Ultimate Indian guide for chrysanthemums/ guldaudi

Chrysanthemum is one of the easiest to grow winter plants that makes your garden colourful. Available in multi colours we can say it is one of the easiest ornamental plants for beginners. These flowers of the winter seasons are found everywhere, be it a Gajra or for decoration during festivals. Plus they are super easy to grow and take care of.  One more thing – if they flourish, they grow wild!  

Chrysanthemums go around by different names like mums, guldaudi, chandramalika, samanti and shevanti. But for now, let’s call them mums. 

These plants have been native to China since the 15th century and have now taken over our Indian gardens for their beautiful flowers. Found in small pots or huge bushes in one’s front yard, they are a true showpiece! Plant parents often boast about their heavy blooms, and it is of great pride for them to achieve this. 

Among Top 21 Winter Flowers in India, Sevanti or Chandramallika flower is certainly one of the best.

Types of Chrysanthemums: 

As for the Indian markets, mums can be divided into 2 major types;

Local variety:

These are ones grown either by seeds or propagation. They’re not as vibrant and are found in simple colours like white and yellow.

Hybrid variety:

These are grown by genetic modification to bloom vibrant colours like red, orange, pink and sometimes in different shades of colour in one plant. 

However, these plants need the same conditions to thrive, be it a local or hybrid variety. 

Let’s discuss about it. 

Conditions: 

Temperature:

Chrysanthemums thrive in any environment as long as it’s neither too hot nor cold. Their ideal temperature ranges from 12°C- 37°C. 

Very hot temperatures can burn leaves, so make sure to keep them away from AC vents and such areas.

Sunlight:

These plants love sunlight, the more light the better. Around 6 hours of sunlight is ideal for the mums to grow. However, harsh sunlight can burn the leaves. So keep them under some shade during hot summers. 

Shevanti cannot be grown indoors with little to no sunlight. One can use growlight but bud formation might not happen. 

Soil mix:

These plants are easygoing and thrive in any soil. The ideal soil mix for the Indian climate is:

40% regular soil

30% cocopeat/ leaf mould

30% kitchen compost/ vermicompost/ cow dung compost

You can also add 5% sand for extra drainage. 

While repotting or transplanting from nursery bags, you can add 2 grams of mustard cake powder along with 2 grams of bone meal (alternate option- rock phosphate) per 6-inch pot. 

However, these are completely optional. 

Water:

Gulgaudi likes to stay moist. Everyday watering during summer and alternate days watering during winter is recommended. Or water when the top ½ inch of soil feels dry. 

Underwatering during the buds season affects the blooms and during growth season can attract pests as the plant becomes weak. Overwatering can turn the leaves yellow and root rot. 

Coming to fertilzers, 

Fertilizer: 

These plants love a good amount of balanced fertiliser. It helps in bud formation and also foliage growth. 

Monthly NPK fertilizer 2gm/litre of water works well. The use of a few granules of DAP/6-inch pot is also recommended during the growing stage. 

Make sure to skip a day of watering before adding water-diluted fertilisers and add fertilizer granules only after watering the plant or after sprinkling the granules. 

Once the buds start to form, reduce fertilising to almost half the amount as the plants will not be able to use it that much anymore. 

Pest control: 

Pest and fungus love mums as much as we all do. A trace of a weak plant attracts them like a moth to a flame. These are found more during blooming seasons as the buds grow. If left uncontrolled, the blooms will get affected and sometimes wilt or fail to flower properly.

 But worry not, proper watering and regular use of fungicide keeps the plant pest and fungus-free. 

Mealybugs/ aphids/ spider mites  attack:

Use rubbing/ isopropyl alcohol directly on the mealy bugs, this melts their outer coating thus exposing them to air and they die away. 

An alternate option includes the use of neem oil 2ml/litre of water or liquid soap 2ml/litre of water as a spray. Use this mix every 2-3 days as long as the pests are no more.

Make sure to spray every nook and corner of the mums as these notorious pests hide well. 

In case, these homemade remedies don’t work, Imidacloprid an insecticide can be used in 0.5gms/litre of water every 5-6 days till no pests are found. Make sure to cover your eyes, hands and mouth while using chemical insecticides. Especially when using higher doses of these substances. 

Fungus attack:

One should always use SAAF fungicide for any type of fungus attack. 2gms/litre of water and spraying it all over the plant every 10- 5 days does the job well. 

How to grow/plant chrysanthemums?

As we discussed about their conditions, let’s talk about how to grow them. 

Choosing the right plant:

If you are a beginner, try growing local varieties first as they have better survival chances with newbies compared to hybrid varieties. 

For the advanced plant parents or ones who just cannot get over their current chrysanthemums and want more can grow the hybrid varieties. 

When to plant:

The ideal time to grow chandramlika sapling is monsoon, high humidity and mild sunlight help it form roots and foliage. 

What to see when buying:

Always select a healthy plant that has new growth and multiple branches. Transferring a chrysanthemum plant with buds on it is risky as the plant may suffer shock. Better to let the buds bloom than repot. 

So, selecting a plant is important for proper plant growth.

How to plant:

Selecting the correct size of the pot is important. A smaller pot will not leave space for roots to grow and the plant will suffocate and die. A bigger pot will lead to plant rot as the soil remains wet for a longer time. The plant will spend more time and energy growing roots rather than branches. 

An ideal pot should be deep and have 2-3 inches of space surrounding the plant, this ensures proper overall growth of the plant. Using plastic or terracotta pots is best for mums. Terracotta pots ensure air flow while plastic pots do not let dry soil out fast. 

Ensure that the pots have proper drainage as chrysanthemums hate water logging. 

Make the soil following the soil mix given. 

Add some stones or broken diya pieces to cover drainage holes so as to not let the soil drain out. Add soil and then the plant. Water your newly repotted plant immediately. You can also use fungicide-diluted water to ensure the plant manages to overcome plant shock. Keep the plant for 1 week in a shady area and then shift it to a full sunlight area. This lets the plant adjust to a new environment. 

Propagation:

Guldaudi is one of the easiest plants to propagate and grow. Their chances of growing from cutting are more than from seeds. 

Just cut a plant that is almost at least 3 inches in size, and remove the majority of leaves leaving just 2=3 maximum, this ensures the plant spends its energy growing more leaves than spending it on surviving existing leaves. Plant them in small pots with a well-draining soil mix that has 

Soil – 30%

Compost – 20%

Sand/ Perlite – 20%

Cocopeat – 20%

Use fungicide-diluted water regularly to ensure the plants root well. Within a few days or weeks you can transfer these cuttings into saplings or can be transferred into bigger pots. 

After bloom care: 

Once the plant blooms, it will start to wilt a bit and seem like it’s never going to bloom. However, that is not true. You can prune the plant for more branching and let it grow more foliage. 

Also, 

Like many other perennials, chrysanthemums benefit from dividing every three to four years. You may notice your mums begin to look thin in the centres and oddly shaped. Over time, the centre roots of the plant may become old and woody, while the outside roots are younger and healthier. If you notice your mums no longer grow full and round you may simply divide that. Spring is the best time to divide your mums.

In spring just as new growth is starting to appear, use a shovel to carefully dig up the entire plant, including the crown and the full root clump. Use a sharp knife to cut the clump into sections. Each section should include a healthy group of roots attached to a portion of the crown. Immediately replant the divisions into the desired locations in garden soil rich with organic matter. If planting in groups, space the pieces at least 30 cm apart.

You can discard the woody centre of the plant since it won’t perform as well as the younger, outer sections.

Pruning: 

Chrysanthemums love hard pruning. This helps in more branching and gives more buds. Just pinch the topmost growth of the plant, this ensures the plant gives out 2 branches instead of one. And that way the buds are doubled in number!