EVERGREEN CHRYSANTHEMUM ASSOCIATION
\nSeattle, Washington<\/p>\n
CLUB PLANT SALES
\necamumclub.org<\/p>\n
Nancy Halleen, Secretary<\/p>\n
MARCH ECA NEWSLETTER <\/p>\n
MEETING OF THE ECA \u2013THURSDAY, March 8th, 2012, at 7 PM at the Seattle Police Athletic Association Office (SPAA) site at 11030 East Marginal Way South, Tukwila. <\/p>\n
TELEPHONE COMMITTEE MEMBERS contact your lists early, as your calls do help to increase attendance. Also mention our Club plant sale at the March and April meetings. <\/p>\n
DUES \u2013 Members are encouraged to pay 2012 dues to Treasurer, Chris Brookes. Annual dues are $15\/member or $20\/couple. Dues must be paid before or at the March meeting for members to be listed in the clubs 2012 yearbook and to be eligible for member plant sales.<\/p>\n
PLANT SALES \u2013 The second member plant sale of the year is at the March meeting, March 8th. We will have a second members plant sales at our April 12 meeting.<\/p>\n
Our public plant sale will be April 14 (Saturday) from 9-1:00 at Furney\u2019s Nursery in Des Moines (21215 Pacific Hwy South). At least 8 people are needed for Set-Up on Friday April 13 and will discuss staffing the sales at our March 8 and April 12 meetings. <\/p>\n
PLANT CULTURE and SUPPLIES \u2013 Members are reminded to bring in their extra plants for our member plant sale and the public sales. Only healthy looking plants are accepted for the \u201cSales Events\u201d. For those bringing in plants, also bring in newspaper or a cloth to cover the table if your plants are in an open bottom carrier. This will help the clean up crew when tidying at the end of the meeting. Cultural recommendations are attached for March and will be discussed at the March meeting. <\/p>\n
CONTACT FOR SUPPLIES<\/p>\n
Mark Ross will be handling Club supply orders. Please contact Mark for soilless and supply needs for the March meeting.<\/p>\n
PLANT SELECTION IS A VERY IMPORTANT ASPECT OF THIS GAME.
\nYou older hands, if you have grown the same cultivar from your own stock with poor results, throw your stock away and buy a plant or two of that cultivar at the plant sale. Select carefully, you want a healthy cutting, and if the grower didn\u2019t think enough of it to put his initials on the tag, go get a different one. Keep looking for the best stock available. <\/p>\n
New Members are encouraged to contact Bob Ewing to be assigned a coach who will provide personalized growing instruction and advice. It is highly recommended that new members take advantage of this membership service. Don\u2019t be shy give Bob a call!!!<\/p>\n
NEW MEMBERS \u2013 Welcome to the new members who joined ECA late in 2011 and early this year 2012. New members receive ten free plants the first growing season. (Couples receive 15 free plants). Introduce your self to our new members Gary Budzeak, Madeline Smith, and Sekiko Yates at our next meetings.<\/p>\n
If you are receiving this notice by mail and have email, please send an email to email to Nancy with your email address. <\/p>\n
MARCH TO DO LIST (edited from DRS 2-21-05)<\/p>\n
1.\tClean pots and gather materials for potting:
\n\u2022\tFor soilless growers, supplies include soilless mix, Peters 9-45-15 fertilizer, and optionally, \u00bc inch screened pumice, perlite or grit. Most of our growers use the M & R Soilless potting mix sold by the club. Addition of the pumice perlite or grit is not necessary for this stage. Generally the pumice etc. is added for the 9-inch potting. Some also add the pumice to the mixture for the 6-inch potting.
\n\u2022\tFor McGlashen soil mixes, you will need good garden loam; pumice, perlite or grit; and leaf mold or course greenhouse peat, plus well composted manure, steamed bone meal, slacked or hydrated lime and a good dry rose fertilizer such as 4-10-8. See your copy of the McGlashen book for details.
\n2.\tPot mums into 4 or 6-inch pot:
\n\u2022\tClay pots are recommended when possible for the 4 or 6 inch potting as these pots breathe and dry out faster during cool March and April days.
\n\u2022\tWash used pots in a bleach\/water solution, i.e. 2 teaspoons per gallon of water. Then rinse in fresh water. Let the cleaned pots set in the clear water for 3 or 4 minutes to clear out the bleach. Change the rinse water occasionally to clear out the bleach from previous rinses.
\n\u2022\tPot on when the ring of roots around the bottom of the pot is substantial. Do not compact the mix and leave room at the top for watering.<\/p>\n
3.\tMove pots outdoors:
\n\u2022\tAfter mums have become well established in the new pots (1-2 weeks) move mums outdoors or to cold frame to slow the foliage growth and toughen up the plants. The desirable ambient temperature is 50 to 60 degrees.
\n\u2022\tTo keep roots warm and at a stable temp, bury the pots in the soil or in a layer of compost or manure. Six inches is a good depth for the compost or manure. A cold frame is the best solution for this stage!
\n\u2022\tLacking a good sunny location, B-9 is a growth retardant spray mix that tends to help plants from getting too leggy. It is available through the club.
\n4.\tStopping Dates:
\n\u2022\tReview stopping dates and stop mums as their stopping dates arrive. Very few varieties require pinching in March unless a double pinching regimen is being followed (Phil Houghton March 15 and May 15 for example).
\n\u2022\tRefer to the various ECA lists of stopping dates. Copies of a stopping date list will be available at the meeting.
\n5.\tKeep growing vigorously:
\n\u2022\tWater as needed, but keep relatively dry
\n\u2022\tSpray or control aphids
\n\u2022\tFertilize soil less plants with 9-45-15 or Miracle Grow solution starting the 2nd or 3rd week after potting. Use fertilizer at \u00bd strength that is approximately \u00bd teaspoon\/gallon.
\nBegin culling process in March to get to the final growing group. Send surplus
\nquality plants to plant sales or share with other ECA members. Throw away poor
\nplants and damaged or diseased plants. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
EVERGREEN CHRYSANTHEMUM ASSOCIATION Seattle, Washington CLUB PLANT SALES ecamumclub.org Nancy Halleen, Secretary MARCH ECA NEWSLETTER MEETING OF THE ECA \u2013THURSDAY, March 8th, 2012, at 7 PM at the Seattle Police Athletic Association Office (SPAA) site at 11030 East Marginal Way … Continue reading