Mums That Last

How do I get my fall mums to survive the winter? 

Every year, I get many customers questioning why they cannot get their fall planted hardy mums to return the following year. There are several reasons:

• Chrysanthemums have a very shallow root system.
• They don’t have a tap root or deep root system like many perennials, bushes and trees do. This makes them more susceptible to the harsh winter weather conditions.
• Also, the fall season is short, therefore there is not much time for roots to get established before winter arrives.

Here are some tips to increase your success in overwintering hardy mums in your garden:

• Plant as early as possible.  If you want to have a mum garden or mums as a part of your perennial garden, plant them in spring if at all possible.  Sometimes starter mum plants are hard to find in spring since they are not popular in the spring because they are not blooming yet.  
• If you cannot find mum starter plants in the spring and decide to plant in the fall when they are more available, then plant as early as possible.  The surface roots of mums need plenty of time to set as many roots as possible before winter arrives!   
• Whether you plant mums in the spring or the fall, amend the soil with PlantRight Compost.  This will help break up the clay and provide beneficial compost to your garden, which mums love.   
• Also, water in with PlantRight Biolife 800+ right after planting, followed by monthly applications.  The last application will be in October or early November. Biolife 800+ has over 800 beneficial organisms, fungi, bacteria and Mycorrhizae to help the roots develop and expand in the soil.  This is necessary for maximizing water and nutrient uptake to enhance the health of the plant.  Just like you and I, the healthier the plant is, the more likely it is to survive adverse conditions! 
• In the fall, after we have had enough cold weather to turn the leaves brown, (typically late November or early December) it is time to mulch them.  Do not cut off the branches!  Sift the mulch in and throughout the branch structure and all around the mum plant 6”-10” deep.  If it is dry, water in well after mulching.   
• During winter, not just for your mums, but all young perennials, (less than 2 years old) water for 10-15 minutes if we go more than 3 weeks with little to no rain or snowfall.  Moist soil is always better than dry soil.  Why?  It takes longer for moist soil to freeze and longer to thaw.  This along with the big mulch blanket put over the mums or other perennials helps stabilize the soil temperature.  Dry and or bare soil will have huge temperature swings from day to night, and from warm days to cold days vs moist soil covered with a nice mulch blanket.  Temperature swings kill many plants every year, and that is what we need to reduce as much as possible, and then you will be more successful!   
• Once spring arrives, and the weather starts to get nicer in mid-late March, then pull the mulch back and thin down to 2”-3” in and around your mums.  You should see some small green shoots already started or will soon.  Start fertilizing a month later with a balanced fertilizer.   
• In late May/early June, when the mums have reached 12” tall, cut them back ½ way.   
• In early July around the 4th of July, trim the mums back ¼ of the way.  Why trimming?  These 2 trimming sessions will keep your mum plant full, and keep it from blooming in summer, and it will produce 2-3 times as many blooms vs no trimming.  Your mums will burst with color in the fall season when you want the color when everything else in the landscape is basically done for the season!