Worksop Show 13th November

I took 6 blooms to Worksop show this weekend, 3 x silver gigantic, 1 x amber gigantis and 1 x yellow phil, not only did I win the class but I was awarded a NCS certificate of merit for my efforts.

My First National

WOW, what more can I say my first national and what an experience it was. I entered flowers in the 3 large and 1 large in the restricted class and the 3 large for Doncaster society, I won all 3 classes. After I had come down from cloud nine I went to see my mentor Andy Wickham's entries. Andy had won the 12 large and the 18 large, his winning entry in the 18 was judged to be the best exhibit in show and was awarded The Bentley Trophy.

Andy's 18

A look down the Japs

November 3rd Barnsley Show

I made an entry at Barnsley show in the 3 large and or medium exhibition class, There were 3 entries in the class and I was beaten by Terry Wombell (National Medium Exhibition Bloom Champion), so I was happy with this result.

October 30th, 31st Update & Doncaster Show

This weekend brought my societys (Doncaster & DistrictChrysanthemum Society) show. I managed to cut 4 flowers, 3 x bronze gigantics and 1 x Elizabeth Shoesmith which I entered 2 x bronze gigantis and 1 x Elizabeth Shoesmith in the 3 large exhibition bloom class and the other bronze gigantic went in the single large exhibition bloom class.

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My single bloom entry was awarded best large or medium exhibition bloom in the show. I was over the moon as it was my first show and to walk away with that award was amazing.

A few photos of the show

Above the novice classes, very well supported

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As you can see its was a great show with some very good growers exhiting, Gorden Kirby, Rodger Brownbridge, Albert Teather & Barry Hogg to name just a few.

My thanks to all exhibitors for making this one of the best late shows I have seen at Doncaster.

October 7ths Update

Blooms were opening very slowly at this stage

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Weekly Update

From now on I will be posting pictures so you can see the blooms develope.

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Dukes.......................................Mystery Flower

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Gigantics.................................Elizabeth Shoesmith

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Phils..............................................Lanc Lad & Jessies

One Week On

My plants have been housed for about a week so I thought I'd put a couple of pics up to show how they are developing.

I Thought I'd leave the plants with full light as they were housed early so I will be putting the shading up this weekend to prevent any damage / scorching of the blooms as they develop.

Phils

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Gigantics...................................General shot

Housing Time Comes Early

Well I was planning on housing on the 18th September but due to the recent strong winds and heavy rain I have brought the plants in just over a week early. Some of the plants have took a battering but at least they are safe and away from the elements now.

Every plant was brought in to the greenhouse and then sprayed with a mix of 2 insecticides and a fungicide to make sure no nasties were fetched in to the greenhouse.

In the greenhouse I have 3 fans and a dehumidifier running 24hrs a day, the fans help to keep the air moving around the plants and the dehumidifier is set to 75% humidity this will help me to flower the plants at a lower temperature and is drained directly outside so there is no chance of it switching off with a full water tank.

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Time to Bag

The calyx on some of my Phils has split so it was out with the insecticide a quick spray around the bud and neck and on with a bud bag. The bags I have used are 12"x12" greaseproof bags, I put one bag inside another for extra protection, the reason I have used large bags and not the 7"x7" bag is that the bud will be in the bag for about 2 1/2 weeks so it has got plenty of room to develop.


As the rest of the calyx split on other plants I will bag them just the same, all bags will be removed after housing.

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Big Clean

I thought I'd better start and prepare the greenhouse today ready for my plants which will be housed on 18th September if the weather holds, as its not been used since April.

Greenhouse prep started with replacing 4 pains of glass that my sons football had smash during the summer months, as soon as my plants are housed footballs are strictly forbidden. Secondly all my benches needed removing and putting in my poly tunnel which is were I am thinking about doing all my rooting for next year.

I will be finishing off my prep work in the morning a complete clean out then I will burn all the gravel on the floor and wash with armilotox this will be mixed at double strength. I will be white washing the outside of the roof with nixol. Finally the greenhouse will be sprayed with insecticide to kill any nastiest that could be left.

Disaster

As went to check my plants at 6.30 this morning I was greated with a horrifing site of an aluminium ladder wedge between the garage wall and my Peggy Annes. I moved the ladder and I thought I'd got away without any casualties apart from a few leaves. The ladder usually lives on 2 hooks above the plants (safe as houses I thought). On my return from work I went to doudle check The Peggy Anne plants and found that there was one major casualty, one plant had been snapped off about 1" above the soil. Disaster but I've got 2 Peggy Annes left so lets hope they grow well.

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Update

Well no major problems to report from the Northern Group meeting, a few early buds here and there but nothing else. People were informed not to through away the cleaned up stock that had not performed as as it should have done (producing small wide plant)they had bought through the N.C.S. but to use it as a stock plant for next season.

Anyway back to my plants, with my supply of dry food running out and the weather being wet for a few days the only choice I've had to get food into my plants has been to give them a good foliar feed. This appears to have worked as the plants have continued to bulk up and the leaves are getting a real nice feel to them (firm without snapping when rolled round the finger).

A few photos


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..................Eliz Shoesmith............................................Gigantic Bud..............



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.........................Dukes........................................................Lanc Lads.......



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.......................Gigantics.....................................................Phils..............

Time To Secure

With the buds now big enough to secure on alot of my plants I have removed all the side shoots from around the bud and cut the spare break off so the plant can focus all its energy into the one potential flower for the shows in November. Hopefully this next week or so all my other plants buds will be ready to secure.

The only problem with securing and removing the spare break is all the carnage that you are left with.

I will be catching up with some other growers on Saturday when I go to the Northern Group NCS meeting so I will let you know how they are doing.

The Buds Are Showing

Looking around my plants today I've noticed that around 75% of them have now got a bud showing so hopefully by the end of next week I will be able to start and secure the buds and select which of the 2 breaks on each plant to keep and flower.

The petal count in each bud will now be set so by reducing each plant down to its final flowering break will enable the plant to become bigger and focus all its energy into hopefully producing a bigger better bloom.

My Jessie Habgood and sports are still showing signs of yellowing to the leaves so I will nip round them in the morning and give them another spoon of Epsom salts and pray that it does the trick.

Andy Wickham sent me a couple of photos the other day of some of his plants, his Phil Houghtons appear to be a bit taller than mine but his Pink Duke of Kent's look very similar to mine so the new feeding pattern seems to be working.

Top Dress

Well the weather didn't work out for a liquid feed before I got the top dressing on, but another couple of dry days and I'll be able to give them a drink until then I will keep applying the dry feed.

I have top dressed with the same mix as the plants are growing in, 50% John Innes No.3 & 50% multi purpose compost with added grit. To each pot I've added about 3/4" to 1" of compost.

Below a comparison of a untop dressed pot and a top dressed pot.

Yellowing Leaves

I noticed some of the leaves on my plants were turning yellow so I have been round and given them all a spoon of epson salts, I put this down to all the heavy rain over the last week washing all the goodness throught the pot.

The rain has also left a lot of my pots very wet which means I have been unable to liquid feed as much as I would of liked to have done but hopefully with the ruturn of the sun today I may be able to feed again this weekend before I top dress my pots.

More Food

Well the weathers changed for the worst, rain and a bit of wind well all good things must come to an end but hopefully the good weather will return soon. Ive stepped up my feeding regime as per Andys instruction its been extra nitrogen all round, the leaves have now started to bulk up abit and the stems are thickening so hopefully I will get some good results come November.

I was at Barrys the other day and decided to take a couple of photos to compair his mediums to my large.

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Photo Update

A few more photos. Andy W has had a look and told me to get some more snap into them, so I will take his advice onboard and feed a bit more. (Ive also had my hands slapped for not having my breaks tied up)

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--------------Pink Duke---------------------------------------Jessie Habgood------------


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---------Leviathan & Lanc Lad --------------------------------Phils------------------


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------Shoesmiths------------------------------------------------Gigantics-----------

Update

Its been a couple of weeks since I last posted, Ive just returned from a week in sunny Mablethorpe a well needed for me Gemma and the kids so Barry has been keeping an eye on things for me.

My plants have all just enjoyed a good high nitrogen feed to give them a boost and I have started taking all my plants down to 2 breaks this should be completed tomorrow night when I return home from work. Over the next couple of days I will be spraying for red spider / 2 spotted mite as the weather at the minute is ideal for them.

A Few Pics

Lancashire Lad & Laviathan

Gigantis

Phil Houghton & Yellow

Shirley Monarch Stock Plants (Thanks to Andy Wickham)