Chrysanthemums
November 2014
I have cut back old flowers of a potted gift mum. Is it too late to plant it here
in Bentonville? If so, what do I do with it? It has tag reading hardy garden mum-bronze.
Most garden mums, both potted and planted have been frozen back. While chrysanthemums
are considered perennials, I usually treat them as annuals, buying new plants each
season. If you want to plant, go ahead and do so, watering and mulching after planting.
They should survive the winter, and begin to grow again in the spring. Then frequent
pruning to keep them from getting leggy is advised until mid-July. Then you can allow
them to grow and set flower buds for the following fall. Even though it is frigidly
cold outside, hardy trees, shrubs and perennials can still be planted now if you are
hearty enough to brave the cold!
August 2012
About the mums…..we have a bed of them and have cut them back twice and now they are
flowering again. Is this a good time to cut them back or just to cut off the blooms?
We also want them to bloom again in the fall.
Many of our plants are confused. It is too late to really cut back mums, but deadheading
(cutting of the spent blooms) can encourage them to set more flowers for this fall
July 2010
I have been told that I should be pruning my mums. What advice can you give concerning
mums? What will happen to the blooms if I don’t prune them?
Mums should be pinched and or pruned weekly from spring until mid July. This provides
a full, bushy plant by bloom time this fall. If they are not pinched, they tend to
be tall and ungainly when in bloom and often have little foliage at the base. They
usually are top-heavy as well, falling over under the weight of the blooms. There
are a few varieties that don't get tall, and are more free branching on their own,
but they are not the common varieties we see in home gardens. How do they look now?
Don't do any pruning after mid July or you will impact the bloom time this fall.
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