Place the plants back outside when the temperature rises above 50 degrees the next day. Alternately, you can cover the potted plants with old towels or sheets to protect from the frost, taking care to cover all exposed areas of the plant.
I wanted to share my Mum experience. It is approx. In diameter, and suffocated all my annuals; but, worth the beautiful sight! Have you seen anything like it?
Usually the mums sold in spring are the hardy mums that last from year to year. Then I let them grow normally. Cutting back produces many more flowers. After they are done blooming for the year and the ground is frozen, I cut them back and cover with mulch. I have had some of the plants for many years but not all live more than 3 years. The mums sold in fall are usually not the hardy variety and are only used as an annual.
I still try to overwinter them and sometimes it works. For the perfect late-season bloomer, you can't go wrong with chrysanthemums! Use these tips to help you plant, grow, and enjoy this favorite autumn flower. When fall arrives, some of the showiest summer blooms, such as pompon dahlias , Shasta daisies , African daisies , zinnias , coreopsis , and calendulas , fade away.
But the late season garden offers all these flower shapes from just one plant: the chrysanthemum. Available in dozens of exciting varieties, mums bloom for weeks, and the sheer number of brightly colored flowers per plant will leave no doubt as to why mums are such a favorite for filling porch pots and flower beds once other blooming plants start winding down. Here's what you need to know to grow and care for fall mums that are sure to liven up your landscape until winter sets in. Mums generally come in two types: Florist mums also known as cutting mums and hardy mums also known as garden mums.
Both types come from the same original parent, a golden-yellow daisy-like mum from China. Today's hybrids in both categories are the results of endless crosses between several species from China and Japan. The result of such hybridization performed over hundreds of years is different types of mums that perform for two distinct purposes. Florist mums have many possible bloom forms, including quilled, pompon, spider, and more.
Grown in greenhouses and used only as indoor plants , florist mums produce few, if any, underground runners, which mums need to survive cold weather. Florist mums planted outside are most likely being used as short-term bedding plants that will be removed when the blooms are spent or frost kills them. You can plant a potted florist mum you receive as a gift but don't expect it to survive the winter outside, no matter how much protection you give it.
Garden mums, on the other hand, can survive cold better. Most garden mums are perennials in Zones and much tougher than florist types.
Some cultivars are less hardy than others and can be killed by an early spring frost , though. Both florist and garden mums make excellent container plants. Pop them into a clay pot or a fall window box by themselves or with other fall plants like flowering kale.
Making sure your potted mums thrive starts with picking the right plant. Look for a plant with more buds than open flowers; it will last longer and the repotting process will be less traumatic for a plant not yet in full bloom. Most mums in containers will have very compacted root balls after sitting in nursery containers, so gently breaking up the root ball and giving the mum a new home in some fresh potting soil will set your plant up for success.
Chrysanthemums love full sun and all that heat means they also need plenty of water. Give them a good soak after repotting, then water every other day or whenever soil seems dry.
Try to avoid allowing your plants to wilt. They will revive well after watering again, but the flower buds may not last as long or look as bright. Because of their tight, mounded habit and profusion of blooms, garden mums are perfect for mass plantings.
To get the maximum effect from far away, stick to only one or two colors. Another possibility is to arrange a gradual transition of related colors in an ombre effect. Many landscape plants can provide a backdrop for groupings of mums to help them stand out more.
For texture, choose ornamental grasses , berry shrubs, sedum, or almost any conifer. If you decorate for fall with pumpkins and gourds , choose orange, bronze, yellow, and creamy white mums.
If you have a lot of evergreen plants that provide a backdrop of varying shades of green foliage, try bright pinks, lavenders, pure whites, or reds. With such bold colors, a large grouping of mums can excite even the most drab of fall landscapes. To get the most from your mums, choose cultivars according to their bloom times.
It also helps to coordinate bloom time with the length of fall in your location. Most garden mums will withstand a light fall frost , but finding the best cultivars will let you enjoy them for as long as possible. Mums aren't as expensive as many perennials, so if you want, you can plant them as annuals without worrying that you've spent too much money on something that might not live more than one season.
If you're an impulse buyer, you'll probably see pots of colorful mums this fall and not be able to resist. Fall planting lessens the chance of winter survival, however, because roots don't have time to establish themselves enough.
If you want something more permanent and are willing to provide proper care such as mulching and pinching to encourage compact growth and more blooms, plant mums in the spring and allow them to get established in the garden.
This will improve their chances of overwintering and reblooming the next year. Some plants will even produce a few blooms in the spring before being pinched for fall flowers. Whether in a pot or in your garden, mums like lots of light. Mums thrive in full sun conditions as long as you give them enough water.
Choose a spot that gets at least six hours of sun a day. Plants that don't get enough sunlight will be tall and leggy and produce fewer, smaller flowers. Popular varieties include: Apricot Alexis, Candid and Pat Lawson Regular Incurve Regular incurve chrysanthemum blossoms are tight, smooth globes of inwardly curving florets.
Each bloom is between 4 to 6 inches in diameter. Popular varieties include: Gillette, Moira and Heather James Pompom Resembling the regular incurve, Pompom mums are only 1 to 4 inches. The tight blooms are common in floral arrangements. Popular varieties include: Rocky, Yoko Ono and Lavender Pixie Quilled Show-stopping quilled chrysanthemums feature long, tubular florets that open to a spoon shape or slight downward curve at the end. Their spiky appearance often mimics other types of mums.
Their total plant size is between 1 to 3 feet, making them ideal for small spaces and borders. Popular varieties include: Rage, Icy Island and Crimson Glory Spider Spider mums are well known for their long, spiky florets of single or multiple colors. The tubular florets resemble spider legs and can go in all directions. The delicate and exotic appearance creates a focal bloom in your garden. Popular varieties include: Evening Glow, Symphony and Western Voodoo Spoon Spoon mums have a button center surrounded by ray florets featuring a spoon shape at each tip.
They are often mistaken for single chrysanthemums, but the difference lays in the slight curve. Popular varieties include: Kimie, Fantasy and Redwing Reflex The bloom of a reflex mum is slightly flat with florets that curve downward.
The crossing of the florets produces an interesting feather-like appearance. Popular varieties include: White City, Champion and Apricot Thistle The thistle bloom, also called the bush bloom, often features multi-colored blooms. The long, thin florets twist to rise up or fall backwards towards the stem. Thistle blooms have a unique, exotic look to them. Popular varieties include: Cindy, Cisco and Orange Spray Unclassified With so many chrysanthemum varieties, many chrysanthemum blooms feature characteristics that place them in more than one category.
Unclassified mums exhibit a wide range of colors and sizes. Popular varieties include: Lone Star, Lili Gallon and Pacificum Steps to Planting Chrysanthemums You may be asking yourself how to grow chrysanthemums to fill your garden landscape as quickly as possible. When to Plant Chrysanthemums? Planting chrysanthemum in the spring gives the perennial plant time to establish and adapt to its new garden home.
Planting in the spring will also result in a bigger bloom the following season. Although some fall mums can survive winter if planted immediately, the odds are much better with spring-planted mums. How Hardy Are Chrysanthemums? The majority of mum varieties are winter hardy in Zones 5 through 9.
Some varieties, such as Mammoth Daisy, are hardy down to Zone 3. Local nurseries and garden centers will most often feature the varieties that are specific to local areas.
Avoid purchasing from floral shops — their mums are different, less hardy floral varieties. What is the Best Soil for Mums? Chrysanthemums can survive in most soils, but they thrive in well-draining soil with consistent moisture. Growing mums in hard, dry soil prevents the roots from becoming well established, while wet, boggy soil drowns the roots.
Finding the middle ground is key. To create a good soil for your mums, work your soil to a depth of 8 to 12 inches. Mix in 2 to 4 inches of organic material, such as compost or peat moss. The perfect soil texture can be tested by taking a handful and squeezing. It should simply crumble. Chrysanthemums are sun-loving plants. Although they technically require only 6 hours of sunlight each day, the more light they receive, the better their growth, bloom and hardiness.
Slight shade in hot, summer afternoons is appropriate in warmer gardening zones to prevent scorching. Mums bloom due to their photoperiodic nature. When the plant senses a change in the length of darkness in late summer, it begins to set buds. Planting near artificial lights, such as security lights or porch lights, can alter the bloom time of your mums.
Does Spacing Really Matter? It can be tempting to plant mums closely together. However, keep in mind that by fall, most properly planted mums will reach up to 3 feet in height and width.
Like many perennials, mums will often become larger each year. Even if your flower bed looks a bit bare when you first plant your mums, in time it will fill in. Spacing mums properly is essential for plant health. Plants that are too crowded compete for nutrients, have root system issues, attract pests and suffer from disease. Following the plant spacing directions for your chrysanthemum variety increases the health of your garden and protects your investment of time and money.
Caring for Chrysanthemums Mums are generally considered low maintenance plants. Mums require even moisture for the best growth.
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