Planting Mums in Fall

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Chrysanthemums are one of the longest blooming flowers in gardens and cut bouquets. (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

Planting Mums in Fall

Every gardener should have a friend like my friend Tom. If it's possible, Tom is even more of a dedicated gardener than I am. He's out in his garden even in bad weather, which is where I draw the line. If I have to wade through snow or ice, I pass. Rain is fifty-fifty, depends on what I need to get one. Sometimes I like to plant just before a rain, other times right after one. I am gardening in the Ozarks so anything that softens up the soil, besides a pick ax, is very welcome.

Tom has been gardening for four years and has created a wonderful garden on his family property. I love to visit to see what new area he has developed, or what new plants may be blooming. He has a corner of his garden he has named after me, and I have a spot in my garden that I named after him. I told him that officially makes us gardening buddies.

So it was great anticipation that I waited for him to drop off "something that will keep you busy." Next thing I know, he's splitting his stash of chrysanthemums or mums, great big plants someone had tossed after full bloom in my favorite fall color, yellow.

Some of the tossed mum plants Tom shared with me. They look a little down but they are not out!

Some of the tossed mum plants Tom shared with me. They look a little down but they are not out! (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

It’s easy to think of mums as disposable. They are plentiful in garden centers in the fall and once the blooms are spent, don’t have much to offer.

Many of the mums sold at garden centers are also raised in greenhouses so they are not acclimated to cold winters. However, it’s worth planting them because some of them do make it. And once established, will return and grow on their own from year to year.

Look for the sign of green growth underneath the center stem. (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

How to Plant Mums in Fall

Mums can be planted late into fall as long as the ground has not frozen. In USDA Hardiness zone 5 our ground doesn’t freeze until late in the year or the beginning of the new year, giving us extra planting time if we don’t mind braving the colder temperatures.

Here are several tips for successfully planting mums in fall:

  1. Hydrate the soil root ball by leaving it in water for a day, that will give the roots a good start as they settle in their new growing spot.

  2. Dig the hole twice the size of the root ball so roots have an easy way to move through new soil.

  3. Line hole bottom with wet leaves, that will help keep the root ball wet.

  4. Mums have shallow roots so plant the base of the plant no more than one inch below surrounding soil level. That gives me space to mulch the tender growth at the base with cut up leaves to protect them over winter.

  5. Don’t remove the dried or drying top flowers, that structure will also provide winter protection.

  6. Once the ground is hard, mulch the top of the plants with more leaves.

  7. Water through winter, 1-2 gallons a month to help keep the roots hydrated.

  8. Also remember these are natural bug repellant plants so plant them where they will protect other plants.

  9. Mums are also one of the longest lasting garden flowers as well as cut bouquet flowers so with a little effort you can have fresh flowers into late fall.

I have split plants with Tom in the past; a stash of iris from another friend comes to mind but who is counting.

Now excuse me, I have some mums to plant before it starts to snow.

Charlotte