We Southerners LOVE our mums! They are a colorful area staple and here at Evergreen of Johnson City, we have a tremendous selection that includes strong healthy mums in every color and size! Here are a few tips to keep your mums growing and blooming as long as possible:
- Keep the color going by choosing mums in various stages of bloom and bud! Select some already in full color, some with large buds, and others with very small buds. That way as one plant finishes blooming, another will open up to take its place!
- Use a watering can with a spout so that you can aim the water directly onto the soil without getting the blooms wet. The dampness will shorten their bloom time.
- Deadheading is key! As flowers begin to turn brown, pinch off the fading flower and stem to allow sunlight to reach the buds below it. The new buds won’t open if the sun can’t find them.
- Keep a frost blanket (we have them available here at EJC – you’ll find they come in handy for lots of plants and flowers!) or some light weight sheets on hand to cover your mums when frost is predicted. While the front will not hurt the plant, it WILL turn the blooms ugly!
- Finally, add just a touch of Fertilome blooming and rooting formula to the soil to promote blooming. Just mix some into the watering can and apply to the soil with the water. It is inexpensive and may even help them to survive the winter and bloom again next year!
Want to try to keep your mums over the winter? Just ask for a Mum care sheet here at EJC (or we will happily e-mail you a copy). Mums are considered a “tender” perennial and with the right winter care can come back next year!
