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How To Care For Outdoor Mums

Caring for outdoor mums Give mums plenty of space. It’s wise to plant your mums about 18 inches from other plants so their roots have room to expand. Water, but not too much. Deadhead. In colder climates your mums may need to be mulched using leaves, wood chips, or straw. If frost gets your mums, don’t fret.

How do you care for outdoor potted mums?

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 outdoors?

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.

How long do mums last outside?

Mums that are on special with fully open flowers are OK to buy, but be aware that they will not last as long in your garden. Depending on weather conditions and mum varieties, you can expect to get a good display of color for four to six weeks. Extended periods of hot weather will age the flowers more quickly.

When Should mums be cut back?

It’s always best to cut mums back every spring shortly after they first begin to grow. Timing is everything. If you don’t cut mums back in early spring, then they are more likely to produce a premature and disappointing period of poor bloom in summer and a lackluster season of poor bloom in fall.

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.

Do mums come back every year in pots?

You will have some buds on them by then, but don’t worry. 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.

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.

How do you keep fall mums looking good?

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.

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.

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 temperature can mums tolerate?

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.

Are you supposed to deadhead mums?

Deadhead often for lasting blooms. Take off wilted blooms and dead stems/leaves not only makes your mums look more beautiful, it helps your plant to bloom longer. Once your mums stop blooming, you can place them in the ground outdoors once the weather starts to warm.

Do you cut back mums in the spring?

As mums begin to grow through the spring and into summer, they’re going to start producing buds. To get the most out of a mum, it’s best to prune those buds, pinching them back until the time comes to let the plants develop new leaves, branches, and flowers. That way they’ll look gorgeous next fall.

Should mums be cut back in the summer?

Really, the last part of June up to July 4th is a great time, but doing it much more into July risks your mum from not being able to re-produce blooms by Autumn’s arrival. Do not trim them to be lower than that as it could damage the plant or the plant not grow enough again to produce a bloom this fall.

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.