Why is it taking my chyrsanthemum so long to bloom?

Hi. I bought a clara curtis chyrasanthemum last summer. It looks healthy and has many, many buds, so I know it will start to bloom soon, finally (Its October 9th). I read that this plant was supposed to start blooming in mid summer and bloom a long time into fall, that's why I bought it. Anyone know why it's taken so long to bloom?

 

Lower temperatures normally make the buds open late.

 

flowercents,
Where abouts are you in BC? I bet we share the same day and night time temperatures (I am in Coquitlam), which at present is unseasonably high - higher than normal. My understanding is that chrysanthemums need short days to initiate flower buds, which is not a problem in our lattitude. In fact, all the four different varieties of perennial chrysanthemums in our garden are loaded with flowr buds. Like you, I am not seeing any flowers yet. It seems that there is a narrow range of optimal temperatures that will trigger the opening of the flowers. Temperatures above and below this range will delay opening of the flowers. Greenhouse grown chrysanthemums can be "forced" into flowering at the right time and synchronously by sequentially and articially altering day length and finally, the temperature.

This is not, rigid, of course - it depends on the variety. In general, in our garden, the perennial chrysanthemums flower later if the sunnier warmer weather lasts longer into the fall.

One unfortunate thing is that the arrival of colder temperatures often brings with it the fall rains, which tend to spoil what would otherwise a great display of late colours.

 

weekend Gardener, Yes, I live in the fraser valley, so our temperatures must be similiar, and it seems warmer than usual for this time of the year. Because this particular chrysanthemum was supposed to start blooming in mid summer, I had hoped it would. Maybe it does if grown in another area of the country. Thanks for your reply.

 

Yes, that one is supposed to be early. Maybe it will start blooming sooner after you have had it longer and it is a larger specimen. Did you buy a clump in a comparatively big pot or a little one?

Also possible it was mis-labeled, of course.

 

I bought a smaller one last year, but it is large now, at least 2 feet tall & wide.

 

Possibly also been held back by site conditions, maybe a cool spot or site retards it a bit. We had that rainy March, too, maybe that held it up somehow.

When it flowers check with photos and descriptions to see if you have the right one.

 

That is a gorgeous mum! I'd seen it at the local Choices store in Burnaby (in their landscaping, not for sale) and wondered what it was. It was in bloom in August.