Hardy Chrysanthemums, or Garden Mums, are popular plants that
have been used in the gardens of China since before 550B.C.Their blooms brighten
garden beds and borders from early August through November with blooms that often
last for many weeks.Some varieties begin blooming earlier than others. Mums come
in a wide assortment of colors including white, many shades of yellow, pink, lavender,
red and bronze.
Today,Mums are a large part of the fall harvest season and are
a great way to brighten and bring color to any spot in the garden. Mums are
also great for use in containers, window boxes and around front entryways.
How to plant and
enjoy these garden treasures
·
Select a sunny, well-drained spot in the garden
or choose an appropriate container.
·
If planting in the ground, enrich the soil by
mixing in a generous quantity of compost or peat moss, a cup of bone meal and
lime (if needed, mums like a pH of 6.2-7.0). Work it all into the soil to a depth
of 8 – 12 ½”. In window boxes or containers, use a good potting mix such as Dr.
Earth’s Premium.
·
Plant mums no deeper than they were in their
container. If the root mass is dense, gently tease apart the outer roots so
they can more readily grow into the new soil.
·
Never let newly planted mums in bloom or bud dry
out.
Pruning (Pinching) and
Deadheading
To keep plants dense and for maximum flower production, mums
should be pinched occasionally. Pinching is a form of pruning used to remove
the end or terminal buds.
Just place your thumb and index finger below a terminal bus
and squeeze until the bud is removed. Do this all over the top and sides of the
plant. Start when plants are 4-6” all, repeating every 4-6 weeks or as needed
until around July 4th. Flower buds will begin to form shortly
thereafter so no more pinching is needed.
For larger individual flowers, when the flower buds form, selectively
remove all stems except 4 or 5 of the strongest ones. Energy will be redirected
to these buds, resulting in fewer but larger flowers per plant.
After Blooming
After the flowers fade and the foliage dies back (mid to
late-December) cut your mums down to the grown and mark or label the location
of each individual plant.
Apply a 3-4” layer of organic mulch (shredded cedar, pine
bark, wood chips, ect) to protect the roots during the winter and to prevent
them from heaving in the freezing and thawing of the earth.
In the Spring
When the snow has melted, remove the mulch from the base of
each plant to allow the sun to warm the soil and trigger new growth. Fertilize
with a good granular fertilizer like 5-10-5. Continue to fertilize every 4-6
weeks through September.
Making New Plants
For best appearance and productivity mums should be dug and
divided every 2 or 3 years. This can be done in late-March or April when new
growth is 4 – 6 ½” high.
Dig up the mum clumps with a form or shovel. Separate the
shoots from the mother plant with a sharp knife. Each shoot should include 1 –
2 ½” of roots. Plant the new plants following instructions outlined above;
discard the old clump. Pinch the plants when they become established.
Mums are also easily propagated (rooted) from stem cuttings
taken in the spring from new, vigorous growth.
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