“Drottningen bland höstblommorna” – Krysantemumodling vid 1900-talets början

Abstract

Chrysanthemum, Chrysanthemum x morifolium, was one of the most common cultures to cultivate in market gardens in Sweden during the 20th century. Chrysanthemum was and is still today a popular cut flower and potted plant. Nowadays chrysanthemum is available in flower shops and localstores year-round but in the early 20th century the chrysanthemum was known as a fall flower, since it is their normal flowering season. Research and new cultivation methods have made it possible to grow chrysanthemum year-round. This study aims to investigate how chrysanthemum was grown in the early 20th century in market gardens. Literature and garden journals made by gardeners between the years 1901-1923 were the main sources in this study.

One common method to grow chrysanthemum was to plant cuttings in the spring and later plant them outside during the summer, with or without pots. The gardener took care of the plants with a variety of tasks such as stopping and disbudding to get quality flowers in the fall. The plants were transferred from being outdoors into a greenhouse, normally in September. During the fall the chrysanthemums started to flower in the greenhouse and it was possible for customers to buy the beautiful flowers.

A gardener during the investigated period needed to have knowledge and skills to be able to grow and shape chrysanthemum. Results from the literature study and journals are presented in the thesis such as descriptions on how and when the gardener executed certain tasks regarding chrysanthemum.