Mums, or Chrysanthemums as they are officially known, do have a limited cycle of blooms. But there are a few key secrets to caring for them that can extend their blooming times — and keep them looking fantastic all through the fall decorating season.
Even better, if you are sure to select a hardy mum at the time of purchase, you can overwinter them to use again next year.
And that can certainly save on the garden and decorating budget! Keeping your mums blooming throughout the fall season all begins at the moment of purchase.
Or more importantly, at what stage of the mums flowering cycle they are in when you take them home. Big, beautiful plants in full bloom might look enticing in the store, but they will be fading soon. Look for plants that are full of buds, or just barely beginning to open up.
Mums at this point are just beginning to explode with color. And that means you can have them providing beautiful blooms for up to a full 45 days or more. See: How To Overwinter Mums. Another big key when purchasing your mums in the fall is to look for hardy mums. These are mum varieties that can handle overwintering with a bit of care. Hardy mums can really stretch your gardening dollars by providing years of blooms and life. The can be overwintered in pots, or planted directly into flowerbeds to come back again and again.
Most labels will tell you if a mum is hardy or not. Hardy mums are often referred to as garden mums. These have full foliage and larger blooms. Floral mums are not winter hardy, and should be avoided when trying to save for multiple years. Floral mums are usually much smaller plants with small cluster blooms. Is it the ph level in the soil? What do I need to do to make them become white again? Thanks so much. This is normal and happens when the mum is aging. They are white in bloom and then move into pink and then purple.
Perhaps you could slow down the process by pinching? Otherwise, enjoy the show. I am a beginner gardner, living in western maryland, and is it possible being beginning of June to plant mum seeds in the near future and expect fall blooms? Good question, Genie!
Garden mums are almost always propagated by cuttings, not seed. You can order rooted cuttings from catalogs. For example: www. When it comes to mums, we buy fresh starter plants from the local nurseries each year. I had a beautiful, yellow, potted mum.
Just yesterday I planted them in my garden. By 12pm today, ALL the flowers look sad and are looking at the ground! Am I supposed to cut these down to 4 inches? Trim continuously starting now but not beyond July 4th? I've read so many conflicting things. I live in Northern Florida. I planned my mums in the ground right after fall.
They have been growing like crazy. I've cut them back once already, but I've noticed it looks like I may have buds coming on Should I cut them back again or wait and see what happens.
I really want them to bloom in the fall like they're suppose to. Not sure what to do. In your area, it's best to wait until October or November to set Mums out in the garden so they last. Plant mums with tight flower buds so they last longer. I'm afraid you need to think of mums as a short-term investment, similar to cut flowers.
You can usually get a second bloom though it won't be as full as the first. After the bloom fades, cut the stems back into the fuller portion of the plant. Now spring is almost here and I want to start mums from seeds indoors and then transplant into bigger pots so I'll have plenty of blooming mums when September and October roll around. I live in New Hampshire, Zone 5A. When should I sow seeds indoors, when should I transplant into larger pots and put outside so they will be in full bloom from September through November?
I bought garden mums in November and have had them in the house until now mid-December. They are still blooming. What do I do to keep them alive over the winter so that I can put them out in the spring? I am curious I live in Nj. I ordered Mums a few months back and was told they would be sent out for planting season I figured I wouldn't get them until early spring.
But low and behold, they sent them to me now. They are bare root plants, very little at this time. So much so, that there is three of them in an 11 x 16 envelope. What should I do with them for this winter? Plant them? Store them?
And how Pot them up in inch pots filled with good potting soil. Place in a west or south-facing window for the winter. Then plant outdoors in Spring. I have some potted mums I bought this fall Can I plant my mums in the ground now after they are pretty much done blooming? Or at what point should I plant them for best chance of blooming again next fall and not dying.
I live in Kansas. I buy potted mums every year when they come out around end of September early October. I have planted them near end of October- fairly deep and I have left the potted plant out where it was placed and ignored it and planted in spring.
Both ways have worked fine and year after year I have returning show of rainbows of mums. This year my hubby cut the plants to only about 3 inches sticking out of the ground - I freeked and was sure I would not see my mums again - but back they are pretty as ever tho a little leggier than they use to be before he did that.
I would definitely call them hardy mums : Now if the stores would please just get some new colors lol - always the same yellow, white, crimson, purple, or bronze - think i have some variables just from planting them all together - but still the same in color schemes. My heart aches now that I just planted 3 beautiful Mums. Mow that I have read all your blog posts I'm thinking all the hard work will have been for nothing.
I think i will also cover them with a frost protection wrap as well. I did plant them pretty in a well established flower bed. I live in Southeast Ohio. Love your blog! Don't be discouraged. I follow the advice from a trusted nursery in my town.
I planted my mums bought from them in November and left them until they started to brown, cut them back to about 4" and mulched. They came back this spring with a vengeance! They are huge and I am excited to see how much bigger they will grow by this fall. I live in Texas and we have had 3 really bad freezes and ice this year.
I have 8 mums and I am seeing that it looks best to wait till spring to plant them. They will be in the garage over the winter. Should I Prune them now or. In the spring. How much do I Prune back and when. My birthday is today and my grandson gave me a large ot of MUMS that are bloomed ihe did not know what they were how do i take cace of them i live in a apartment???? Cut back plants after they are done blooming. Treat them like a house plant, placing pots in or near east, west or south-facing winds.
Don't fertilize until early spring. I live in new England state rhode island to be exact zone 6A,im getting conflicting answers on what to do with my potted mums for the winter,,plant in ground now in October,or not to plant in ground? I have planted in ground in the past but they either don't come up or come up very straggly the next sping,, although I have seen other peoples mums come up year after year thru our cold winters full and bigger and ive noticed that they are planted close to the house foundation im assuming the heat of the house and the sun hitting the cement foundation keeps the plant not as cold during the winter,,should I plant by the foundation,,keep in pots in the cool dark basement and plant in the spring,,or leave in the garage in pots that might only get to 10deg,on our coldest days???
What to do. I'd put the pots in the garage and water them monthly to keep roots hydrated. If you plan outdoors, put plants in a sheltered spot and mulch heavily. Good luck Robert. If I bought mums from the store in end of Sept and put them in the basement over the winter and I plant the in the spring ,will I be able to leave them in the ground and not dig them up in the fall?
I am in the 5 zone. William, I live in Zone 5, too, and have had great success with mums planted in early spring. They have pleny of time to establish robust root systems during the summer. Don't wait much longer to plant. Water well and mulch thickly. You never know what surprises Mother Nature brinsg. So plant now! I live in Mi,,got a mum plant as a gift.
I have it on my deck now,,when should I put it in the garage for the winter? This site is super! I am 83 years old and been gardening most of my life and I can tell you I have learned a lot about mums and peonies here.
I want to plant some mums in my flower beds. It is now sept. I will be purchasing them from the store in pots. So is it ok to take them out of the pot and plant them.
I am on the east coast and the tempeture is nowc on the east coast. You may find mum plants on the deep-discount table at garden centers and big boxes. It's too late to plant them in the ground. That's why they're cheap. You can try overwintering the mums in pots indoors or in a cool garage. My neighbor h as the most beautiful mums in the front of her house. I have dug out plants from a flower bed by one of my sheds. I don't know when to plant them,but wal mart just put them out,how to take care of them.
I need help. It is October 21 here,so if I bring them home what do I do. I have a heated garage. Do I take them out of pot or leave them in the pot. Do I plant now or keep them in garage?
See my message to Bob. Stores are dumping the mums, which are already stressed, to salvage any money thye can. Wait until next April-May and buy smal plants at garden centesr, which carry them early in the season. I would like to try to overwinter my hardy mums but would like your advice as to the best place.
I noticed in the article you said the best temperature range is F. The temperature in my garage dips down into the 20's but the basement usually stays in the 60's. Which would you think is better?
I was considering leaving mums in their pot and planting them in the ground to decorate my walkway. The pot seems root bound but if I keep water the mums as you have suggested , and keep them in garage over the winter,can I expect to be able to plant them in the spring? Jim, it's too late to plant mums unless you live in Zone 9.
Put them in the garage and water about weeks to keep the roots hydrated. I have around 25 mums in the ground, lots of blooms. Please tell me I dont have to dig them up and put in pots for the winter. I live in the deep south east Georgia.
First time with mums. No, you don't have to dig them up. But, when the blooms brown, heap lots of mulch around plants. Don't cut back growth. It acts as insulation. Cut it in the spring when you see new growth. I live in Piedmont NC. I planted 6 mums last fall per instructions on the container just getting into gardening and not realizing they should he planted in spring.
We had a very cold winter for this area most days out of school anyone ever seems to remember somehow 2 of these boogers survived and are now about triple the size they were last year. However, also being unaware of where they should be planted, they don't have enough room now where they are. They were perfect for the space last year but have outgrown the space this year.
I know this should have been done in spring, but since they have no room anyway, will it hurt to move them over 20 feet to a more open area this time of year? I won't split them until next year but just don't want to kill them by moving them. Hi, I live in Hawaii where the temperatures range in the 70's and 80's. I bought some mums about a week ago. I have them outside in their original plastic pots. The mums get the afternoon sun which is very hot.
They were beautiful until my Maroon Mums started to fade. Could the sun have anything to do with the fading? Also, should I re-pot them in bigger pots? I replanted a mum from a pot into the ground in December. I live in South Carolina. Do you have any recommendations of how I can care for it, or is it beyond help? I was told my mums would bloom again if I planted them in my yard late in October.
I put the 9 very large mums where I was going to plant them but never got around to doing it. Therefore, these plants sat out in the weather, uncovered, not planted all winter thus far! Should I just throw them away or is there a chance I could still plant them in the Spring? Thank You! The mums will be fine in the garage and in their orginial pots. Be sure to water them about one a month to keep roots hydrated.
I followed your instructions and now that it's spring - I am wondering when the green will start to come back? I am in zone 5 - joliet, IL - I have brought the pots out for some of the milder days and bring them back into the garage at night - I must be an impatient gardener - but i am just too excited to see if they survived or not : the stumps look really dry and brown - so just wondering should I plant them in the ground after frost risk is over in this brown dry state - or should there be some green by then?
I know these plants bloom in fall - but when should I start seeing signs of life in the plant if it survived? Wait a bit. I live about miles north of you, and I have not seen any green growth on my mums, which are planted outdoors. This was and is tough winter and plants are slow to break their dormancy. We even had snow yesterday into this morning. Just be patient and water the pots every two weeks to keep the roots hydrated. I live in sw Florida. When should I plant my bloomed mums? Winter is fairly warm here You can plant them after they finish blooming.
Remove the dead flowers and keep plants well-watered. Fertilize monthly. Don't be surprised if the mum plants bloom again in Spring. It takes even days and nights to trigger flower bud formation, and in southern latitudes such as yours, plants will do so.
Remove the dead flowers again and wait for a second flower show in autumn! Can you winter over other perennials in store bought pots? I didn't get around to preparing soil in new landscape area. Illinois Zone 5 Thank you. What about other perennial plants in pots, like if you my from the garden center, and they never got planted BUT still alive. How or can I winter those over?? In Illinois Zone 5, supposed to be a harsh winter.
I live in Zone 5-IL, too, and I overwinter many perennials in the garage, against a house wall, where it's warmer. Again, I water plants monthly to keep roots healthy.
I bought an awesome mum in late September that I want to plant and I see that you suggest to put it in a basement or cool closet until spring. I do not have either of those but was wondering if my garage is an ok place, or is it too cold.
I planted my little mum given to me on Mother's day. It was tiny but now in early October, it is gigantic and has hundred of tiny buds on it. Some are now opening. It will be a madness of yellow if they all bloom before the frost. My question is this - Do Mum plants grow like a bush and very large and if so, how do I transplant some of it?
Yes, mum plants do grow huge! Spring is when to divide plants. Use a shovel to cut plant in half. Dig up one part and replant it. Replace lost soil around remaining plant and water both well. Mums keep on giving! If I take care of my recently purchased potted mums in the basement as you suggest, and plant them in the spring, when will they bloom?
I like having all these reds, oranges, and yellows in the fall, which is why I also get sucked into buying them. These mums are actually perennials as long as they're properly planted and given the right care, so they make good choices for brightening up your fall garden.
They're best planted in the spring once the ground is free of frost , giving them time over the summer to establish their roots in the soil before they become knockout bloomers in the fall. If you plant hardy mums in the fall, they likely won't survive the winter.
Instead, you can try letting the plants go dormant in their pots and keeping them in a cold but frost-free indoor spot like a garage until the following spring. Then you can plant the mums outside in your garden once the soil has warmed up again. You should soon see new growth appearing from the roots if your plant is still alive. For either type of mum, when picking out plants to buy, choose mums that are still budding and not in full bloom. You'll be able to enjoy their flowers longer this way.
Mid- to late-September is ideal if you want to love your mums for as long as possible. You can even extend your enjoyment of these plants after they die by turning them into cheery holiday decor. Viveka Neveln Headshot. By Viveka Neveln Updated August 17,
0コメント