Keeping Chrysanthemums throughout the winter and taking cuttings in spring.

One of many types of Chrysanthemums that can be increased by cuttings in the spring.

How to over-winter and take Cuttings from Chrysanthemums?

When your chrysanthemums have finished flowering in the late autumn, they can be dug up and stored for the following year. It is easy to overwinter Chrysanthemums.

Simply dig up the plants and cut back all the stems to about 6in (150mm). Place the chrysanthemums in a box or tray, and cover with soil or compost and store them in a cool, frost-free place for the winter. A garage or garden shed is ok for this as long as it is frost-free.

Just keep the soil slightly moist throughout the winter. Do not water the chrysanthemums too often.

Taking cuttings from Chrysanthemums.

In early spring – Jan – Feb if you have a heated greenhouse – start the overwintered chrysanthemums into growth with a little bit of heat and gentle watering. The new shoots that will grow will be your cuttings material for new plants.

When the new chrysanthemum shoots are about 2in (100mm) long, cut them off with a sharp knife – close to the mother plant. Remove all the bottom leaves – leaving just a pair at the top of the shoot.

You can insert the chrysanthemum cuttings into a seed box of compost, spaced at approximately 2in apart. Make sure that they are firm in the soil. Water them into the compost.

Keep them in warm light place – ideally with a clear plastic bag/sheet over them. When new leaves and growth starts, it is an indication that the chrysanthemum cuttings have rooted. Carefully transplant them into 3-4in pots (75-100mm) and grow on in plenty of light, until it is time (after last frosts) to plant them out into garden after firstly hardening the chrysanthemum cuttings off. (This will probably be mid May in milder areas.) But, be guided by the weather conditions in your own area.