Most of the 160 or so species of mums are native to China and, to a lesser extent, Japan and Europe. Hundreds of varieties are available for growing in the greenhouse and the garden, with flowers in practically every color, ranging in size from about an inch to more than 6 inches. Potted mums arrive in late August or early September and are usually shipped in six-inch pots. They, along with pansies, make up the bulk of plant sales during the fall. The demand for mums may occasionally exceed the supply, but prices have remained relatively constant and extremely reasonable for decades.
By selecting the proper varieties, you can have mums in bloom from August through November, because nearly all of them are capable of surviving and blooming even when temperatures drop below freezing. In fact, the flower buds can survive temperatures as low as 27 degrees. Although they're more commonly grown as annuals, whether in the garden or in pots, mums can be grown as perennials in many areas of the country.
Shopping for Mums
When shopping for mums, look for a healthy plant that doesn't show any signs of insect damage or yellowing leaves. Look for plants whose flower buds are tight but not yet open. That way you'll enjoy more of the blooming period once you get the plants home. I sometimes remove a plant or two from its pot to inspect the root system. Although the foliage of nearly all mums is pretty much the same, flower types vary enormously. Mum fanatics have all kinds of names for their various shapes, including anemone, brush, pompon, quill, reflex, spider, and spoon, but most of what you find are either singles or semidoubles.
Planting Mums
The best time to plant mums is in the spring. This provides them with several months to develop a good root system, which is crucial to their survival during the winter. Most mail-order sources ship in the spring, but few nurseries stock them then.
In the North, mums need full sun. In the South, they need at least a half-day of sun. And everywhere, mums need well-drained soil. More mums die from root rot than from freezing temperatures. After choosing a well-drained location, dig a planting hole roughly twice as wide as the plant's rootball, and blend in a generous dose of compost. Then place the plant in the hole one inch deeper than it was growing in the nursery pot, gently spreading the roots out as you go. Water well.
Cold weather kills the flowers and leaves in most areas, so water only when the soil becomes very dry. Trim the tops back to remove dead blossoms. Don't apply mulch until after the first of the year, at which time you can cover the plants with a two- to-three inch layer of shredded bark, leaves, or straw. Having done that, your plants should be fine through winter.
Caring for Mums Year-Round
When spring rolls around, you can dig and divide your mums, something you should do at least every other year. If it's their first spring in the ground, begin preparing them for fall blooming. Pinch them when the foliage has grown to a height of five or six inches. This is usually between May Day and Memorial Day. Pinch back the growing tips by an inch or two and continue pinching every three weeks until the Fourth of July. Pinching makes the plants stockier and bushier, which results in healthier flowers and more of them. If you don't pinch, your plants will grow tall and lanky and won't produce near as many flowers. They may also need staking, which needlessly adds to your maintenance chores.
Mums will grow just fine with next to nothing in the way of fertilizer, assuming you add a little compost at planting time. However, a monthly dose of 10-10-10 or a 50/50 blend of blood meal and bone meal will result in more blooms. Don't use high-nitrogen fertilizers or you'll have a lot of foliage and few flowers.
If you have trouble getting your mums to bloom before killing freezes arrive, try fooling them into believing it's later than it really is. Shorter days cause mums to bloom, and if you cover your mums beginning in late summer, they'll begin to think it's actually fall. In mid- to late August, cover your mums tightly with some sort of dark fabric each afternoon. Each morning, remove the fabric. Continue this procedure every day for one to three weeks to see flower buds form far earlier than usual.
Propagating Mums
Another great thing about mums is that they are among the easiest plants to propagate, either by simple division--that is cutting small, well-rooted sections from the mother plant and potting them in containers--or by taking stem cuttings and rooting them in a mixture of peat moss and vermiculite or sand. If you tackle these tasks in early spring, the plants you create will be ready to bloom by fall.
Mums are sometimes attacked by a few pests. Aphids, especially black aphids, can be a problem, although a shot of insecticidal soap will control them. Leafminers can be more of a bother, but the all-natural insecticide Neem does a great job of getting rid of them. Fungal diseases may also rear their ugly heads, but by the time they strike it's too late to do much about them. Buy plants from reputable nursery's or mail-order sources, and get rid of any plants that show signs of disease.
Other flowers to brighten up your fall garden: asters, goldenrods, and fall-blooming crocuses.
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