Are There Any Perennial Mums

Brightly colored fall chrysanthemums, or "mums," are hard to miss as summer winds down and fall approaches. They can be purchased just about any place that sells plants, from garden centers to grocery stores. It's easy to find mums in fall hues of yellow, bronze, purple or burgundy, but they also come in white, pink and red.

These plants can either be planted in containers and hanging baskets or stuck into the ground to fill gaps in the garden. Regardless of how they are used, do not expect them to survive the winter. The fall blooming mums that can be purchased late in the growing season have not been bred for cold hardiness. If they do manage to live through the winter, they seldom bloom again.

It is almost always easier to treat them as annuals and add them to the compost heap after the first hard frost. A second winter-survivability consideration is not planting too late in the season. Because mums are one of the last perennial flowers to bloom, they're typically not bought and planted until October—often to replace frost-killed summer annuals. Other times they're not planted at all, instead being used as potted spots of color on decks, patios, porches and front steps.

Left outside in above-ground pots, those plants almost always freeze-dry over winter. Mums that are planted in spring, summer or very early fall have a better chance of surviving winter. That earlier planting gives the roots a chance to acclimate and establish, increasing the plant's winter hardiness. Roots that take hold before the ground freezes also prevent mums from "heaving" out of the ground in winter, leaving the top of the rootball exposed. Even if you like your mums potted in fall, it's better to plant them late when the show's over than not at all. Just water them well, mulch them with about 2 inches of bark mulch or chopped leaves, and tamp them back down ASAP if you find them heaving during winter freezes and thaws.

Sinking pots in the ground after you shear back the top growth ensures that chrysanthemum roots are insulated against the cold. Though garden mums are rated as hardy down to USDA zone 7, potted plants can be two zones less cold-resistant if the pot is left standing. Chrysanthemum pots can also be stored in an unheated garage, porch or shed over the winter. Pots overwintered indoors just need water about once a month or whenever they're dry. Move them out to the garden after weather warms in the spring. Planting chrysanthemum in the spring gives the perennial plant time to establish and adapt to its new garden home.

You'll easily find mums in garden centers and nurseries in both fall and spring, but planning ahead is key to successful planting. Planting in the spring will also result in a bigger bloom the following season. Although some fall mums can survive winter if planted immediately, the odds are much better with spring-planted mums.

The third key mum-wintering aid is waiting until spring to trim off the cold-killed foliage. Research has found that the crumbling dead foliage helps insulate the crowns of the plants and increases their cold tolerance. Those amendments will aid drainage and add organic matter and nutrition to the soil. Also work a balanced, granular fertilizer into the soil at planting time. Top the planted bed with 2 inches of mulch and then keep the soil consistently damp the first full growing season.

Occasionally garden mums do winterkill, especially if the soil drains poorly or if there are excessive temperature fluctuations in the winter. Since mums have shallow root systems they are very easily damaged by freezing and thawing. This type of winter damage can be prevented with mulching and proper care in the fall. Garden mums are much more likely to survive the winter if the dead plant stems are not removed until the spring. Additionally, adding a 2-4-inch layer of mulch over the crowns of plants can help. Pine needles, shredded bark, clean straw or evergreen boughs work well, but avoid leaves as these flatten and provide very little insulation.

Remove the mulch once the ground thaws in April and cut back dead stems before new growth begins. Plant mums as soon as the soil warms in the spring. From late spring to mid-summer, pinch back the tips and flower buds on all shoots to make the plant bushier and prepare it for a dramatic fall show.

For optimal blooming, the plants should be fertilized regularly throughout the growing season. After the blooms fade, cut the plants down to about 6 inches, and cover them with straw or another dry mulch to protect the roots over winter. Established plants should be lifted and divided every two to three years.

Mums aren't exactly "pruned," but are instead pinched throughout the growing season. This helps the plant branch out, become fuller and offer more blooms. When your plant reaches 6 inches tall in the spring, simply pinch off 1 inch of each shoot. Repeat this every 2 to 3 weeks until early summer.Deadhead spent blooms throughout the fall for an extended bloom time. Once the plant has died in the winter, resist cutting it back.

Research reveals that allowing it to die back naturally over the winter produces a stronger plant. Simply clean up the dead stems and foliage in the spring. But if you plan to keep your mums as a perennial, plant seeds in the early spring or in the fall at least six weeks before your area's first hard freeze. Hardy mums are fast-growing and will reach their full height within their first year, with the plant filling out a little more each subsequent year. Fertilizing your mums gives them an added boost of essential nutrients for the best growth. The primary growth of chrysanthemum plant varieties takes place in spring and early summer.

If you plant fall mums, wait to begin their fertilization until the spring. Fall fertilization can actually reduce the hardiness of chrysanthemums to survive cold winters. It's best to plant garden mums in the spring so that they have all summer and fall to develop extensive root systems before winter sets in.

You can plant in the fall, but you'll want to find good sized plants with well developed root systems. Provide them with plenty of water throughout the summer; flowering is affected by lack of water. These plants do not tolerate wet soils, especially in winter, so be sure the planting site drains well. In the spring, when new shoots appear, regularly cut or pinch them back to promote branching. Pinch about every 4 weeks, up to the beginning of July.

If you live in a cold climate, it is best to leave the foliage on the plant, even after it has browned and died, to increase the plant's chance of surviving the winter. In spring, you can prune out the dead leaves before the new ones start to develop. Place plants in the ground ideally in early spring in the full sun with rich, moist, well-drained soil. Many plants are only found in garden centers in the fall but try to find them for spring planting.

Good soil drainage is especially important for the overwintering roots. Grown in less than full sun the plants will survive but will thin out, the stems will become long and floppy making for a messy appearance. If you want to avoid this hamster wheel of fall color hassle, consider planting perennial mums – winter hardy chrysanthemums – in the landscape beds instead. Johnson's Nursery carries 5 of the Mammoth® Series , introduced by the University of Minnesota. Like most plants coming out of Minnesota, they are very cold tolerant and have a much better chance of surviving winter than their less expensive counterparts. Even better, they have been bred so you don't have to pinch them back during the summer for a bushy appearance.

Nestle a pumpkin next to your perennial mums for the perfect harvest time landscape. Whenever possible, irrigate garden mums automatically . Overhead irrigation is satisfactory and inexpensive; but the umbrella effect caused by the leaves and the effect of wind results in a lot of wasted water. To prevent foliar diseases always water early enough in the day to allow the foliage to dry before evening hours. It is critical to keep plants actively growing in the early stages. Plants that undergo water stress are more likely to initiate premature flower buds.

Mums are a fairly easy-going plant that can perk up your garden in the fall. Just make sure to give them plenty of light and water, and well-drained soil. However, there are varieties that are truly perennial in most climates when planted in the early spring or in the fall several weeks before the first frost. These plants grow fast, and you should have flowers in the first growing season. Bloom times vary with variety and climate from early September through mid-October.

Garden mums (Chrysanthemum spp.) are herbaceous perennials in the daisy family and are stalwarts of the flowering autumn garden. When garden centers sell blooming potted mums in the fall, they are usually used as annuals and discarded when the blooms fade. And when gardeners try to transplant these mums into the ground late in the season, chances are they won't make it through winter and become perennial.

While most growers view garden mums as a fall commodity, the possibility of enhancing spring and summer sales should not be overlooked. Garden mums can also be shaded and grown for markets in July and August. The most common market for garden mums continues to be late summer and fall which will be the focus of this fact sheet. Asters , ironweed (Vernonia sp.) or sneezeweed are all excellent choices for New Hampshire gardens. In late summer when other plants call it quits, mums hit their stride. Like poinsettias, they're photoperiodic, meaning they rely on specific amounts of light to send the signal that it's time to start putting on a show.

Garden mums are short-day plants and initiate flower buds in response to an interaction of day length, temperature and plant age. On average, garden mums will not start to set buds until the nights last about 10 hours long. Although most treat Chrysanthemums simply as an autumn annual, there are hardy varieties that can be grown as perennials. These overwintering mums can provide beautiful foliage in the spring and summer, and gorgeous blooms in late summer and fall year.

Newly purchased potted mums need to be kept consistently moist but not wet and in bright, indirect light indoors. They need at least five hours of full sun outdoors to stay healthy enough to successfully come back the next season. Keep faded blossoms trimmed to keep the plant looking its best and keep it from spending its energy on producing seeds. No fertilizer is recommended the first year you grow chrysanthemums -- they usually received all they need for their first season at the nursery. Shear plants back to 4 to 6 inches tall when they're entirely done blooming.

For fall-planted mums to have a better chance of survival in cold areas, you need to give the roots andcrownof the plant extra protection. First, leave the foliage on the plants until spring. Do not prune them back after frost has turned them brown. Then, either mulch the plants heavily with at least 4 to 6 inches of mulch or dig up a pot, and move the plants to a more protected spot in the garden for the winter. If you choose to move the plants, do so before the first hard freeze.

Fall planting lessens the chance of winter survival, however, because roots don't have time to establish themselves enough. This will improve their chances of overwintering and reblooming the next year. Some plants will even produce a few blooms in the spring before being pinched for fall flowers. Both florist and garden mums make excellent container plants. Pop them into a clay pot or a fall window box by themselves or with other fall plants like flowering kale.

Making sure your potted mums thrive starts with picking the right plant. Look for a plant with more buds than open flowers; it will last longer and the repotting process will be less traumatic for a plant not yet in full bloom. Florist mums have many possible bloom forms, including quilled, pompon, spider, and more. Grown in greenhouses and used only as indoor plants, florist mums produce few, if any, underground runners, which mums need to survive cold weather. Florist mums planted outside are most likely being used as short-term bedding plants that will be removed when the blooms are spent or frost kills them.

You can plant a potted florist mum you receive as a gift but don't expect it to survive the winter outside, no matter how much protection you give it. The mums we grow here at Gulley Greenhouse are perennial chrysanthemums, meaning they will come back from the same roots each year. Remember, mums won't survive over the winter if left in containers. Plant your mum into the garden by early October and use a root stimulator, which will help get the roots of the plant established before the ground freezes.

However, there are some mums that are hardy enough to grow perennially in New Hampshire gardens. These so called "garden" mums are typically hardy in Zone 5 but may require extra winter protection. To give these plants the greatest chance of survival, plant them in the spring so that they have the entire growing season to become established before winter. Choose a spot in the garden that has rich, well-drained soil and full sun. Most mums planted in August or September are planted too late in the season.

They are in bud or flower, and all their strength is going to those flowers and seed production, said Columbus garden consultant Deb Knapke. There isnt enough time or energy to produce roots that go out into the garden soil before the heavy frosts hit. Without strong roots in the soil, the plant will probably die over the winter.

Early spring is also a good time to dig and divide mums—right before new growth occurs. Dividing is usually a good idea every two or three years. For large plants that seem to be dying out in the center, keep divisions from around the perimeter and discard the middle. To keep mums from flopping over under the weight of their bountiful fall flowers, keep the plants cut back to about 6 inches until late June or early July. You don't have to "pinch" each stem one by one as some people think.

You may need to cut your plants two or even three times before letting them proceed into their flowering phase in mid to late summer. The result will be compact, non-flopping plants with heavy and more uniform blooming. If you want fall flowers on your mums, you will need to trim the plants back periodically throughout the summer. Start when the plants are about 4 to 5 inches tall and repeat every 2 to 3 weeks until about mid-July. This will cause the plant to get stocky and bushier, and by late summer, it should be covered with flower buds. The most common question we get asked about mums is if they are annuals or perennials.