QA

Question: How To Care For Potted Mums Outside

How to care for outdoor garden mums After planting, give them a good watering and keep the soil moist everyday until they are established. 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.

How long do potted mums last outside?

Garden mums may be grown in containers, or planted in beds with existing shrubs and flowers. Flowers generally last about two or three weeks, depending on the outdoor temperatures and how far along the blooming process was when the plants were purchased.

Can mums stay in pots outside?

You can keep the mums indoors or outdoors for the season. And if you live in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones from 4 or 5 through 9, depending on the variety, you can maintain the plants in their containers over the winter or transplant them to your garden to enjoy again the next fall.

Do potted mums need full sun?

Whether in a pot or in your garden, mums like lots of light. Mums thrive in full sun conditions as long as you give them enough water. Choose a spot that gets at least six hours of sun a day. Plants that don’t get enough sunlight will be tall and leggy and produce fewer, smaller flowers.

Do potted mums come back?

Potted mums are autumn classics, with late-season color that boosts curb appeal or brightens a Thanksgiving table. Treat your potted mums with care, and they’ll come back whether you maintain them in the pot or plant them out in the garden.

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.

Can mums survive frost?

Most garden mums should be able to endure a light fall frost. Cover the plants at night when freeze warnings are in effect. However, if you are in a cold climate, leaving the dead foliage on the plants has been found to help the plant survive colder temperatures better than pruned plants.

What do you do with potted fall mums?

Bury the Pots One option is to try to overwinter the mums by burying the pots in the garden. Cut back the dead foliage to the surface of the soil and bury the pot up to the edge. This will help keep the roots warm. A layer of mulch on top of the pots will also help keep the roots warm.

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.

Can I keep mums in pots over the winter?

Overwinter your mums in pots. If you’re not ready to give up your beautiful fall blooms, you can overwinter mums in pots as long as they’re hardy mums. Fall-blooming mums (​Chrysanthemum x morifolium​) grow in USDA plant hardiness zones 4 to 9, and they’re often grown in pots as annuals in other zones.

What temperature can mums handle?

Mums are cold hardy to about 20 degrees Fahrenheit. They can survive hot temperatures from 90 to 100 F, but they’ll need plenty of water and a little shade.

How do you keep mums alive?

Water Mums from Bottom: Protect your mums from rain, and water them carefully without splashing the foliage or blooms. This will help keep the blooms from spotting and browning. Keep Mums Cool: Warm temperatures also encourage blooming, while cool temperatures will help mums blooms last longer.

Do mums like coffee grounds?

The Science Since they are acidic, coffee grounds work especially well as fertilizer for acid-loving plants such as blueberries, strawberries, gardenias, azaleas, hydrangeas, magnolias, ferns and rhododendrons. Used coffee grounds make an effective and fast-acting fertilizer for plants and vegetables.

What do Overwatered mums look like?

Signs of overwatering include yellow leaves that turn black and fall off. Keep mums evenly watered to ensure the best flowering.

How long do potted mums last inside?

Mums are spectacular fall plants that can be brought indoors and used for decorating. Caring for mums indoors is easy and with only a few tips you can keep a mum plant healthy for three to four weeks. They are a big bang for your buck as they are less expensive than most bouquets of flowers.

Can mums be on a covered porch?

If you love your pot mums and can’t live without them, the best plan is to keep them in pots and keep them out of the rain. The perfect place for pot mums is on the covered porch, under an overhang or anywhere else you can keep them away from rain and soil.

Do chrysanthemums come back every year?

Early-flowering chrysanthemums can be planted in ornamental borders and will flower from late summer to autumn. For a reliable perennial chrysanthemum, choose hardy garden varieties that can be left in the ground all year round.