The mums in my garden have been deliberately planted because of the colorful, cheery blooms they unveil in late summer and early fall. Even though they signify an end to summer, I love that they stick around through the up-and-down weather of autumn. All of my plants have come from planting the potted mums I bought for fall arrangements and then dug into the garden before winter. In this article, I’m going to talk about when to cut back mums during the growing season and whether you should prune them after the blooms fade in fall or wait until spring.
Hardy mums vs florist mumsYou can find chrysanthemums at garden centers in the spring, but these late bloomers are most prevalent in displays and on shelves in late summer and early fall for autumn arrangements. Many varieties are hardy down to USDA zone 4 (-30°F to -20°F/-34°C to -28°C).
Chrysanthemums are considered “short day” plants, which respond to the longer nights and shorter days of late summer and early fall to bloom. This is called photoperiodism, which is a plant’s ability to detect to seasonal changes in day length and adapt accordingly.
Mums that are displayed outside, should be hardy mums, which have adapted to outdoor conditions. Check the plant tag to confirm preferred growing conditions. If you see potted mums indoors at a nursery or grocery store, they are likely what’s referred to as florist mums. In the case of these plants, a greenhouse has been used to mimic the short days required for the plants to bloom. Consequently, they have not been exposed to outdoor temperature fluctuations and it’s unlikely they would survive being planted outside.
What to do with your potted mumMany folks treat even the hardy mums they buy in the fall as annuals, sending
Read more on savvygardening.com