Plant out 30 - 45cms (12" - 18") apart and stake immediately with bamboo canes. Tie carefully to avoid damaging the stem. Water thoroughly. Do not water again until the plants have almost dried out. Plants grown outside require fertile, well-drained soil and full sun. If growing in pots, use a good quality compost, such as John Innes No. 3. Keep the ground clear of weeds and continue to tie in, as the plants grow. Water regularly, especially in hot, dry weather, but be careful not to over-water. Feed weekly with a liquid fertilizer. Do not exceed the manufacturer’s recommended dose.

A Chrysanthemum plant, when left to grow naturally, will continue to grow taller until a terminal bud is formed at the tip of the main stem. Side-shoots will then form in the leaf axils. Pinching out, or stopping, is purely a way of hastening the formation of these side-shoots. Simply remove the tip of the plant, leaving 4 - 5 leaves. If, at the time of pinching out, there is any sign of a terminal bud, it is essential to remove a large piece of the plant, sometimes over half.

To produce large flowers, it is essential that each flower stem should be disbudded. This consists of removing all buds and side-shoots, just leaving the terminal (top) bud. Remove side-shoots when they are about 2cms (¾") long. To produce a spray, do the opposite, remove the terminal bud and leave all the side buds.

* All the varieties marked with this symbol, in the All-Year-Round (Late) spray section, can be grown either as spray or can be disbudded, as described above, to produce a larger single bloom.