It’s nearly the fall season and that means mums (better known as chrysanthemums) will be available for your fall decor very soon. I used to avoid planting mums. I thought they were boring and too ubiquitous in fall. However, I have discovered a couple of mums with a unique appearance and some new colors and now I appreciate the simple mum. 🙂
This daisy mum below is one of my new favorites. Who knew that mums could look like this? There is a whole collection of mums that resemble daisies.
How to Grow Mums for Fall Color
Mums need full sun to look their best, so be sure to plant them where they get at least 6 hours of sun each day. In clay soil, you’ll need to either amend the soil to increase drainage or plant in a raised bed with topsoil and mulch.
The benefit of growing mums in the Southeast is that they will usually survive the winter, even if you planted them in the fall. For best results, plant in spring to give them more time to develop roots.
How to Plant Mums in a Container for Fall Color
If you’re growing your mums as an annual, planting them in a container is a good choice. You can pick a planter that has a seasonal decoration or even one that has a contrasting color for more of a visual impact. This mum and container color combination is one of my favorites thus far. It’s quite a show-stopper. When grown in a pot, your mums will need regular watering.
Create a Pattern of Colors
Don’t be afraid to mix and match your mums and create stripes of different colors. Bunch your mums together for even more color impact.
Pinch Mums and Deadhead Flowers to Get the Best Plant Shape and More Flowers
If you are planting your mums in the spring and want them to look like the ones you see in fall with the excellent rounded shape and full of flowers, you’ll need to pinch the growing ends of the plant to create more branching and that dome shape.
Continue this process until early July, leaving the plant to produce flowers. Deadhead your flowers to keep your mum blooming nicely.
Here’s a great tutorial video on how to pinch/trim your mums to make them have a great shape.
Spring-planted (hardy) mums need to be fertilized in warmer months for their best growth and mulched for winter. It doesn’t take much for these plants to produce flowers twice a year.
You can tell I didn’t pinch these mums. They are a bit leggy although they have ample blooms.
Growing Conditions for Mums
Mums prefer full sun and well-drained soil. Give them plenty of water when you first plant them. After they are established, they won’t require much watering. Hardy mums can be grown in USDA Zones 5 to 9. Mulch around the base of your mums to help prevent weeds, help the soil retain water, and protect the roots during winter.
Mums grown in your garden will continue to spread and should be divided every few years. Dig up your mums and divide them in the spring, separating the plant with a sharp shovel.
Mums are deer resistant, so they make a great addition to the garden.