How to Garden with Mums Flowers

Mums come in many types, colors and sizes.

Chrysanthemums are a colorful and long-lasting addition to any garden. They come in a variety of forms and hues, and contribute a sense of cheer and vitality to the outdoor landscape. Mums tend to be both inexpensive and abundant in blooms, giving gardeners a lot of value for their money. Though they are perennials, they can be treated as annuals and replaced each year if desired, since they are relatively inexpensive. Whether you want flowers to plant in the ground or in containers, mums are an excellent choice. The following guidelines will explain how to garden with mums.

Instructions

1. Plant mums in the spring if you want to treat them as perennials. Allow them to establish themselves in the garden, which increases their chances of overwintering and blooming again the following year.

2. If you intent to treat them as annuals, plant mums in the fall after summer garden flowers have died. Expect mums to bloom for weeks, surviving until---and sometimes after---the first frost.

3. Position mums in a location that gets at least six hours of full sunlight daily. Plant mums in beds, in containers or along borders for splashes of color.

4. Water freshly planted mums thoroughly, and never allow them to wilt. Give established mums an inch of water per week.

5. Fertilize mums that you plan to overwinter with a 5-10-10 fertilizer twice monthly until the cooler weather comes.

6. Surround mum plants that are grown as perennials with mulch made of straw or shredded hardwood after the first hard frost of the winter season. Pinch the dead blooms from the plant but leave the branches undisturbed. Wait to prune them until spring.

7. Divide mums that are grown as perennials in the spring about every two years. Dig up the plants and separate the outer pieces from the centers. Replant the outer pieces and discard the centers.

8. Pinch the new growth from mums grown as perennials as they begin to come back in the spring. Pinch about half of the new growth from the tops of the newly budded shoots. Do this with every three to five inches of growth until July 4 to ensure plentiful flowers in the fall.

Tips & Warnings

• Note that aphids, leafhoppers and spider mites may live on your mums, but these pests are unlikely to cause harm.

• Assess your garden's current landscape to determine which colors and forms of mums would best complement the existing plants.

• Familiarize yourself with the most common forms of mums: decorative mums, which feature long, tightly overlapping petals; pompon mums, which are small and globe-shaped; and daisy mums, which consist of one row of petals surrounding a flat disk.

References

• All About Mums