Hi All,
Reflecting back on the 2024 growing season, the last 6 months have been educational and busy! The first quarter of the year our membership started over 1800 mums and had a successful cutting university and plant sale, in the second quarter our focus was on root development and progressive potting techniques. We’ve had many discussions about watering, fertilizing, pinching, disease and pest control. In this next few months our focus will be on plant development and lateral management. July and August are the primary growing months for our mums so watering, fertilizing, disease and pest management regimens should be in full swing by now. Our mums should be in their final 8 to 10 inch pots and in a growing location that gets lots of sunshine. We will start to see laterals and side shoots developing for those plants that were pinched in May and early June. In addition to watering, fertilizing, disease and pest management, its time to introduce a few more topics for discussion including lateral selection and management, staking, flushing, top dressing and “taking the bud”.
Probably the most critical item in the July to do list is “taking the bud”. Read carefully and ask questions of our more experienced growers.
Our July cultural notes will introduce some of these new topics.
THANK YOU!
A big THANK YOU to Travis and Michael for sharing your knowledge and experience about chrysanthemum hybridization with the ECA membership at our June meeting. This was one of the most educational presentations we’ve had in a very log time. We will definitely be asking these gentlemen to return and share more about Chrysanthemum hybridization.
Take a look at the three educational attachments to this months newsletter:
1) FERTILIZER INFORMATION
2) SOIL COMPOSITION
3) PEST MANAGEMENT
And let me know if you have additional information or any corrections.
ECA PICNIC
On Saturday, August 10th at Noon we will hold our annual picnic at the home of Michael and Daniel. Be sure to bring a guest, your spouse or significant other. This will be a great opportunity for us to meet and thank those (our significant others) who directly and indirectly support ECA. Michael and Daniel have a beautiful property on the Snoqualmie River. This is also a great opportunity to see Michaels Chrysanthemum propagation operation. The picnic lunch will be provided by of ECA. More information to follow in the August newsletter. Hope to see you all there!
SOME IMPORTANT REMINDERS:
1) If you have not yet done so, Please pay your annual ECA dues.
ECA Single Membership -$15.00 ECA Couples membership $20.00x
Two ways to pay membership dues:
a) send a check made out to Evergreen Chrysanthemum Association c/o Erika Harris PO Box 66155 Burien, WA 98166
b) pay at the monthly meeting
Supplies available at the meeting:
M&R Mix
Plant Tags
Early Season Fertilizer
Mid Season Fertilizer
twist ems
bamboo plant stakes
B9
Bonide Systemic
Some Important ECA Calendar Dates:
Saturday, June 8, 2024 10 am – Noon – Cultural discussion focus – Hybridization; propagating from seed
Saturday, July 13, 2024 10 am – Noon – Cultural discussion focus – Soil composition/ fertilizers
Saturday, August 10, 2024 10 am – Noon – Annual picnic at Michael Boudreaux’s home in Carnation
Saturday, September 14, 2024 10 am – Noon – Cultural discussion focus – Show challenge opportunities and entry process Saturday, October 12, 2024 10 am – Noon – Cultural discussion focus – Show preparations
2024 SHOW DATES Thursday, October 31, 2024 – Show set up and flower entry
November 1st – 3rd, 2024 – Evergreen Chrysanthemum Association 78th annual chrysanthemum show at Volunteer Park
Saturday, November 16, 2024 ECA annual appreciation dinner and banquet – time and location to be announced later
Saturday, December 14, 2024 10 am – Noon – Cultural discussion focus – Caring for your plant stools
Hope to see you all at our Monthly meeting this Saturday
Happy Gardening!
