Fall is approaching when Chrysanthemums begin to appear in the big garden centers. Garden mums, or chrysanthemums, bring in vibrant fall colors like red, white, and yellow. Garden mums add color to your landscape while filling in the gap between summer annuals and winter pansies.
When you’re at the garden center, look for great looking mum. Choose mums with vibrant flowers and healthy foliage. Choose plants with tightly closed buds if you want your mums to bloom for a long time. Check for insects like aphids and avoid plants with diseased or yellow leaves.
The mums may be in waterproof containers or the containers may be wrapped in foil when you bring them home from the garden center. You may need to poke holes in the containers to allow the water to drain out and remove the foil.
Good water management is essential if you want great Chrysanthemums. If you’re growing your mums in pots, make sure they’re moist every day. They’ll be dry in no time. The best way to tell if your mum needs to be watered is to use your finger. If you stick your finger in the soil media and it’s wet, you don’t need to water; if it’s dry, you should. If you need to water your mum, make sure you use enough water to drain out the bottom.
Garden Mums are perennials, but most gardeners treat them as annuals during the summer. If you want to grow them as a perennial, make sure you put them in full sun. They prefer fertile, well-drained soil that is high in organic matter. Every year or two, you should divide your mums. Also, keep in mind that mums look fantastic in planters or pots.
You must pinch off new growth if you are growing your mums as a perennial. From the time the plant is 6 inches tall until early July, pinch the top half to one inch of new growth every four weeks. You must pinch off new growth if you are growing your mums as a perennial. Your mum will branch and bloom well as a result of this.
When you go to the garden center, you may notice several different types of mums. Mums are classified by their shape and arrangement of petals. Daisy or Single flowers have yellow centers and resemble daisies. Mums with double flowers that grow to be over 18 inches tall are known as decorative mums. Mums of the pompon type have small ball-shaped flowers and grow to be under 18 inches tall.
If you have any questions or concerns please contact your local county agent.
Jeremy Kichler is the County Extension Coordinator and Agriculture and Natural Resources (ANR) agent for UGA Extension in in Colquitt County. He has been an ANR agent for 21 years. His phone number is 229-616-7455 and his email is jkichler@uga.edu .
