Pinching Chrysanthemums

This is what happens when I forget to pinch my mums earlier in the season, early flowering!

Pinching Chrysanthemums

July 4th is a mile marker for my chrysanthemums. It is the last time in the season that I pinch my mums back to make them bushy and delay fall blooming.

This year, I started pinching my mums back regularly every month or so. When temperatures in June became too hot to spend much time outside, I didn't pinch them so that several mum plants were actually blooming USA Independence Day weekend, several months ahead of the desired bloom time around Halloween.

Mums flower early when the plants are not regularly pinched back through July 4th weekend.

I tucked pinched-off mum branches into nearby soil to root new plants.

I usually prefer to plant low maintenance flowers but I don't mind having to pinch mums every few weeks. They are well worth the effort to add flowers when fall comes around.

Charlotte