals on the selected stems.

Fertilizing & Watering
For late season fertilizing, reduce fertilizer to ½ strength for 2-3 weeks. After the petals start to fall, gradually increase feed. Switch to a higher potash fertilizer along the lines of a 15-10-30 or other bloom feeder fertilizer and go lightly.
Watering is different at this stage as the plants are kept a little dryer at this stage. Water plants more sparingly, using about 1 pint per watering. Do not water when the temperature exceeds 75F.
There are two schools of thought as to the best time of day to water. Previous year cultural notes recommend to water in the evening as the day is cooling down to help avoid sending the plant sap to the blooms in heat of day and blowing out or cracking the bloom neck. Bob Walker recommends watering in the early part of the day.
Water/fertilize from a bucket using a 1-pint jar or similar small container. Do not use the hose and spread water everywhere on the shelter floor. Keep the finishing area dry and clean.

EVERGREEN CHRYSANTHEMUM ASSOCIATION
Seattle, Washington
www.ecamumclub.org

Jim Anshutz, Secretary

HAPPY SUMMER GROWING SEASON!

MEETING OF THE ECA – THURSDAY JULY 14, 2011 at 7 PM at the Seattle Police Athletic Association Office (SPAA) site at 11030 East Marginal Way South, Tukwila.

2011 CLUB PICNIC/GARDEN TOUR – The annual ECA garden tour and picnic is scheduled for Sunday, August 14th.

First stop is Kubota Gardens in South Seattle a mile or two Northwest of our monthly meeting site.  Then on to Mary Lou & Bob Ewing’s and Wesley Terrace Gardens in Des Moines and the finale at Janet & Mark Ross for Potluck.   At the July meeting we’ll have a pot luck sign-up sheet –so think about what you can bring. We’ll also discuss the tour logistics (where to meet, ride-sharing, driving directions, arrival times, etc.) and any other remaining questions/issues with the picnic and tour.

.MEMBERSHIP IN NATIONAL CHRYSANTHEMUM SOCIETY(NSC)
We’ve run into a glitch in our Club’s membership in the NSC. Instead of requiring 5 members to join NSC, they now are stating that all members must join. Given that we have 60 plus members, this would be $1,200 would be a large amount to ask of our members or to take from our reserves.

We will review a recommendation on how to proceed at our July meeting.

GREAT CHRYSANTHEMUM GROWING INFORMATION

Thanks again to Chris Brookes for the information on how to access a great e-book on Ivor Mace’s web site about growing Chrysanthemum’s. The book is only available on the internet and contains 317 pages packed with over 300 photos covering every aspect of Mum growing and every cultivar. (For those who don’t know International growers, Ivor Mace is probably the best and most successful grower in the world of large exhibition mums.)

To read more about this Ultimate e-book go to HYPERLINK “http://www.chrysanthemums.info/newhome/e-book-publicity.htm” \t “_blank” www.chrysanthemums.info/newhome/e-book-publicity.htm
 
Chris reminds us that this is a British publication and there are some descriptive differences between British and American terms, e.g. Spiders are called Fantasies (at least not Don’s Frilly Dillies.) The book is only available digitally, which may takes a little getting used to and so far is only available on Ivor’s web site. To buy this book you’ll need to click on the following site:
HYPERLINK “http://www.ivormace.com/Shop/Ebook.aspx?ProductId=1″ \t “_blank” Ivor’s website e-book shop

To buy this book requires three primary steps:
 1) Opening or having a “PayPal” account to pay the GBP10 (about $17 US) with a credit card. (No trouble with foreign exchange rates and purchases as the site does it automatically for you.)
 2) Going to Ivor”s website and registering your name and password
 3) Lastly buy the book by clicking onto Pay Pall on his site.
Note: There will be confirming e mails showing your registration and showing the purchase of the book. It will take 4-5 minutes to download the book – a 20meg file.

 For anyone wishing to check the “How To” of any aspect of Chrysanthemum growing at any time, this is a great reference source. 


SUPPLIES – Club supplies will be available at the July meeting so please place supply orders early (at least two or three days prior to meeting) with Mark Ross.

AKI MATSURI (TRADITIONAL JAPANESE FALL FESTIVAL)

We will be seeking volunteers at our next meeting to staff our Club table at the 2011 Aki Matsuri that will be held and Bellevue College on September 10th and 11th . Go to HYPERLINK “http://www.enma.org” www.enma.org to see information about this year’s event. Jim Anshutz will likely be out of town so we will need volunteers to help set up our booth (which should be done Friday afternoon, September 9th) and to staff our booth for Saturday from 10 a.m, – 6 p.m. and Sunday 10-4:30 and then take down the booth Sunday afternoon (after 4 p.m.). We’ll also need members to provide blooms/plants for our booth. We’ll have one last meeting (Sept before Aki Matsuri but need to start planning now.

Hope to see you at the July Meeting!

As a reminder, please send any email address or postal address changes to Jim Anshutz. To receive future monthly notices by email only rather than US mail, please send an email Jim.

JULY TO DO LIST – Revised July 2005 by Don Stark and Bob Walker

Staking and Lateral Control

Surplus laterals should have been removed by now. At this stage of the growing cycle carry one more lateral than planned to carry at the bloom stage for large and medium exhibition (#1 and #2). For incurves, 4’s, and 5’s, carry up to five laterals. This provides extras in the event of bug damage or accidents. Within 3 – 4 weeks after the buds are formed, cut down to the final lateral count.
Surplus laterals are culled using the following guide noting that the incurves (#3) do not get the final cull until September.
For #1 and #2 cultivars, carry 2 or 3 laterals, cull to 1 or 2.
For #3 cultivars, carry up to 5 laterals, cull to 3 in Sept.
For #4 and #5 cultivars, carry up to 5 laterals, cull to 3-4.
For earlies (#13-15 and #23-25), observe last number (Example for #13 and #23, use the #3 guide and for #14, #15, #24, or #25 use #4 and #5 guide).
For the spiders, quills, and spoons (per mr), follow the guide for the #4 and #5.
Continue disbudding the remaining laterals to channel growth to the main lateral.

All present laterals saved should now be individually staked. Use stakes ripped from nominal one-inch lumber, which are ½ inch wide
(5/8” x ½”). These stakes look better and do not rot if you paint or stain them green. Stake length ranges from 3-6 feet, with the majority
4 feet. Another much more costly alternative is to purchase the green fiberglass stakes also available in 3-6 foot length at local stores.
Finally, heavy (Big) 4 FT. and 5 Ft. bamboo stakes can be used effectively.

Fasten the laterals to the stakes with “twist’ems”, 2-4 per lateral. If the laterals are not staked or otherwise supported, they break off with rain or breeze and also grow crooked, making the resulting bloom difficult or impossible to enter in shows.

Taking the buds

Most buds are formed from late July to the end of August
Watch for the buds to form and as soon as the bud is the size of a pea start removing the ring of little side buds that form just below and around the main bud. This is called “Taking the Bud” which in reality is leaving the main bud and removing all the next layer of buds. A light push sidewise with the thumb will break away the small buds you are removing.
Keep those side laterals removed as they reform on the main stem after taking the bud
Get strips of wood 16-18 inches long and 3/8” wide made from shingles, shakes, or ¼” plywood. Stain them green. These are used to support each bloom and are secured with two “twist’ems”. Place them on the bud/lateral as the bud over-grows the stakes to protect the lateral and bud, to keep the lateral growing straight, to support the bloom, and keep the bud horizontal. A “cocked” bloom will never win a blue ribbon.

Feeding & Top-Dressing

Keep feeding! Keep feeding! The club sells Peters 20-10-20 and Technigrow 20-9-20+ (The plus is for added sulfur for greening) water-soluble fertilizer at our meetings. Either of these, or standard Miracle grow are excellent mid season fertilizers.
Standard dosage for all is 1 tsp per Gal. Of water, fed once per week. If you feed with every watering, you may cut the dosage in half. It is common to increase the dosage (up to double the rate) for some blooms during July and August. Heavy feeders include Gigantics, Jessies, Connies, Seychelles and Ralph Lambert. On the other side, most reds, most purples and most incurves require a lighter feeding level such as 2/3 the standard dosage, or in the case of incurves, grow lots of laterals to absorb the heavier feeding.
Some growers like to add a little granular rose fertilizer such as Agro 4-10-8. However keep in mind that it is easy to overfeed so be prudent. Watch and feel the leaves. They’ll tell you when you are over feeding and feeding should be continued right up to the bud formation to get that added surge of nitrogen into the bud. Then cut feed in half or discontinued for 1-2 weeks after the bud has formed. Then resume feeding at a reduced rate, Some switch to a high Potash fertilizer (15-11-29). Others continue with the mid season fertilizer and add some murate of potash to harden off the plants.
Some plants may tend to be yellowish instead of green (Jessie HabgoodsDukes, Lundies and Connies for instance). If you have yellow plants first try drying them out with less water. If unsuccessful feed ½ to 1 tsp Epsom salts per plant. Leaf feeding with liquid iron such as Greenall or Sequesterine also helps green up the foliage. Follow product directions, do not over feed the iron.
If plants are yellow, first try drying them out. If unsuccessful, feed ½ teaspoon Epsom salts per plant. Leaf feeding of liquid iron such as Greenall or Sequesterine also helps green up leaves. Follow product directions, do not overfeed liquid iron.
Water thoroughly when you water but don’t water until the plant needs watering. Jessies and Dukes generally require less water than most so don’t water them just because your passing by with the hose. On the other side, the Gigantics and Pat Brophy need more frequent watering. Above all, don’t over water. You can let the plants flag a little before rewatering.

Top Dressing
Top dress the pots in late July to early August, and again when the buds show color (around Sept 1-15) Spread 1-2 handful of your final potting mix or the soil less mix each time. This gives the roots a better growing environment.

Pest Management

Continue to review your pest management program every two weeks. Have plants free of aphids and fungus before the blooms are set to open. Aphids in blooms are unsightly and can be cause for disqualification at shows.
Marathon Systemic Insecticide is applied once per growing season to each pot at a rate of ½ teaspoon per pot to control aphids (particularly black aphids). A second application can be used if needed. Some other bugs such as leafhoppers and ear wigs need to be picked off the plants or they will ruin the bud/bloom.
Spray every two weeks with a fungicide or an insecticide/fungicide, mostly on the older bottom leaves. Pick off damaged and dead leaves to reduce the sources of fungus.
For fungicide, Ortho Funginex or Funginil work well but are hard to find as they have been pulled from the wholesale market.
A very good replacement fungicide is the Ferti.lome broad spectrum liquid fungicide. It contains Daconil. Also the Shultz Garden safe fungicide should work well as it is essentially the same as the Ferti.lome.
Insecticides that are effective historically for black aphids include Liquid Diazinon and Nicotine Sulphate (Black Leaf 40), if available. Malathion can be sprayed for green aphids; however, it is not effective on black aphids.

AUGUST TO DO LIST – Revised July 2005 by Don Stark and Bob Walker

August is a major growing month. Continue with the watering, feeding, and pest control programs noted in the July newsletter. l The appearance of bud color, especially for the early cultivars, signals a shift to the late season feeding program. Flush the pots at least once during the month to reduce the accumulation of fertilizer salts in the pot. Disbudding is the primary cultural activity for the first half of August. Stake and reduce the number of laterals as the buds appear and are secured. Experience suggests there is no way to get too much support for laterals and blooms. Top-dress the plants with fresh potting mix to assure maximum plant growth now and new shoots for next season.

Staking and Lateral Control

Surplus laterals are removed as the buds are firmly established for all varieties with the exception of incurves (classes 3, 13, and 23) and some intermediate types (classes 5, 15, and 25), which are culled in early September. With 2 ½ months until the ECA show, it may be conservative to wait a few more weeks for the final reduction in the event of bug damage, wind, or accidents.
Reduce the number of laterals to the final count as listed below. For early varieties follow last number, ex. #14 and #24 use #4.
For #1 and #2 cultivars, carry 1 or 2 laterals.
For #3 cultivars, carry up to 5 laterals, cull to 3 in Sept.
For #4 cultivars, carry 2 or 3 laterals.
For #5 cultivars, carry 2 to 5 laterals.

All laterals should be individually staked Fasten the laterals with “twist’ems”. If the laterals are not staked or otherwise supported, they break off with rain or breeze and also grow crooked, making the resulting bloom difficult or impossible to enter in shows.

Blooms and Bloom Support

Watch for buds and secure them as they appear. Most buds appear by August 15. Look for “rabbit-ear” leaves below the bud and laterals forming at leaf axils. As the bud reaches about ¼ inch, or the size of a small pea, it should be secured by removing the ring of side buds and the other side shoots that may appear in the leaf axils below. Keep those new laterals removed. This grooming of the selected laterals will require regular and sometimes daily attention.
Prepare strips of wood 16-18 inches long and 3/8” wide made from shingles, shakes, or ¼” plywood. Stain them green preferably. These are used to support each bloom and are secured with two “twist’ems”. Place them on the bud/lateral as the bud over-grows the stakes to protect the lateral and bud, to keep the lateral growing straight, to support the bloom, and keep the bud horizontal. A “cocked” bloom will never win a blue ribbon.

Feeding & Top-Dressing

Top-dress the pots in early August and again when the buds show color, about September 1-15. Put about 1 handful of compost or Soil less mix on the surface of the pot and level it each time you top-dress.
Water thoroughly when you water and then almost dry out the plant before watering again. If plants are yellow, first try drying them out. If drying out fails, feed ½ teaspoon Epsom salts per plant or carefully use of one of the liquid iron solutions.
Continue fertilizing until buds appear with the mid season fertilizer program as described in the July to-do list.
Flush the pots once per month to prevent fertilizer salts build-up.
The appearance of the bud especially for the early cultivars, also signals a shift to the late season feeding program. When the buds appear, stop or reduce feeding ½ strength for 1-2 weeks and water the plants more sparingly. At this stage it’s time to change the feeding program to a late season fertilizer. Either switch to a high potash fertilizer (15-11-29) or continue with the 20-10-20/20-9-20+ fertilizer and add approximately15 % by volume of Murate of Potash. In either case continue to fertilize at ½ to 2/3tsp per gal of water.

Pest Management and Housing

Review your pest management program every two weeks and correct as necessary. Have your plants free of aphids and fungus before the blooms are set to open. Aphids in blooms are cause for disqualification at shows.
Spray every two weeks with a fungicide or an insecticide/fungicide if not using Marathon as an insecticide.
Watch for and destroy earwigs. They wreck blooms when they get inside.

Finally, anticipate your housing needs and start preparations to get your show flowers under cover by the first or second week of September.

Don Stark, 4 July 2005

EVERGREEN CHRYSANTHEMUM
Seattle, Washington
ECAMUMCLUB.ORG

Jim Anshutz, Secretary

HAPPY Final Potting Season!

MEETING OF THE ECA – THURSDAY JUNE 9, 2011 at 7 PM at the Seattle Police Athletic Association Office (SPAA) site at 11030 East Marginal Way South, Tukwila.
June is a particularly busy month in growing mums so hope you can attend the meeting and bring your questions!

YEARBOOKS

We will l bring additional 2011 ECA Yearbooks to the June Meeting for those of you who need another copy. Thanks again to Mark Ross for again taking on this big project!

UPCOMING EVENTS

Mark your calendars for the following events:
Garden Tour/Potluck – August 14
Aki Matsuri at Bellevue College – September 10 & 11th with set up on Sept. 9
Puyallup Fair – September 24th
Fall Show at Furney’s – October 29 and 30th (with set up on Oct 28)
Awards Banquet at Angelos– November 10

MEMBERSHIP IN NATIONAL CHRYSANTHEMUM SOCIETY(NSC)

At the May meeting, the ECA approved membership in the NSC. The final step in joining the NSC is to get 5 members to join the NSC. We have had more than five people mention at prior meetings their interest in joining the NSC so now we need to complete the process.

For those of you who have indicated you would like to join the NSC I’ve attached the NSC membership form. Please complete the form and bring it together with $20 to the June meeting so Chris Brookes can officially apply for membership on behalf of the ECA.

CHRYSANTHEMUM/RESOURCE LINKS

Steve Backstrom last year suggested that those of you with computer access might enjoy visiting the following sites he has now linked on the ECA web site.

The Paul Barclay’s site also has links to several English grower sites. The other links are to Harry Lawson, Kings Mums and the Elisabeth C. Miller Library. (For anyone who likes short road trips to view gardens/buy at plant sales, check out the list of June events on Elisabeth C. Miller Library site by clicking on “Plant Sales and Garden Tours and scrolling down.)

PLANT CULTURE and SUPPLIES –Cultural suggestions are attached for May and June will be discussed at the meeting. Remember to contact Mark Ross prior to the June meeting for soilless and supplies as needed.

THANKS to Mas Tamekuni for handling the Treasurer’s report at the May meeting for Chris Brookes and to Mark Ross for taking on the Secretarial duties during Jim’s vacation.

If we are mailing you the monthly notice and you have an email address, please let Jim Anshutz know your e-mail address.

TO DO LIST for May and June (revised DRS 4/25/05)

Stopping:

Most plants are stopped April 15 through June 1, including the Early English classes. Keep your stop list handy and follow it rigorously. The calendar doesn’t move backwards. For #1 and #2 varieties the English literature recommends a fairly hard pinch; that is pinching 6-8 leafs down from the growing tip. For the incurves, #3, #13, #23 pinch the smallest portion of the growing tip to get more uniform growth of the laterals. For all varieties, fertilize 1-2 weeks before pinching to produce more laterals. This is especially true for the Fairweathers.

Final Potting into 8”, 9” or 10” pots. (Or maybe in the garden soil)

Preparation
Wash pots (in mild Clorox solution) then rinse in clear water.
Prepare potting mix. – Soil fewer users; add another 5-10% of screened pumice or Perlite to improve drainage. Also at this final stage, I recommend adding Cedar Grove compost or other fresh compost and a small amount of well-composted horse manure. This results in a mix of 6 parts M&R soil less, 4 parts compost, 1 part pumice, and small amounts of horse manure and Alfalfa meal.Water plants in the 6” pots 1 day before repotting.

Potting (Pot on when the ring of roots around the bottom of the pot is semi root bound.) Cover drain holes in bottom of clay pots with a piece of broken crock to keep drain clear. Put a layer of broken sod or course pumice in the bottom of pot, then cover with 1 or 2 inches of the final (9”) mix. Place the 6” root ball on top of the 9” mix and fill around with the 9” mix. The top of the root ball should be 1+ inch below the top of the pot. Do not pack the mix except as necessary to hold the plant and stake in place. Stake with shingle or bamboo stick.
Add Marathon Systemic at this time to control black aphids. Sprinkle ½ tspn. Marathon on top of soil when repotting plant, add a thin layer of mix over the top, then water moderately.

Note: When potting on occurs after June 1, Consider dropping down one pot size pot because the roots will not have time to fill the bigger pots. # 1 & #2 cultivars, 9” max, 8” could be used. #3s, 8” max.

Feeding and pest management

After 3 weeks in final pot start summer feeding program. ` 1 1 to 2 Tsp. Peters 20-10-20 per gallon water, once a week.

Note: Some plants will thrive with the heavier solution, while others
may not like so much fertilizer. Watch the leaves to gauge the fertilizer needed. If leaves become hard and curl up you are overfeeding. If leaves are somewhat weak and lighter green then more fertilizer would help. Miracle Grow is also used quite successfully by some during this summer stage.

If plants are yellowish, first try drying them out. If drying the plant is unsuccessful, feed ½ tsp. Epsom Salts per plant. Leaf feeding of liquid iron such as Greenall or Sequesterine also helps green up the plant. Follow product directions. Do not over feed Liquid Iron.

Review your pest management program every 2 weeks,
Marathon systemic is the most effective black aphid control.
Diazinon and most rose insecticides are somewhat less effective, and require spraying every 2 weeks, as they are contact insecticides. Spray every two weeks with a fungicide. Ortho Funginex is recommended. Other fungicides will work well if used regularly. If fungus gets away and is growing fast, a fungicide used to control early blight in tomatoes will really shut it down. I use Monterey “Bravo” for such control.

4. Lateral Control

As side laterals develop after the final pinch, select the number of laterals to carry through the summer and remove all other side shoots. Generally the topmost lateral below the stem break is removed, as it is the weakest lateral structurally and easily broken off by accident. At this early stage you should carry 1-2 more lateral than you want at the bloom stage. An old saying goes: “I grow 2 for me and one for the bug.”

Surplus laterals are removed later in the summer using the following guide.
For #1 & #2 cultivars, carry 2 or 3 laterals initially, cull to 1 or 2 in Aug.
For #3 cultivars, carry 5 laterals and cull Sept. or Oct.
For #4 & b#5 cultivars, carry 4 to 5 laterals and cull to 2 to 3 in Sept.
For Earlies (13-15 and 23-25) carry 4-5 laterals and cull to 2-3 in Sept.
For Spiders, Quills, Spoons, Singles etc. follow the guide for #4 and #5.
Note: Cutting back to the few laterals seems to be a most difficult task for the novice. You must do it however if you wish to get large blooms.

5. Staking.

By now all plants will require staking. A 16-24 in stake should be placed along the main plant stem and tied to it to support and protect the plant. As the side laterals develop it will be necessary to add longer stakes that can support each lateral all the way to bud development. Care must be exercised so as to not spread the new laterals too far apart when staking, as one or more could be broken off. In other words let the laterals grow till they can be easily tied to the new stakes.