“I’m not buying any Mum’s this year; I never have any luck with them.”
We hear this all the time, people are frustrated when they buy so-called “hardy mums,” plant them and they don’t come back in the spring. Honestly, we’ve been just as frustrated with these beautiful flowers- sometimes they do and sometimes they don’t return.
While chrysanthemums are hardy in most zones, the hardiness can vary greatly between various cultivars.
Also, a lot has to do with the quality of the plants that are purchased. In the fall, you will see mums everywhere from garden centers to gas stations, often in full bloom. Most of the time these are also in 8” or smaller pots and sold at a low price. Fact is that these plants have been grown quickly and forced to bloom so that they look good on the rack. They are meant to catch your eyes and money, not to last long. And honestly, if the plants are not at an independent garden center or nursery, they probably haven’t been cared for very well.
Things to look for when purchasing mums-
- Heathy, well-watered plants. If the foliage looks limp or there is a gap around the edge between the potting soil and the pot, it means that the plant hasn’t been watered properly and has been allowed to dry out.
- Check the pot size. As mentioned above, many mums are grown in small pots to give the illusion of big healthy plants that are overflowing the pots. What you are really getting is a plant that’s been forced to grow in a small pot that doesn’t have enough soil around the roots to keep it well hydrated.
- Tight flower buds. Look for plants that are not in full bloom. These plants will last the longest and give you the most enjoyment.
- Blooms that have bright color. Blooms that are starting to fade are old and won’t last long once you get them home no matter how much you water or feed them.
Planting your mums-
Gardeners are a group of optimists. We always want to believe that we can work miracles with plants. Cathy and I are no different, she will save every little broken piece of plant and put it in water to see if it will root, and they usually do for her, too.
So, if you want to plant your mums in the hope that we’ll have a mild winter, and they’ll be back next spring, here are a few tips.
- Wait until the blossoms have all died, keeping the plant well watered.
- Once that happens and the ground isn’t frozen, find a spot that has well drained soil. Good drainage is probably the most important item here. You don’t want the plants roots sitting in water.
- Cut the foliage back and plant the mum like you would any other plant with the hole twice as big as the pot and half to three quarters as deep. Loosen the roots a bit, especially if the plant was pot-bound and mound the dirt around the plants roots so that it is covered as deep as it was in the pot.
- Mulch the plant with a couple of inches of mulch. Leaves are fine and there are plenty of them around this time of year.
- Watch the plant over the winter, especially when there is no snow cover, for frost heaving. This happens when the ground freezes and forces the newly planted mums out of the ground. If this happens, try to push the plant back in if the weather warms, or cover it with some soil or more mulch.
Follow these tips and you will give your mums the greatest chance for survival.