FALL FLOWERS

"Mum's the word" does NOT apply to chrysanthemums

September 24, 2021

by Cynthia Brewer/Victoria County Master Gardener

Edited by Suzanne LaBrecque/Victoria County Master Gardener

PHOTOS BY VICTORIA COUNTY MASTER GARDENER CYNTHIA BREWER

Mums, pumpkins, and gourds go together in the fall.

Chrysanthemums make a great addition of color to front porch autumn decorations.

These mums from last year's decorations are ready to bloom again.  They received a little water during the hottest months but were pretty much neglected.  Mums are diehards.

The stores are full o f gorgeous, large, garden chrysanthemums.  Mums display well with crotons and coleus of matching or contrasting colors.

These yellow chrysanthemums are beautiful, but if you want them to last a long time, it's best to purchase them when the buds are still closed.  If your mums are already fully bloomed, you may get them to last longer if you thoroughly soak them each day, perhaps placing the pot in a large saucer of water that is 2 inches greater in diameter.  Continue to fill the dish when the plant has taken up the water -- perhaps daily.  Once the flowers die, cut them back and they may bloom  again in a month or two.

These purple mums display beautifully with ornamental grasses.

You’ve heard the saying, “Mum’s the word.” This saying from Middle English means “to keep quiet.”

When it comes to the use of chrysanthemums to display beautiful fall colors, we certainly do not want to stay quiet.

An autumn front porch display just isn’t complete without mums in a variety of colors arranged around pumpkins, gourds and autumn leaf garlands. So let’s get ready.

Tell me about chrysanthemums

The chrysanthemum comes from the Compositae or Asteraceae family, with over 32,000 known species and over 1,900 genera within the order Asterales.

In the United States, the chrysanthemum has 100 different cultivars. The National Chrysanthemum Society has a classification system to help organize the many varieties. Modern varieties come in almost every color except blue. Mum blooms range in size from 1 to 8 inches in diameter.

As early as the 15th century B.C., chrysanthemums were cultivated in China as herbs, with their roots and leaves eaten. Several centuries later, chrysanthemums were brought to Japan, where they thrived in the temperate climate. Now, chrysanthemums are common throughout the world.

The garden mum has a smaller flower but broader, notched aromatic leaves. It tends to be hardier because of its abundance of stolons, or underground runners that produce more plants.

Cultivated and hybrid mums usually have larger flower heads and narrower leaves. Because of limited stolon growth, they may need to be wintered in a greenhouse.

Ways to use mums
We usually see mums for sale in the fall — in time for autumn decorating. These are garden mums. Choose plants with most of the buds still closed as they will last longer. If the pot has a plastic wrap around it, make drainage holes or remove the wrap.

These perennials are mostly used as annuals and thrown out after autumn. Although with a little care, they can grow for years.

I use my mums both as annuals and perennials. I purchase them to decorate my front porch steps. Sometimes, my porch receives too much hot sun, and if I forget to water the mums, they become annuals —meaning they met with an untimely death.

If I’ve been a diligent mum owner and kept them well-watered and have deadheaded, or removed, the old blooms, I plant the mums in my backyard flowerbed as a border after Thanksgiving.

Care for your planted mum
For best growth and disease prevention, mums need a well-drained location with five to six hours of sunlight and good air circulation. A morning sun location is best as the sun will dry morning leaves of dew and help prevent mildew.

Water thoroughly after planting and as soon as the soil becomes dry again. Water should soak the soil to a depth of 4 to 6 inches.

If the winter is mild, mums may continue to bloom and grow as long as they’re deadheaded. If it’s going to be a cold winter, cut them back to 3 inches and apply 3 to 4 inches of mulch around them. Since they die back, you’ll be surprised to see the unexpected color blooming in spring and early summer.

Mums can bloom periodically throughout the year if they’re continually deadheaded. During the hot summer, they may bloom less. Remember to mulch around the plant to keep roots cool, but to avoid rot, don’t cover the plant.

To ensure healthy, green foliage and optimum flowering, fertilize mums weekly. Discontinue once flower buds are formed. After deadheading, begin fertilizing again. Garden mums can grow to 20 inches in height and mound 26-32 inches wide.

SOURCES: David Rodriguez, Bexar County extension agent; Charla Anthony of Brazos County with Texas A&M AgriLife Extension; and Gardeningknowhow.com; Dan Schadler, president of the U.S. National Chrysanthemum Society.

CHRYSANTHEMUM PROFILE

• Member of the (Compositae) family: Asteraceae
• Genus: Chrysanthemum L. – daisy
• Species: Chrysanthemum X moriforlium

MORE INFORMATION

To learn more about chrysanthemums, visit the National Chrysanthemum Society, USA, at www.mums.org. To view all 13 classes of mums, go to www.mums.org/chrysanthemum-classes.



The Gardeners’ Dirt is written by members of the Victoria County Master Gardener Association, an educational outreach of Texas A&M AgriLife Extension – Victoria County. Mail your questions in care of the Advocate, P.O. Box 1518, Victoria, TX 77901.