Chrysanthemums are the last flowers to bloom in fall before the frost. A staple in fall gardens, these popular flowers prefer cool temperatures. Some tips on how to grow your mums include planting them in a spot that receives full sun, fertilizing them regularly and taking care of them when the cold hits.
Other than spiced pumpkin lattes, nothing can get us more excited about fall than chrysanthemums! Found in almost every possible bright color, chrysanthemums, with their vibrant flower buds, are a classic addition to any garden.
Also known as mums, or heralds of the fall, these popular annual and perennial flowers will make a gorgeous addition to your fall garden for months!
We have put this article together to teach you how to grow mums (both potted mums and hardy mums) so you can have your own garden echoing with different hues of mum varieties by the time the fall season starts. Happy reading!
What You Will Need to Grow Mums
There are two ways for you to cultivate garden mums: through seeds and cuttings. Let’s take a quick look at what you will need to plant and cultivate mums through each of these methods:
Growing Mums from Seeds
Cultivating mums from seeds is a challenging task yet an adventure in itself because there is huge uncertainty about the type of bloom. Growing from seeds requires a long growing season so you must start planting the seeds first in early spring or contain them indoors at least six to eight weeks before the last frost.
To plant chrysanthemum flowers through seeds, you will require:
- Seeds from a local planter (1 packet contains 500 – 1000 seeds)
- A pot or a container
- A well-prepared flower bed
- Mulch
- A garden spade
Growing Mums from Cuttings
If you want chrysanthemum flowers that will bloom quickly, you must plant them using cuttings instead of seeds. This is the more popular method of cultivating chrysanthemums. Cuttings produce garden mums the fastest and will ensure they bloom within the first few months.
The best time to obtain cuttings for planting mums is usually spring or summer, i.e., early in the season. As a home gardener, you will enjoy this method more than when you plant mums through seeds.
To cultivate mums from cuttings, you will need:
- Chrysanthemum cuttings (at least 4 inches to 6 inches tall)
- Peat moss or perlite soil
- A measuring tape
- A garden spade
Step-By-Step Instructions on How to Grow Mums
From Cuttings:
Step # 1: Choose a Healthy Spot in Your Garden (video)
Pick a spot in your garden that has sufficient sunlight for at least 5 to 6 hours a day. Chrysanthemums enjoy the full sun, especially in the morning, so place them in a spot that gets sunlight in earlier hours.
Ensure you provide fertile and well draining soil because mums do not enjoy a lot of water. Make sure there is plenty of air circulation.
Step # 2: Provide Wind Protection to Your Mums (video)
If you live in a windy area, provide a buffer for your chrysanthemums. You can plant them along a fence to protect them from the wind or you can add a layer of mulch that covers the entire bed completely.
Step # 3: Plant Your Mums (video)
Finally, plant your mums in the ground in peat moss or perlite. The whole you dig must be twice as wide as the roots of the plant. If you are growing more than one plant, ensure there is at least an 18 to 24-inch gap between each plant. Use a measuring tape to ensure accuracy.
From Seeds:
Step # 1: Fill Potting Soil with Seeds (video)
Take a container and fill it with fertile potting soil. Then, add the seeds gently. Do not clump them together. Instead, spread them out so they don’t touch each other. Sprinkle some soil over the seeds so the surface is covered entirely.
Step # 2: Take Care of the Seeds Indoors (video)
Using a spray bottle, mist over the container till the soil is nicely moist. It must be damp but not entirely saturated. Next, press the soil gently and flatten it to make sure the seeds are in contact and won’t move due to water or wind. Repeat as many times as needed to ensure moisture retention.
Step # 3: Plant Stems in Beds (video)
When the stems grow to about 3 inches, in about 40 to 42 days, transfer them to soiled beds in your garden so they have more room. Be very delicate so you do not destroy the root system. A garden space can help speed up this process.
Just like you planted the cuttings, plant these stems at a distance of 18 to 24 inches from one another in a hole twice as wide as the roots. Spread a fresh layer of mulch all around the bed, including the sides of the plant.
Step # 4: Water and Fertilize! (video) (video)
Water your mums at least once every week but ensure you allow enough time for the roots to dry out. Every 4 to 6 weeks, add fertilizer to your beds to keep your mums healthy until it’s time to harvest. You can use either a liquid or a powdered fertilizer, depending on the nutrients your mums require.
Final Words on How to Grow Mums
The detailed instructions mentioned in this article helped us cultivate a garden display that ‘WOW-ed’ our guests who came over for Thanksgiving dinner! Follow the instructions mentioned in this article and soon you will witness a brilliant array of colorful yellow, red, pick and violet mums in your garden.
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