, Pinch off the dead flowers but don’t prune any of the branches until spring. Care of Container Grown Mums. Cut the mums back and add a heavy layer of mulch to the pots, then put them in the shed. but be sure to follow the guidelines below to give your chrysanthemums the best shot at making a comeback next year. Prune the stems in the spring and wait for new growth! I have always loved mums for fall color and am surprised how well they do in our climate. Growing mums (also called chrysanthemums) in containers is extremely popular, and rightly so. Whether you opt for annuals, perennials, or a combination of the two, they’re a quintessential item for your fall yard and patio. That depends on the type of mum, and the time of year you plant. Mums in particular benefit from deadheading and the pinching back of their stems during the springtime to get them ready for their blooming period in late summer and early fall. This encourages them to grow fuller and bushier, and flower later into the season.Like annual mums, perennial mums benefit from deadheading. Plan to leave them in the pots. Remove the plant from its pot … You can find them everywhere and anywhere, from nurseries to supermarkets to gas stations. Place mulch up to 4 inches all around your mum, working it between the branches. If you are growing mums in pots for a single season, you can mix them in with other plants in a large container. I bought some mums and wanted to know if they would come back next year if I left them in the pots through the winter? Warning. Mums love to be hydrated, but make sure there is sufficient drainage so the roots don’t rot. Mums planted this late will not likely survive cold winters because they have shallow roots. Mums come in many shapes and colors. When the leaves start to fall and the air gets crisp, Chrysanthemums are the highlight of the garden. Tip. Preserve your plant by providing it with fresh potting soil and a new container that is a little bigger than the pot your mums came in. In closing, just a few more tips for keeping your mums looking great. This technique also works for geraniums and can buy you three to four years of not having to buy new ones. Whether they come back the next year depends on when and where they are planted: Spring or summer – If planted in spring or summer, mums will have ample time to establish a good root system. In the spring, gradually allow them to get acclimated to the light and replant them outdoors. You may see some plant tags stuck in a garden mum pot that say “Dendranthema.” This is a botanical name that was being used for hardy garden mums, but that’s now been reverted back to “Chrysanthemum” by the official plant-naming folks. I'd say try it! The plants produce new growth in the spring. They're also perfect for tucking into empty places in your fall garden. If you want to overwinter your mums indoors, then place them in pots (with as much of the roots as you can get) after the first sign of frost. Research by one of the world's leading breeders of chrysanthemums indicates that mums grown in northern gardens may survive the winter when mulched, but not cut back. Of course they do not like our alkaline soils and as my soil is heavy clay too, they are best grown in containers or raised beds. Dig a hole slightly larger than the pot and just as deep as the root ball. If you prefer to display mums in the pots they came in, plant them promptly once their flower display is done. Established plants shouldn't be fed after July, so new growth isn't injured by frost. Winterizing Mums Increase your mums' chances of survival by surrounding them with a 4-inch layer of mulch after the ground has frozen, and resist the urge to shear off the dead foliage. You Might Also Like: 8 Cool-Weather Plants There’s one last piece to the garden mum puzzle you should know. Your mums will look more dead than alive come spring. Pinky swear. Also, the pot should be filled with a good potting mix that provides decent drainage. There are garden mums, also called hardy mums, and florist mums. This ensures you’ll get blooms for a longer period. 1. See more ideas about Autumn garden, Potted mums, Planting flowers. If this is the case, enjoy your mums as annuals. In subsequent years they won’t be quite as short and full as they are when you buy them because they were carefully raised to look that way, but if you cut them back once or even twice before that July 4 date, they’ll do very well in your perennial garden. Required fields are marked *, Stockslagers Greenhouse and Garden Center 14037 Dayton Eaton Pike, New Lebanon, OH 45345. Do They Prefer Pot or Ground Planting? When is it Too Late to Plant Spring-Flowering Bulbs? This process is called “Deadheading.”. Space the holes about 18 to 24 inches (45 to 50 cm) apart to make sure the flowers have room to grow without getting tangled up. It Depends. So if the pot is six inches tall, plant your mums in a hole six inches deep. Mums, or Chrysanthemums, are perfect to set in a pot on the front porch next to a few pumpkins to welcome visitors. You just have to know how to keep them alive. If the soil is not too wet during the winter, they will overwinter just as other perennials. Bury the Containers In the Soil. Though garden or hardy mums (C. morifolium) are perennials, they are often grown as annuals in pots, containers and window boxes. Annual Mums. This way, they can use their energy to establish roots before peak flowering in the fall. You can also plant mums in late summer or early fall (mum season indeed!) The plants bloom well into the fall, and as you get later in the season, containers of them spring up for sale everywhere. The Delicious Benefits of Growing Onion & Garlic this Fall, Proven Techniques to Overwintering Your Potted Perennials, 3 Easy Steps To Planting Bulbs for Beautiful Spring Blooms, Essential Care for Indoor and Outdoor Mums – Potting, Planting, Watering, and Overwintering, Do Your Trees Have a Bagworm Problem? If you are buying beautiful mums for fall color and love them placed in pots around the garden, then I would say continue to do so, but don't expect them to make it through a harsh winter. Pinching refers … Garden mums are the big, colorful annuals sold in pots each fall across the United States.When selecting garden mums, look for full, healthy plants that still have some tightly closed buds. Unless the mum is in a very sunny and hot location, watering the plant well, once a day, should be sufficient. Just make sure the tags read Garden Mum and also they fit your USDA Zone, which should be listed on the back of the pot tag. Without a greenhouse or other climate-controlled area, the best you might be able to do is put the pot in a bright window of your house that will stay well above freezing. ... won't survive the winter in the ground, let alone a pot. And of course, remember that we are always here to help you with your toughest gardening challenges, and to help you enjoy your colorful puffball mums for years to come. Mums may not flower as well the second year, even with proper winter care. Mums, also called chrysanthemums, are pest and disease-resistant, so they're ideal for any garden. DO NOT cut mums back until spring. Mums will do best in raised beds or sandy soil. It Depends. There may be 3 to 5 cuttings put into a pot in the beginning and I have often seen ones where accidentally they were mixed. Cut the mums back and add a heavy layer of mulch to the pots, then put them in the shed. If you want to add them to the ground, dig a hole that's an inch deeper than the pot the plant came in with an 8" minimum depth. Take it out of the pot and hang it upside-down in a cool, dark place. Get exclusive sales straight to your inbox by entering your email below! It is important to prevent the plant from getting too dry or wilting between watering. If there’s not enough sun, mums tend to grow long legs and get spindly, instead of maintaining their gorgeous compact shape. Newly purchased potted mums need to be kept consistently moist but not wet and in bright, indirect light indoors. Mums will do best in raised beds or sandy soil. Therefore, planting mums in the spring increases the chances they will come back year after year. Both types come from the same original parent, a golden-yellow daisy-like mum from China. Move it to a slightly larger container with good, fertile potting soil. If you want to take care of your mums indoors, the first thing you should do is to make sure they’re in a pot with adequate room for their roots to grow. Not everyone has an appropriate indoor area to bring their perennials, but you aren’t out of luck if you don’t. Don’t cut back the foliage of mums in the fall. Be sure to keep plants well watered for the first few weeks to help establish them in the soil.