Fall's Marvelous Mums

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Gorgeous Chrysanthemums, garden mums, hardy mums or just plain old "mums" are a symbol of fall.  With it's rich shades of spectrum of colors and varieties of shapes. They can fill any garden with instant color whether it be borders, containers or anywhere!

When buying mums, select tightly closed buds that show small bit of color...it's much nicer to know what exact color you will be bring home! It's nice to buy full bloom of instant color and seasonal but if you are hoping for a "hardy" true perennial it may not may not happen. Mums sold in garden centres in the fall have been coaxed to bud for the fall to bloom meaning all the energy has been inputted into the plant to bloom and not growing the roots.

The mum's in my garden have been blooming in late summer into the fall for the last three years and it always puzzled me. 
"Are mums perennials?” the answer is a distinct yes—and no....?

I was told that my mums have established its roots and considered truly hardy. They survived the sub- zero winters year after year.  Is it just luck or did I do something right for once? They are confusing plant groups with so many botanical names. They are perennials, but their survival depends on when you get them and where you live in the Zone.

There is a trick to getting those beautiful fall bloomers to over winter successfully. Perennial mums require excellent drainage and early planting.   Add compost no matter what type of soil you have to the beds and planting hole. This will ensure the mums gets a good snooze and root protection through the cold winter months. Do not prune even if it turns brown.

Early planting means the earlier you put the spectacular mums into the ground the better!  But if the winters are too cold where you live or you did not plant them earlier enough.   Bring the mums into the basement or a dark closet and water well. The plants will hibernate for the winter and check to make sure the roots are weekly damp.  In the spring, slowly acclimate the plant to light daily.  Place the plant in the garden after the last frost.

If this perennial process sounds like it's too much work, then just treat them as annuals. There is no guarantee that the plants will survive the winter even if you have taken the steps to sufficient winterize them.  If they do survive, it's all worth it at the end when the different shades of yellows, oranges, maroons and reds pop up year after year for you to enjoy!


Tips for fall flowering: Just pinch the plant back periodically throughout the summer.  Start pinching when the plant are 4 to 5 inches and repeat every few weeks until mid July. This will cause the plant to grow bushy and by late summer it should be covered with flower buds.