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The flowering process of the ball-shaped chrysanthemum.

19/08/2021

You have probably already noticed that a chrysanthemum typically flowers in the autumn. When the leaves on the trees gradually start to change colour, the chrysanthemum is usually at its best. Have you ever wondered though, why a chrysanthemum flowers in the autumn and not in the spring when the first rays of sunshine break through the clouds ?

To be able to explain this, we first need a short lesson in the natural sciences. In spring the days gradually get longer and around  the 21st of June we have the longest day of the year at our latitude. From then on, the days start to get shorter again. For many plants, mostly the autumn flowering ones, this is the signal to slowly start forming flower buds. This is known in the trade as a “short day plant”, and our Mum Flowers are a typical example of this. When the nights get longer than 12 hours, they begin to develop flower buds.

Depending on the variety, our Mum Flowers bloom between August and October. However, the earlier they react to the longer nights, the sooner they bloom, and this is entirely dependent on the variety.

But the story does not end just there. Our Mum Flowers also make great companions on a terrace in June and Jul, which raises the question of how it is possible that they bloom so early. The secret lies in the artificial shortening of the days. Our cultivators, who grow the product with love and care, make sure that the Mum Flowers, which are intended for a summer terrace, are subjected to extended nights. They make sure that from 8 o’clock in the evening, the greenhouse is completely darkened. So it’ s early to bed for our Mum Flowers ! Due to these extended nights, the Mum Flowers start flowering earlier and can already delight you with their colours on the terrace in early summer.

By the way, did you know that the special shading material used to darken our greenhouses also has an insulating effect ? A real win-win situation: a reduction in energy consumption and a summer full of Mum Flowers !