Growing and Caring for Chrysanthemums

The chrysanthemums you see in bloom during the early summer and spring in the garden centers are pretty, but they really need to be pinched back to do well in the fall. My first mum was a burgundy variety in a four inch pot. It was SO hard to do-but I planted it in a new bed and pinched off every bloom and any buds that formed until July 1st, and then left it alone. In the fall it was a beautiful plant and well worth snipping those buds! This is also a good way to get bargain plants when the stores mark the plants down because the blooms have faded. Take them home and pinch them back-remove all the brown foliage and plant them with plenty of compost. You'll have some pretty perennials, but at a very low cost.

Mums also need to be divided often to really do well. For years I've heard complaints from people of mums that don't bloom or only have a few flowers. The problem many times is that the plants need to be divided as often as once a year! Dig the plant up with as much soil as possible-to avoid cutting off roots. Once it's out of the ground pull or cut apart the mass of roots and divide it. The sections do not need to be very big. I divided one plant into four sections. Plant each division right away and keep watered well until it becomes established.

Mums need to be fertilized a couple times of year in the spring and summer, but other than that they are very easy to care for. Plant them in full sun if possible-mine are in partial sun and do fine. A bed of mums in different varieties and colors is such a treat in the fall. Hostas work well with mums, along with annuals that will bloom all summer long.