[ti:Really, It's OK to Pinch Mums] [ar:Jim Tedder] [al:Agriculture Report] [00:00.00]This is the VOA Special English Agriculture Report. [00:05.25]People have been growing chrysanthemums [00:08.84]for more than two thousand years. [00:11.51]Mums make bright and colorful gardens. [00:15.84]People in China and other Asian cultures [00:20.38]make tea with the flowers. [00:23.12]Giacomo Puccini, the great Italian composer, [00:27.46]even named one of his works [00:29.86]after chrysanthemums, "Crisantemi." [00:33.55](MUSIC: Manhattan String Quartet) [00:44.30]One basic kind of mum is the hardy or garden mum. [00:49.96]The other basic kind is the florist mum. [00:53.85]The garden mum is better able [00:56.85]to handle different growing conditions. [00:59.49]There are many varieties of mums. [01:03.73]The decorative mum is often seen in gardens. [01:07.82]Another popular type, the quill mum, [01:12.46]has long, straight petals like a tube or needle. [01:17.46]Chrysanthemum blooms can be white, yellow, [01:22.64]gold, red or other colors. [01:26.39]The plants often grow one meter high. [01:30.27]The soil for chrysanthemums should be kept moist [01:35.46]but well drained so it does not get too wet. [01:40.00]Newly planted mums should be watered two [01:45.12]or three times a week, depending on conditions. [01:49.46]Plants established in the ground [01:52.10]may do well just with normal rainfall. [01:55.84]Mums grow best in full sunshine. [01:59.63]They produce colorful blooms [02:02.57]when days get shorter and nights get longer. [02:07.26]The life cycle of the plant depends on the amount of daylight. [02:12.59]This is why experts advise against placing mums [02:18.47]near nightlights or streetlights. [02:21.42]The light may interfere with their normal growth cycle. [02:26.62]The plants may develop buds too soon. [02:30.81]In climates where temperatures fall below freezing, [02:35.69]plant mums at least six weeks [02:39.33]before the first frost is expected. [02:43.37]Placing mulch around the plants [02:47.30]can protect them from the cold. [02:49.24]Consider using straw or shredded leaves for the mulch. [02:54.52]The material will also add nutrients to the soil. [02:59.36]Some gardeners say the most beautiful presentation [03:04.16]comes from planting mums close together. [03:07.75]But be sure to leave enough space to let air flow [03:13.30]between the plants. [03:14.55]If not, there may be a greater chance of disease. [03:19.33]To get more blooms, gardeners pinch back the branches [03:25.38]when new growth has reached fifteen centimeters. [03:29.87]Squeeze about five to seven centimeters off each branch. [03:36.00]Pinch it again when a branch [03:38.36]grows another twelve to fifteen centimeters. [03:41.84]Stop the pinching about one hundred days [03:45.43]before you want the plants to bloom. [03:49.13]And that's the VOA Special English Agriculture Report. [03:54.47]I'm Jim Tedder.