How to Keep Potted Mums Alive

Potted mums come in all colors except true blue.

Around the Thanksgiving holiday, potted mums seem to be everywhere. Even the grocery store carries the ornamental plants, in full bloom in fall colors. These mums are forced in the commercial greenhouse and purchased as temporary, disposable houseplants. They can be kept on, indoors, and some even thrive when planted in the garden. According to horticulturists with the University of Missouri Extension, potted mums generally last a month. With proper care, you may keep your potted mum alive longer.

Things You'll Need

• Potting soil
• Compost or peat moss
• Liquid, all-purpose fertilizer

Instructions

1. Give the potted mum two to three hours of full morning sun and then move it to an area that receives bright, indirect sunlight. Don't allow the temperature to dip below 60 or over 65 degrees Fahrenheit at night, and keep it between 70 and 75 degrees in the daytime.

2. Ensure that the soil remains moist at all times. This may mean watering twice a week or more, depending upon conditions in the home. If the leaves wilt, water immediately.

3. Feed the potted mums with a liquid, all-purpose fertilizer, according to label instructions, once a month during the summer. Water the soil before and after fertilizing to avoid burning the mum's roots.

4. When the potted mum produces buds, move it to an area of complete darkness at night. Even a small amount of light may cause it to drop its buds. Once the buds open you can place it back in its original location.

5. Pinch off dead flowers to keep the plant from going to seed.

References

• University of Missouri Extension; Care of Flowering Potted Plants; David Trinklein, et al.; December 1998
• North Carolina State University; Seasonal Flowering Houseplant Care; Erv Evans
• "Introduction to Floriculture"; Roy A. Larson; 1992