Armstrong Growers Awarded for Biggest Mum

Grolink has announced this year’s winner of its annual Biggest Belgian Mum contest: Wendy Robinson from Armstrong Growers in San Juan Capistrano, Calif. The biggest mum, Grolink’s Pardre Yellow variety, measured 42-inches wide and 25.5-inches tall from the soil level of the pot. Robinson, the grower at Armstrong Greenhouses, planted three rooted cuttings in 14-inch containers June 4, 2013. She kept them in the greenhouse for five weeks, maintaining 90 percent humidity to promote the vegetative growth. Plants were acclimated shortly before moving outside to finish in full sun. The winning mum was fertilized with high rates of Peters Excel pHLow 18:18:18 from stick to finish. She applied the green mum netting from Grolink in week 29 to prevent breakage and possible splitting for a plant of this size. The measurements and the picture of the Biggest Mum were taken on Sept. 10. The first runner up was last year’s winner Tyler’s Farm in Oberlin, Ohio, and in third place was Jeffery’s Greenhouses in St. Catharines, Ontario, Canada. For more information on Grolink and the contest, visit www.grolink.com.