I have three late mum plants in pots, recently purchased for an event. I've read that moving mums now is often not successful, better to wait for spring. But these I'm sure are potbound- wouldn't they be better off in the ground? I'm still moving other plants, as I have in the past at this time, and mulching heavily. Would that work for the mums?
Thanks!
Planting Mums now- or is it too late?
I buy potted mums for the porch duering the late summer early fall.
Mine are rootbound too.
I have lost as many as I have had return when planted now.
I think if you leave the plants in pots the roots get too cold and the plant freezes out.
The ones that returned were much smaller the season after purchase.
I guess they really pump them up for selling. I might as well stick them in the ground and see what happens in the spring. I'll use Rootblast, that may help. It's worked well on other things I've moved around.
Thanks!
I worked for a guy who sold mums wholesale.They do a hormone and trim thing to make all the blooms come out like a little pillow
Never hurt to try, right? It's my understanding if you want them to overwinter well, you need to get the kind that aren't bred for the big fall mums and buy them in the spring. I think Bluestone carries them then.
That's good to know. I love Bluestone since they changed their packaging. Hated the peanuts, don't mind paying a little more for bigger plants. I do remove the coir, though. Learned years ago about peat pots after finding dried up plants inside the impermeable box, would rather know the roots have direct access to the garden soil.
I finally stuck my plants in the ground this weekend. 50-50 chance, right?
Or better. Maybe when they come up in the spring you can cut them back, and they will look better by fall. I'll look in some of my books and see what they say.
If you want to up the chances a bit can mulch them...
Best thing in the spring is to begin pinching after they are about 3-4" high, then once a week (or every 2nd week) til July 4th. After that let them grow, they should bloom very full and at full height ( whatever type it is ie cushion), at the normal time in autumn. After 3 or 4 years when they begin to die out in the center dig and divide in early spring.... If you pinch judiciously you will not see any foliage come bloom time. Hope that helps...Kathy
See my little pathetic baby...lol. I didn't follow my advise this year and it turned out a bit scrawny, I promise to do better next year tho....I need to get some of the tall garden mums...yup, Bluestone, they have scads of them to choose from. Years ago I had one that was suppose to get 24-36. After the pinching process it ended up 48X48, with thousands of blooms, if I remember correctly it was classified as a Decorative.
I hope it's not too late, too. I have two Baldoni and two Carpinos (both hardy, Belgium Mums) that I still plan to get in the ground. To be truthful, when I lived in zone five I never even tried to plant my fall purchased mums, but now that I'm in zone 8, I'm much more optimistic!
I have mums here ,the first I tried from info was pot and all deeper in the ground and mulch cover,lost one of three, Next I planted them deeper than I usually would with better success , these I am talking about are hardy cushion mums, I have only had limited success with football mums , only this is out of there zone even though occasionally there are those that survive the winter cold here .
I have to admit,, I do not even know what a Belgium mum is ; I will have to look them up. In the pic they look like what is sold as cushion mums only the leaves look different.
I believe that Belgium Mums are just a trademarked group of hardy mums. I mentioned it in my previous post because the manager at the nursery where I bought them was so very pleased with them. I have to say they were the best looking mums I'd seen all season - incredibly floriferous. I just hope they survive the winter in the ground!
Quote from pollyk :
It's my understanding if you want them to overwinter well, you need to get the kind that aren't bred for the big fall mums and buy them in the spring. I think Bluestone carries them then.
The mums purchased in the Spring are referred to as garden Mums. The hardy perennial Mums are only offered in the fall. You can propagate them through cuttings.
I had 5 different hardy mums at one time. Due to limited space, I donated them to our Extension Service for their annual plant sale.
I think it may be a bit too late to plant now. Plants have to become established before winter to survive. Take cuttings and start small. when rooted pot it up.
Hardy perennial mums are offered in the spring by many companies. Here's a nice article on planting them in spring.
http://landscaping.about.com/od/landscapecolor/p/chrysanthemums.htm