Mums: Enjoy Them For Years Instead of Weeks
Don’t Toss Those Mums!
A Mum puts on a beautiful show for several weeks and then eventually begins to fade. Most people toss their Mums once they’re finished blooming—but STOP! If you have a hardy Garden Mum, you may be able to plant it in the landscape and enjoy it again.
Keep in mind that not every potted Mum will successfully overwinter. Variety, planting time, weather, drainage, and how well the plant establishes before cold weather can all affect whether it returns the following year.
Plant It in the Garden
Once your Mum has finished blooming, choose a spot in the landscape with plenty of sunlight and good drainage. Mums don’t like sitting in soggy soil, especially during winter.
The earlier a Garden Mum is planted in fall, the more time its roots have to establish before cold weather arrives. Mums planted very late in the season may have a harder time surviving winter.
After flowering, remove the spent blooms and damaged foliage as needed. Avoid automatically cutting the entire plant to the ground immediately after flowering. Leaving some of the stems and foliage through winter can provide a little extra protection for the crown.
A 2″–3″ layer of mulch over the surrounding root zone can also help moderate soil temperatures. Keep mulch from piling directly against the crown of the plant.
Watch for New Growth in Spring
If your Mum successfully makes it through winter, new growth should begin emerging from the crown as temperatures warm in spring. Once new growth is underway and the danger of severe cold has passed, the old dead stems can be removed.
Garden Mums naturally respond to shorter days and typically put on their main flower show in late summer and fall. Some plants may produce occasional earlier flowers, but don’t count on a full spring bloom from every Garden Mum.
Keep Them Full & Bushy
As your Mum grows during spring and early summer, pinching or lightly trimming the growing tips can encourage a fuller, bushier plant with more branching for fall flowers.
Stop pinching early enough in the summer to allow the plant to develop its fall flower buds. Exact timing can vary with the variety and local growing conditions, so avoid pruning late in the season once buds are developing.
Enjoy Your Mums Again!
Instead of automatically throwing your Garden Mums away when the flowers fade, give them a chance in the landscape! With plenty of sun, good drainage, and enough time to establish before winter, you may be able to enjoy those Mums for more than just a few weeks each fall.