How to Plant Hardy Mum
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Plant mums in growing areas to repel bugs. (Charlotte Ekker Wiggins photo)
“Charlotte I bought 3 hardy mums and now what do I do, how do I plant them? — Lydia in USDA Zone 5
How to Plant Hardy Mums
Hi Lydia, you are in my USDA growing zone. You have a couple of options to get your mums through winter.
Winter Over in Garage
You can winter your mums over in your garage.
Place them off the cold ground. Water them every two weeks or so to keep their roots moist. The tops will dry.
Leave them until spring.
Plant after danger of frost is over, which in our area is around Mother’s Day. That gives the plants a whole growing season to get established.
Plant Mums in Garden
Plant mums in a sunny garden spot before the ground freezes, which is usually early January.
Dig holes as deep as the plants are in the pots; water plants well; then place plants in holes and water again.
Add mulch around the base of the plant.
Give each plant a gallon of water a month through winter to keep roots moist.
Don’t cut off the top; the dead branches will protect any new growth in the plant center.
When you start seeing new growth, wait until danger of frost is over before you cut out dead tops.
Keep watered through the growing season.
Last year’s mums survived and bloomed this year. (Charlotte Ekker Wiggins photo)
Pinching Mums
Regardless of when you plant mums, when they start growing back, decide how tall you want them to grow.
If you want the traditional mounded mum, you will need to start pinching growth when the plants reach about 4 inches. Pinch the stems every week or so until July 4 to keep the growth bushy.
If not, keep the plants mulched and watered and they will grow tall, making them excellent cut flowers. If you notice florist arrangements, they use mums are filler plants because they have a long vase life.
I add finished compost into the soil around mums early spring to help feed them through the growing season.
