Things You'll Need:
- Containers
- Potting soil
- 5-10-5 time-release fertilizer
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Step 1
Choose a container for your garden mum. Clay pots work very well but any kind of container is suitable, as long as it has drainage holes in the bottom.
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Step 2
Fill half of the container with good potting soil. If desired you can mix in a handful of peat moss before adding the mum to give the soil better drainage. Mums like a well drained soil and do not do well in soggy soil.
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Step 3
Carefully remove your mum from the pot it came in and set inside the container you have prepared. Gently loosen the root ball and then fill in around the roots with more potting soil. Fill to within 1 or 2 inches of the top of the container. If planting more than one plant per container or grouping several containers together, be sure the mums are around the same stage of budding so they open up at the same time.
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Step 4
Water your mum thoroughly after planting and keep your mum watered often, so the soil does not dry out between watering. Check the soil daily to see if it is damp and when it starts to feel dryer it is time to water. Mums will start to wilt if they dry out too much and that shortens the life of the blooms. You may also notice the blooms lose their vibrant color if they are not being watered frequently enough.
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Step 5
Set your containers in a location where they will receive full sun during the day. Do not set your mums under a light that shines on them at night. Mums need the complete darkness at night to bloom better and longer during the day.
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Step 6
Fertilize your mums in early spring and again in the fall. Sprinkle a time-release 5-10-5 fertilizer around the plants and water in well. Cut your mums back about 6 inches after they are done blooming and set in a location such as a cool garage or covered back patio where they will not get any snow on them.
