—Lancaster Farming. Saturday. Oct 4. 197!
70
Autumn in bloom at mum farm
By Braale SsymaasU
"W« killed them with fall flowers, the Kreiders colorful but prolific as well
kindness," said Harold hold out hope and advice to “One twig is enough to
Kreidcr, litltz R 2, as he those who can't get their start a full plant, according
spoke with us recently at his mums to respond to even the toKreider; in fact, he warns.
Mum Farm along Lexington greenest of thumbs. just thinning the full grown
Road, Just off Route SOI "We started (this farm) plants will not insure "nice"
north. with one plant," he con- mums for the following
Unued, noting that it was the season. Mums should be dug
™ w “ referring to the only one which survived that up completely, separated at
first batch of mums he and first unfortunate season. As the roots and transplanted
his wife, Esther, had at- we surveyed the mum-filled Said our expert, if the
tmpted to raise. Now ex- acres, we were assured that plants become “over
pcrts'ln the art of the care the popular chrysan- populated", the blooms will
f
f.
“Disbudding” the football mums to make certain
they will bloom full and colorful is one of the many
little chores carried out at this time of the year by
Harold Kreider, owner of Kreider’s Mum Farm,
Lititz R 2. “There's not much in the books (about
raising mums)," he said and admitted that most of
his knowledge comes from years of experience with
the flowers. Over 300 varieties of chrysanthemums
are raised on the farm and Kreider knows the name
of each kind. In the process of testing about 40 new
varieties now, he said it takes time to learn them all
by sight and finds the ones that do the best are the
easiest to remember.
•i’l'4'l A A-t A.**<***«*»»-*TT*** V f.
and cultivation of the little themuim were not only
'•*•*••••“*•*•****** * ***** “uuVtutJu 5 * *** -S: r* v r
"IP
be small i* takes a strong
plant, started from a single
root system or cutting to
produce die full pom-poms
so dearh admired by
chrysanthemum levers.
Beam Plants
“TTiere are two secrets to
wintering mums.” confided
Kreider First, ann’t cut the
plants down the sap tram
the plant nourishes die root
system Seconn. plan: them
on i slope or anyplace where
they will dram weL It is
important, according to
Kreider. that the plants
••freeze dry” and are not
allowed to remain in wet
ground.
Mums should be cot down
m the summer, though he
Linda Kreider searches through a graduate of Brownstown Vo-Tech
targe bundle of dark red ' cock’s where she studied flower arranging,
combs’ to hnd the right one for the Linda creates most of the dried
dried arrangement she is making. A arrangements sold at the mum farm.
LEBANON VALLEY
TRACTOR PULLER’S ASSO.
Presents
4 WHEEL DRIVE
TRUCK PULL
At Lebanon Area Fairgrounds
FRIDAY EVENING,
OCTOBER 10, 1975
7:00P.M.
RAIN DATE: SAT., OCTOBER 11, 1975
1:30 P.M.
"Now's the time to settle your disputes.”
I STOCK —MODIFIED .
4000 pounds 4000 nds
5000 pounds , nnn .
6000 pounds 6000 P° unds
WEIGH IN 6:00 P.M.
*lo.oo ENTRY FEE
TROPHIES PRIZE MONEY RIBBONS
Refreshments Available
Admission 12 & oner *2.00 under 12 free
Information ■ Charles Bomgardner 867-2890
T , ,>W.
added, to allow for new
growth and to make certain
the new blooms will “hold”
and be full.
Mums are not particular
where they grow, either, and
actually perfer an acid soil.
The best fertilizer for mums,
said Kreider, 4s good old
fashioned manure. Com
mercial fertilizers, although
basically good, are often
used too heavily in which
case the plants are in danger
of chemical burning.
Commercial fertilizers, be
warned, can also force
mums to grow too quickly
and bloom before their time.
It seons that mums, though
not particular about where
they grow, are very choosy
about when they grow and
fare well only when allowed
to show their colorful faces
according to their own
natural time-clocks. (With
the exception of greenhouse
blooms.)
Another way to “kill them
with kindness,” Kreider
offered is to cover them with
mulch for the winter. People
who do so, do it with the best
intensions - they want to
protect their plants from the
harshness of winter weather.
But, don’t do it if you want
to have the nicest mums on
your block, says our expert.
Too much protection could
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