MUMS THE WORD
By Lynn Lang
Polk County Master Gardener
The first sign of fall in central Florida is the subtle
shift of the sun, football, and fall festivals. But if
you look around in the nurseries and garden
centers you will spot the beautiful blooms of the
chrysanthemums. The blooms range from yellow,
white, orange, mauve, bronze, purple, or rust.
There are two types of mums in which to choose
for your home. You should base your selection on
your need for either short-term use or long-term
use.
Garden or hardy mums can be a container plant or planted in the
ground in your landscape. They can last year after year in the ground
because they produce underground stems (rhizomes) and above
ground stems (stolons), the above ground stems form new plants
where they come in contact with the soil, enabling the mum to
survive through the cold months. You can purchase florist mums year
round and will not last; they can be enjoyed only for the short term.
Because they have only a few to no stolons, they are easily killed by
Mums
the cold. Mums also make beautiful cut flower arrangements for your holiday table.
When choosing your garden mum, it is best to buy the ones with tight buds and a few blooms
so you can see the color you are buying. If a plant is totally full of blooms, it may bloom out
before the fall holidays. Mums need to be kept away from night-lights and street lights because
they are a short day plant, which means they need the longer nights to form flowers.
Once your chrysanthemum starts to have faded flowers, you can deadhead (cut the faded
flowers off), and your plant may produce new flowers, but will not be as profuse as the original
bloom. If you want to plant your mum in the garden instead of keeping it in a container, it is
best to wait until the cooler months of October and November. Chrysanthemums grow best in
full sun. They like a well-drained soil and mulched to retain moisture and prevent weeds. If they
are the very large mums, plant at least 24 inches apart to provide adequate room for growth: in
the spring, pinch back new growth to six to eight inches long to encourage a bushier plant.
During the growing season, use two to three applications of a 6-1-6 fertilizer around the plants
to grow beautiful blooms. Water the plant thoroughly after you fertilize.
A container of yellow mums
If you are given a floral mum as a gift, you must provide the right
environment in your home to extent the blooms. Because the potting
mix in which the mum is grown is very lightweight, keeping the mum
moist prevents it from drying out and losing the flowers and
preventing new buds from opening. Once the florist mum stops
blooming, if you wish to try to save it from the dreaded trashcan, you
may cut stems back to about 4 inches tall. Replant the plant in a large
container and watered weekly. Keep it in bright light and in May or
transplant it into your landscape. Don’t be discouraged if it does not
do well in the garden.
Now, to keep your container garden mum during the fall season, follow these simple steps, to
prolong the life of your blossoms and plant.

Place in a spot that has partial sun or shade. If placed in full sun you must be sure to
water more often due to our warm autumn days in central Florida.

Water when needed but check soil for dampness first. Smaller containers will need less
watering then the larger mums: usually every other day for the larger mums. Don’t let
the mum completely dry out.

Do not wet the leaves or flowers; it may cause a fungus or molds. You should water
from under the branches at the lip of the container from all sides. Water should flow
through the holes in the bottom of the container.

Pinch off spent blooms, and your plant should continue to flower throughout the fall.
When your mum has finished blooming, trim back the branches and the plant will blossom
again in the spring. Some of the larger mums will bloom again in the fall and may last for
another season. Do not forget to add fertilizer in the spring.
In the winter if there is danger of a freeze, if possible move it to a sheltered area; a porch or
garage. If planted in the ground, cover with a sheet or cardboard box.
Happy Fall Ya’all!