I have a cushion mum 'Grandchild' that is in full bud and one bud looks ready to bloom!! This is way too early right?
Didn't I read somewhere that you should trim the buds off or not? Thanks for the help!!!!!!
Should Mum Be In Bud NOW???
It is a bit early...July and after is more normal (at least in my zone). If you want a bushier plant, than by all means shear it back a bit below the current buds. Shearing it back will force additional side branching and ultimately more bloom later on.
This would be early for me, but I don't live down in Georgia. Hopefully someone from down south can help you with this. I think I'd pinch off a few of them, to help prevent the plant from being too leggy, just to be safe.
My mums are also starting to bud. I would like some of them to hold off until early fall because of their color. How much should I cut off of a 10" plant? And when should I do it?
If your plants are good and healthy you can cut them back easily half way. I routinely trim mine back a few inches every week till around mid to late July.
I end up with HUGE bushes covered in bloom by late August right on thorugh September and into October.
Marc - do you mean trim ALL of them back halfway, not leaving any of the buds, because more will pop up? I always had a problem with my mums being leggy. I had just recently read about pinching.
Yes Karrie trim the whole thing back. You'll get many many more bloom stems and the plant will be much more mounded and less leggy.
Now I'm no expert, but this is what has worked for me.
Mine have buds too, some have been blooming. I thought I'd let them bloom for a while, then cut them back afterward, so I can still enjoy the blooms right now. I need instant gratification, by jiminy!
I think our growing season should be long enough to allow them to come back after pruning, then pinching tips until July.
But then, I'm certainly no expert on them either. I'll call mine an experiment!
most of mine are in full bloom too. i thought about trimming them back but they are so pretty. i love mums
When we first started gardening here, we had no real idea what we wanted. I planted mums where ever I knew I wanted color. I have yet to pull any of them back out or move any. They have truly become some of the foundation bones of the garden.
It's too hot in summer, and we get frost in winter, so they usually die back during those times. I knew they bloomed in the fall, but had never had them bloom in the spring/early summer. I think it's because we never really had a hard killing freeze this year, just high 20šs.
Sure could be. I know for us we are about a month ahead on everythings bloom cycle. Very odd year................
Yes - many of my plants that don't bloom until mid-summer are blooming now. very odd year.
I ended up getting rid of my mums because they bloomed to early and I wanted a fall bloom. Didn't think to cut them back , but I'm no gardner, just learning and wish I had heard of DG last year. Now I'll probally get some more this year and I'll know what to do thanks..
Mine would do the same thing if I hadn't learned how to handle them. They used to get leggy and fall over when blooming, so learned about pinching. I pinch them back when they are about 4" tall and then again when they have grown about 4 more inches from the first pinch junction. This creates much bushier plants that do not fall over when blooming. It's never failed for me. Now if someone would just let me know if I'm supposed to do this to my Maltese Cross; I'd be happy.
Woodspirt--do you pinch them back by an inch? by half?
LimeyLisa Kay
The first time, I pinch the back in half. The second time I pinch back about 2 inches. Some folks even pinch them 3 times, but I find 2 times to be sufficient. I give them a shot of fertilizer and bone meal each time I pinch them, too.
berrygirl, My sister and I where wondering the same thing today when our mums where starting to bloom . It is to early here also . Dont know why either .I guess it is a nice little surprise uh ! Carolyn