Chrysanthemums, also known as mums, are a favorite fall flower for many reasons. They're bold, beautiful, and their sweet and spicy scent creates an alluring autumn aroma. They come in a variety of vibrant colors, including yellow, white, orange, burgundy, bronze, purple, and pink. Mums are hearty flowers that can withstand cooler temperatures, and although they can start blooming in late summer, they burst into life during the fall season. Mums make a wonderful addition to your front porch display and fall flower beds. Below, learn how to care for mums so you can keep the flowers looking radiant all season long—and year after year.
How to Care for MumsMums are resilient flowers, and you can extend their life with proper care and even help specific types become perennial rather than annual flowers. Keep reading for all of their care requirements.
Light"Most mums are now grown in greenhouses because they're 'picky' with lighting conditions," says Amber Noyes, horticulturist, ecologist, and executive editor at GardeningChores.com. "If you grow them outdoors, they need full sunlight, which is at least 6 hours of bright light a day on average." Noyes says that indoor mums do best with bright, indirect light. "Mums are also photoperiodic, which means that they blossom only when the hours of light are just right," she says. "In fact, they will bloom in autumn or fall, because they will flower when they have 16 hours of darkness and 8 hours of daylight, which are the optimal conditions."
Soil
Mums do best in well-drained loam-, clay-, or sand-based soil when planted outdoors. "In containers, you can use a potting mix of 1:3 good quality potting soil, 1:3 coarse sand or other draining material, and 1:3 peat moss or coco coir," Noyes says. "The ideal pH should be between slightly acidic and neutral."
Water
Tammy Sons, horticulturist and CEO of TN Nursery, says that mums require a lot of irrigation because they're in direct sunlight. "Water once a day, in the evening hours," she says. "This is vital because watering them in the mornings doesn't give the soil adequate time to soak up the moisture before the sun pops out and dries it up, sometimes leaving the plants moisture starved." Noyes also advises making sure the water penetrates 6 to 8 inches into the soil if they're planted in the ground. In containers, they need about 1 inch of water a week. Check the soil to see if it's dry and water accordingly.
Temperature and Humidity
"Chrysanthemums are cold hardy to USDA gardening zones 5 to 9," Noyes says. "Some varieties, like Mammoth Daisy, will tolerate even lower temperatures, down to USDA zone 3." She says that if you grow mums indoors or in a greenhouse, the minimum temperature for them is 20 degrees F, and the maximum is 90 to 95 degrees F. The optimal temperature for chrysanthemums is between 62 and 72 degrees Fahrenheit. "Mums also like humidity, and ideally, it should be between 70% and 90%, which is easy to obtain in a greenhouse, but less so indoors," Noyes adds. "So, if you grow and care for mums at home, aim for 40% to 50% anything under this will cause them to suffer. The humidity level will also affect their mass and growth, and consequently, their blooms."
Fertilizer
Noyes says that mums also need feeding, but it depends on where you grow them and which fertilizer you use. In containers and with a liquid fertilizer, you should do it every month, but start at least a month after you have planted the seedlings and stop before the flower buds open. "With slow-release fertilizers, you should do it every six to eight weeks, starting at least a month after planting and stopping before they bloom," Noyes says. "Outdoors, it depends on how fertile your soil is in a well-kept organic garden, you may need to compost it when planting them, and maybe later in the season, a few weeks before they blossom." Sons suggests using liquid Osmocote because it's gentle and effective. "Apply once monthly during the active growing seasons for big, bold, and beautiful blooms," she advises.
We have grown over 1400 mums that are available in more than 12 exciting colors. Our fall mums bloom for weeks and are well cared for so you will get stong, healthy mums to plant or display on you porch. Our mums are already acclimated to the outdoors since our mums are all grown on-site at Polly's Garden Center in Stanhope, Iowa.
