The ‘Bronze Fleece’ chrysanthemum is a highly prized heirloom variety celebrated for its unique autumn color palette, featuring bronzey-orange and terracotta hues with a golden center. This spray-style mum produces charming, small anemone-style blooms sought after for fall bouquets and garden displays. Achieving the best display requires understanding its specific needs, particularly its tendency to grow tall and its status as a tender perennial in many regions. This guide provides the necessary steps to ensure your ‘Bronze Fleece’ thrives, delivering a spectacular display of color each fall.
Planting the Bronze Fleece Chrysanthemum
Establishing the proper site is the foundation for a healthy ‘Bronze Fleece’ chrysanthemum. The plant requires a location that receives a minimum of six hours of direct sunlight daily to fuel robust growth and autumn flowering. Avoid planting near artificial nighttime light sources, such as streetlights, because extended light exposure can confuse the plant’s internal clock and prevent bud formation.
The soil must be well-draining to prevent rot. Incorporating organic matter, like compost, improves both drainage and fertility. When planting, maintain a spacing of at least 12 inches between plants. This spacing is crucial for ensuring adequate air circulation around the foliage to prevent fungal diseases.
The best time to plant rooted cuttings or young plants is in the spring, after the final threat of frost has passed. Spring planting allows the root system a long growing season to become fully established before winter. Mums purchased late in the fall often lack sufficient time for root development and may not survive the first winter in the ground.
Routine Hydration and Nutrient Needs
Consistent moisture management is necessary for vigorous growth throughout the spring and summer. Plants should receive deep, consistent watering, especially during dry periods, ensuring the soil remains evenly moist but not waterlogged. Apply water directly to the base of the plant. Overhead watering keeps foliage wet, creating an environment favorable for fungal diseases like powdery mildew.
The ‘Bronze Fleece’ is a moderate feeder that benefits from a balanced nutrient supply during its active growth phase. If the soil is amended with a slow-release, granular fertilizer at planting, this may provide sufficient early-season nutrition. Otherwise, apply a balanced liquid fertilizer, such as a 20-20-20 formula, every two to four weeks starting in late spring. This regular feeding supports strong stems and dense foliage.
Cease all fertilizer applications by late summer, typically late July or early August, as the plant begins to set buds. Continuing to feed directs energy toward vegetative growth rather than flower development, which delays or diminishes the autumn bloom. Adjusting the feeding schedule ensures the energy is properly channeled into flower production.
Shaping the Plant for Maximum Bloom
The technique known as “pinching” is the most significant structural manipulation required to cultivate a bushy, bloom-heavy ‘Bronze Fleece’ chrysanthemum. This heirloom variety has a naturally tall growth habit. Pinching encourages lateral branching instead of a single, tall stem, resulting in a more compact plant with a higher number of flowers.
Pinching involves removing the top half-inch to one inch of new growth when the shoot reaches six to eight inches tall. Removing the terminal bud disrupts the flow of the plant hormone auxin, which suppresses side growth. This causes multiple new shoots to emerge from the leaf nodes below the cut. Repeat this process every two to four weeks as the new side shoots reach six inches in length.
Repetitive pinching should continue until early to mid-July, depending on your region, and must stop completely by the Fourth of July in most northern climates. Stopping the pinching allows the plant’s energy to shift from creating new foliage to developing autumn flower buds. Since ‘Bronze Fleece’ can grow three to four feet tall, a support system, such as stakes or horticulture netting, is often necessary to prevent mature stems from flopping over.
Overwintering and Pest Management
Overwintering
Protecting the ‘Bronze Fleece’ from harsh winter conditions is necessary for survival, especially in regions colder than USDA Zone 7a, where it is treated as a tender perennial. After blooming and a hard frost kills the foliage, cut the stems down to three to four inches above the soil line. Removing spent foliage minimizes the chance of disease overwintering near the plant’s crown.
For plants remaining in the ground, apply a thick layer of organic mulch, such as straw or shredded leaves, four to six inches deep over the crown. The mulch insulates the roots from cycles of freezing and thawing, which are often more damaging than consistent deep cold. Alternatively, in colder zones, dig up the root ball, pot it, and store it in a cool, dark, non-freezing location. Water sparingly once a month during dormancy.
Pest and Disease Management
The ‘Bronze Fleece’ chrysanthemum is susceptible to common pests like aphids and two-spotted spider mites. Aphids cluster on new growth, while spider mites thrive in hot, dry conditions and cause fine stippling on the leaves. The primary disease concern is powdery mildew, which appears as a whitish, ash-gray growth on leaves and is often a sign of poor air circulation.
Control Methods
Control methods vary depending on the issue:
- For aphids and spider mites, use a forceful spray of water to dislodge the pests, focusing on the undersides of the foliage for mites.
- Severe pest infestations can be treated with insecticidal soap or horticultural oil.
- To prevent powdery mildew, ensure proper plant spacing and avoid overhead watering, especially in the evening.
- Chemical control for powdery mildew includes fungicides containing active ingredients like myclobutanil or potassium bicarbonate.
- A non-chemical option for mildew is spraying the foliage with a solution of one part milk to two parts water.