This is a question that we are asked frequently and the answer is.....it depends. Years ago our grandmothers had a limited selection of flowers that would bloom and provide color in the garden during the fall season. There were only a few types of mums and the flowers were limited to a few basic colors and they all bloomed about the same time. The consumer was interested in new varieties that would bloom over a longer period of time. They wanted plants that bloomed in August all the way through the fall to Thanksgiving. The marketing people, wanting to sell more flowers, worked on more varieties that extended the blooming period.
They developed plants that would bloom early and varieties that would bloom later, they called these “season extenders”. Some even had more fragrance. All these “new” characteristics were important and hardiness was not one of the big issues so it sort of fell by the way side. Many people look at mums as a seasonal decorating plant and if they survive the winter that is a bonus.
Here are some of the things you can do to have your mums get through the winter:
Plant your mums as early in the fall as possible, by mid October is preferable.
Use good compost, peat moss or a good quality potting soil like Metro Mix 360 mixed 1/3 by volume with the soil from the hole you dig for planting. The top of the root ball should be level with the surrounding soil when planting is finished.
Use a starter fertilizer mixed according to the directions on the container with the backfill soil, this will stimulate those good healthy roots to get growing.
Soak the plant when it is planted by flooding the hole with water after the plant is planted. Water the plant every second or third day if we don’t get rain. Avoid letting it wilt severely. It is very important to get the roots established.
Mulch the plant with about one inch of mulch when planting. In mid-December or when the ground begins to freeze and the top of the plant looks brown and dry cover the top of the plant with leaves or straw. Do not cut the top of the plant back at this time. Be sure the soil is damp when you’re doing this step.
About mid-March when we get a mild day remove the leaves or straw you put on in December. In April when you see the new shoots sprouting you can trim back the dead top to the new shoots. Fertilize at this time.
Now with those easy steps you should have some good success with your mums surviving the winter. Send any questions to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. and we’ll do our best to help you be successful.
Meadow View Growers
New Carlisle, OH
www.meadowview.com
