When I look out my office window there is a pot of Chrysanthemums next door beside the walkway. I put them there to have an enjoyablel floral display. That rounded head of flowers isn't trained or manipulated to have the tight pack of buds. I am told that the depth of planting is what makes these ball of flower displays. When I look up how to pot them for the commercial trade, the only instructions involve pinching - taking out the shoots so the plants stay compact. I think that's the advice of the past and the commercial growers may be keeping things to themselves. And there is no information on the size of the commercial chrysanthemum market in Niagara. You can drive around and see fields and fields of chrysanthemums in pots with the little drip lines between them. They have tarps down so no weeds come up. It probably is strange to see for the first time. Similar to when we had the tour of the Gerbera greenhouse and it was so large that the central aisle ended in a vanishing point.
So many developments in the last 20 to 25 years. In comparison to the origins of cultivation in China, a long time has passed. Chrysanthemums were first cultivated around 1500 BCE for herbal and medicinal properties. they got to Japan in the 8th century and to Europe in the late 17th century. That was when they came to North America as well.
So we are about to be indulged with Chrysanthemum Shows - Hamilton, Niagara Falls and Toronto public gardens will have beautiful displays. Here are two different years of past Niagara Falls display below. And the greenhouses are already growing the next big seasonal "crop" - Poinsettias.
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