Each year nurseries grow acres of mums for us to enjoy during the autumn season. We call these plants mums, which is actually short for Chrysanthemum. Nothing says fall like buying mums to incorporate into your home landscape! They’re the perfect plant to transition from hot to cool weather. With several gorgeous colors to choose from, mums are a must for fall weather.
Dr. Gary Bachman, MSU Extension horticulturist, has a few tips to keep in mind when buying and tending to your mums:
- When picking out mums to take home, select plants that still have several tight buds on it. Over time, the buds will open up, making the flowers last longer.
- Since mums are a seasonal plant and will only last a few weeks, place your mum in its original container straight into a pot. Make sure you place your mums where they will get plenty of sunlight!
- Always water from the bottom! Find a place where you can place your watering can’s spout near the soil. If your soil is dry, it’s time to water your mums. Wet leaves make it easy for fungal growth to set in, making plants look bad. There’s nothing you can do about the rain but keeping water from the hose or watering can at the base of the plant can help you avoid problems. Be sure to keep an eye on your mums to make sure they don’t wilt.
Plants in 4-inch pots can be easily used to refresh a combination container that is tired from the long summer. For larger projects or as stand-alone specimens, choose plants grown in 10-inch, 12-inch or larger sizes. When you’re planning your project, check with your local garden center for size availability. For the best color, plant or place fall-flowering mums in locations that get the most sun, and water the plants consistently. Watering is especially important for mums in containers; never let them dry out. As soon as the plants begin to be water stressed, the showy colors diminish as the plants slowly recover. If you do not use container planting, you can still use fall garden mums because they perform well transplanted directly into the landscape. Some gardeners use them as container plants until the flowers fade, and then transplant them into beds so they can enjoy their color next year.
Plant mums in raised beds to increase the chances of success next year. Many fall garden mums are intended to be one-season plants and may not be winter hardy, even in Mississippi. Transplanting for subsequent years is always a leap of landscape and garden faith. If you want to try to bring your beautiful mums back next year, prune the stems back after they have died down, and mulch with a layer of pine straw. In the spring, take a peek in the pine straw for signs of fresh, new growth.
Choose fall mums in full flower to have an instant impact for any autumn event. Fall mums also can serve as party decorations. Mums in full bloom are fantastic for their color impact for autumn parties and cookouts. In my experience, buying mums with tight buds means every once in a while you get a surprise. Plants can get mixed up during production at the greenhouse, and those mums that you thought were going to have yellow flowers suddenly open up red or white.
