VOA慢速英語(yǔ):In the Garden: Getting the Most Out of Mums

[00:00.00]This is the VOA Special English [00:03.44]Agriculture Report. [00:05.03]People have grown chrysanthemums [00:08.33]for more than two thousand years. [00:10.72]Chinese and other Asian cultures [00:14.30]make tea with the flowers. [00:16.19]But mums also make bright [00:19.13]and colorful gardens. [00:20.78]One basic kind of mum [00:24.42]is the hardy or garden mum. [00:26.70]The other basic kind [00:29.34]is the florist mum. [00:31.08]The garden mum is better able [00:34.12]to handle different growing [00:36.06]conditions than the florist mum. [00:38.30]There are many varieties of mums. [00:42.08]The decorative mum [00:44.33]is often seen in gardens. [00:46.16]Another popular type, [00:48.70]the quill mum, has long, [00:51.23]straight petals [00:52.73]like a tube or needle. [00:54.62]Chrysanthemum blooms [00:57.60]can be white, yellow, gold, [01:00.59]red or other colors. [01:02.68]The plants often grow [01:04.93]to one meter in height. [01:06.77]The soil should be kept moist [01:10.35]but well drained so [01:12.59]it does not get too wet. [01:14.44]Newly planted mums should [01:17.37]be watered two [01:18.67]or three times a week, [01:20.11]depending on conditions. [01:21.60]Plants established [01:24.09]in the ground may do well [01:25.88]just with normal rainfall. [01:28.07]In dry conditions [01:30.26]they will need more water. [01:32.20]Mums grow best in full sunshine. [01:35.83]They produce colorful blooms [01:38.82]when days get shorter [01:40.66]and nights get longer. [01:42.35]The life cycle of the plant [01:45.55]depends on the amount of daylight. [01:47.88]This is why experts advise [01:50.32]against placing mums [01:52.71]near nightlights or streetlights. [01:55.19]The light may interfere [01:57.48]with their normal growth cycle. [01:59.73]The plants may [02:01.42]develop buds too soon. [02:02.92]In climates where temperatures [02:07.15]fall below freezing, plant mums [02:10.18]at least six weeks [02:12.12]before the first frost is expected. [02:14.92]That way, the plants will [02:17.91]be well established for cold weather. [02:20.20]Placing mulch around the plants [02:24.47]can protect them from the cold. [02:26.47]Doug Akers from the cooperative [02:29.84]extension service at Purdue University [02:32.84]in Indiana suggests straw [02:35.57]or shredded leaves for the mulch. [02:38.32]The material will [02:40.21]also add nutrients to the soil. [02:42.55]Some gardeners say the most [02:46.18]beautiful presentation comes [02:48.63]from planting mums close together. [02:51.29]But they also advise leaving [02:54.87]enough space between the plants [02:57.45]so air can flow. [02:59.24]If not, the chance [03:01.54]of disease may increase. [03:03.67]To get more blooms, [03:07.01]gardeners pinch back the branches [03:10.60]when new growth has extended [03:13.09]to fifteen centimeters. [03:15.87]Squeeze about five [03:17.92]to seven centimeters off each branch. [03:21.31]Pinch again when a branch [03:24.75]grows another twelve [03:26.70]to fifteen centimeters. [03:28.68]Stop pinching about one hundred days [03:33.21]before you want the plants to bloom. [03:36.26]And that's the VOA Special English [03:41.04]Agriculture Report, [03:42.47]written by Jerilyn Watson. [03:44.66]You can find all of our reports [03:48.50]with transcripts and MP3s [03:51.82]at chinavoa.com. [03:55.17]I'm Faith Lapidus.

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