 Caring
for Garden Mums
Garden mums burst forth in brilliant falls hues when other perennials
are fading fast. Combine them with pansies and ornamental cabbages
and kale for a gorgeous fall display that will last well into early
winter.
Most chrysanthemums planted in Zones 5-9 will be winter hardy,
but it depends on the health of the plant and severity of freezing
weather during the winter. Mums are usually priced low enough to
be planted as annuals, but if left in the ground, they may sprout
new leaves in spring.
Most varieties of mums have been bred to maintain a compact mounding
habit. You can maximize the number of blooms per plant by "pinching
back" or removing the growth tips and first set of leaves on
the end of each branch once every size weeks during the summer.
Do this up until early September and your plants will be covered
in a multitude of bright blooms.
Other varieties of mums have an upright vase-shaped habit. These
usually produce larger blooms than their compact cousins which are
suitable for cutting. To produce larger blooms, a plant of this
type benefits from disbudding. This is the removal of the side buds
on each branch leaving one bud on the tip of each branch. The single
bud then produces one larger bloom.
 Mums
grow well in any soil condition which also supports the growth of
vegetables or grass. In spring, work the soil prior to planting
to a depth of 8 to 12 inches adding soil amendments as needed. Space
your mums far enough apart to allow for their final dimensions at
maturity. They do equally well planted in pots as they do in garden
beds making them very versatile. When planted in the garden, they
will grow green and inconspicuously while the earlier blooming perennials
around them show off their summer colors. As those begin to fade
however, the mums are just beginning their show.
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