Growing Chrysanthemum Greens Indoors as Microgreens

  • Fill the grow bag with a fine textured potting mix. Put the seeds evenly on top of the potting mix and pat them down. Cover lightly with extra soil.

  • Put in a bright indoor location for your container near a south facing window. Keep in mind that the chrysanthemum will bolt and become bitter if they are exposed to too much sun/heat.

  • When your seeds are germinating, mist the soil lightly with a spray bottle every morning. Once they are growing well, use a small can to water the soil.

  • To harvest, use sharp kitchen scissors to cut them close to the soil. It takes around 3 weeks to grow to baby leaf size. Harvest just before you want to eat which helps protect their texture, great flavor and the nutrients (potassium and carotenoids).

Companion Plants:

  • Ornamental peppers

  • Pansies

  • Sedums

  • Ornamental grasses

  • Pumpkins

  • Gourds

How should I fertilize my Chrysanthemum Greens?

When using a store bought fertilizer, you need to use a 20-20-20 or a 15-15-15 balanced nutrient solution. This is equal amounts of nitrogen, phosphorous and potassium.

For a natural fertilizer use a good organic manure, vermicompost, coffee grounds and castor cake.

If you use a soluble fertilizer, you can just water in the product at the beginning of the month. Dry preparations need to be measured and scratched into the soil. Follow this with a deep watering to carry nutrients to the roots and help prevent salt build-up in the soil.
Container plants should be leached ( once per month to avoid excess salt in the soil. As the plant grows, pinch off the tips of the branches to force a more compact plant and more bountiful blooms. Do this once per month from May to late June or early July. Stop pinching at this time to prevent removing the new flower buds which will mature by the end of summer or early fall.

What bugs attack Chrysanthemum Greens and what gets rid of them?

  • The chrysanthemum aphids are brown to black; however, other aphid species that may feed on chrysanthemums range in color from green to pink. Aphids feed by piercing plant tissue and sucking plant sap. They prefer feeding on new growth in such areas as shoots, the undersides of leaves, buds, and flowers.

    Aphids can be removed from plants by applying a forceful spray of water to the plants every 2 days, especially to the undersides of leaves. Continue as needed, but at least 3 times. Several naturally occurring enemies feed on aphids. As much as possible, these predators should be allowed to reduce aphid populations. As a result of their phenomenal ability to reproduce, aphids are very difficult to control with insecticides. Leaving one aphid alive can result in the production of a new colony very quickly.

  • Mites are not insects but are more closely related to spiders. They tend to be more of a problem during hot, dry periods. Mites are extremely small and can barely be seen without a magnifying lens. They have piercing mouthparts with which they puncture plant tissue and suck plant sap. With a light infestation, leaves develop stipples (tiny yellow spots) and appear dusty. Early damage is often overlooked until the damage is more severe. Spider mites will be initially on the lower surfaces of leaves.

    Spider mites can be removed by spraying plants forcefully with water. Repeat as needed, but at least 3 times. Insecticidal soap, if started early in the infestation, is effective at controlling spider mites.

  • The adult female lays eggs on the undersurfaces of leaves. The larvae hatch and penetrate the surface to enter the leaf and live between the upper and lower surfaces of the leaves. As they move through the leaf feeding, they create winding trails that are pale green to brown in color. Dots of black waste products are visible in some of the trails. Severely infested leaves may dry up and droop downward along the stems.

    Prune off and destroy infested leaves. Any leaves that fall to the ground should be picked up and destroyed. Remove and destroy any plant remains in the fall.

What soil pH is best for Chrysanthemum Greens?

They like a somewhat moist soil but not so much water that the soil stays constantly soggy or wet. Soil pH Preferred - Mums thrive in a wide range soil pH between 6.0 and 8.0. This means soil pH shouldn't be a problem unless your soil is known to be heavily alkaline or acidic.

How do you store Chrysanthemum Greens?

The stems and leaves will start to wilt quickly after harvesting, losing their crunchy texture and aroma. If you can’t use them straight away, you can keep them in the vegetable drawer of your fridge for up to two days, wrapped in cling film. Freezing is not recommended, as the plant will become soft and mushy when defrosted.