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Where is the best place to plant mums?
Mums grow best in full sun. Give them too little sunlight, and you’ll get a weak plant that produces few flowers.
Will mums come back every year?
They will grow back and your plant won’t look dead in the middle.” Many people buy mums in the fall thinking the plants are annuals. But if you buy hardy mums, you can get them to bloom year after year.
How deep do you plant mums?
Mums’ roots are shallow, and they don’t like competition. Plant them about 1 inch deeper than they were in the nursery pot, being careful with the roots as you spread them. Watering: Water new plants thoroughly, and take care not to let them wilt. When bottom leaves look wilted or start to turn brown, water more often.
Can you plant potted mums now?
Technically, however, they can be planted in your garden any time before the first frost of fall. This means you can try removing the mums from your pot and planting them in the ground in the fall. Plant them at the same depth as they were in the pot and water them thoroughly after planting.
Do mums come back every year if planted in the ground?
Because people often think that mums (formally called Chrysanthemums) are at best a finicky perennial, many gardeners treat them as annuals, but this doesn’t have to be the case. With just a little winter care for mums, these fall beauties can come back year after year.
Can mums survive the winter in pots?
Mums can survive light frosts and cold fairly easy, but a hard freeze can kill roots in pots permanently. Once potted mums have endured a hard freeze, their chances for surviving winter are slim. Cut mums back to within a few inches of the soil line before bringing indoors.
How do I save my potted mums for next year?
Keep mums indoors until one week before the last expected spring frost. At that time, take the pot outdoors to its summer location for two or three hours, then bring it back indoors to its winter location. Each day, bring the pot outdoors and leave it there for an hour or so longer each time.
Do mums like sun or shade?
Chrysanthemums are sun-loving plants. Although they technically require only 6 hours of sunlight each day, the more light they receive, the better their growth, bloom and hardiness. Slight shade in hot, summer afternoons is appropriate in warmer gardening zones to prevent scorching.
Do mums do better in pots or in the ground?
—your best bet is to overwinter them in their containers in a protected space (above freezing, never letting the soil dry out). Then, you can plant them in spring, providing lots of time to establish strong roots before their first winter in the ground.
How close together can you plant mums?
Space garden mums about 18 inches apart. Water slowly and deeply until the root zone around the plant is saturated. If the soil settles causing a depression around the plant, top it off with more soil.
Should I water mums everyday?
Mums don’t like to get dry between waterings, so make sure you water them at least every other day and especially if they start looking wilted. Just like potted mums, water them at the soil level instead of on top of the blooms. Watering the foliage can cause disease.
Are potted mums annuals or perennials?
There are potted florist mums, which look just like garden (hardy) mums and even share the same botanical name (Chrysanthemum x morifolium)—and they’re perennials, but their survival depends on when you get them and where you live. Garden mums, also known as hardy mums, are perennial mums.
How do you care for outdoor mums in pots?
Although mums planted in a spring garden need 6 hours of sunlight, fall potted mums need bright but indirect light. Place them a few feet back from a south-facing window or anywhere in a bright location without direct sun. Keep the mums’ soil continually moist, but not soggy, by checking it daily with your finger.
Should you plant mums in the ground?
If you live in Zones 5 to 9, where the mum is naturally hardy, the best way to overwinter your mums is by planting them in the ground by late September. In most areas they won’t need any extra winter protection, but in Zone 5 it’s a good idea to put down a 2-4 inch layer of mulch around the plants.
What do I do with my mums after they fall?
Shortly after Fall or in late winter, when the mum has finished blooming, ensure you cut the plant’s stem to 6 to 8 inches above ground level. However, if you find the dead stems of winter valuable to wildlife or of interest, you may choose to leave the stems intact until the spring growth develops.
How do you get a mum to rebloom?
For potted mums, cut off the flowers after they wilt, to encourage further blooming. If you want something more permanent and are willing to provide proper care — such as mulching and pinching to encourage compact growth and more blooms — plant mums in the spring and allow them to get established in the garden.
