PETITTI How to Plant And Care For Fall Mums So They’ll Grow Back 

Hi! Did you cut them back at all at the end of Fall or early Spring? I bought beautiful mums and put them in the ground after Halloween now look dead but I’m hoping they will come back. Just wondering if I need to cut them back.

@@renatacasiel6970 The plant above ground is dead material. You should see new growth under the plant if the mums made it. Depending on your climate you might see a lot of growth or miniscule green sprouts by now. You can cut the shrub down, but if you live in a really cold climate, just wait a couple of weeks to protect the new growth. Plants that flower in the fall should be cut back in the spring for the most part.

Do you have to do much for them?

My mom is the same way. She has a lot of mum's that come back every spring and she doesn't do anything to them but watering. Then there's me, that inherited the green thumb from her and my grandmother, but for the life of me I can't get my fall mums to come back in the spring. I've done the planting method, the heeling method and the up against the house method to no avail. It must be something that the growers are doing differently these days compared to 20yrs ago is all I can come up with as to why I can't get them to come back like mom does.

@@paddicakes963 I really do nothing to mine but plant the store bought ones in the ground as early as possible to give them time to root in a bit. I don't cover them, hill them.... nothing. I will say that my larger ones are planted next to my shed on the east side???? Maybe it protects them a bit but I have more planted through out that's doing ok too. I planted a huge white one last year and it came back and so huge and pretty this year.

What zone are you in ??

Did you keep them in the pot not the ground ? Did you water them over winter ? what area are you in ? I just got my first potted mum from my grandson and it is beautiful on my porch. I live in Iowa and we have hard winters so im sure if i can put the pot in the shed for the winter

plant is permanent and it will giveFlower only winter.

Glad it helped! Happy Gardening!

Glad it was helpful!

Thanks, Jen!

Thanks for the tip! We will do some research on the "Mammoth Series" and see if we can do some trial runs for next year.

I am In 7a and only find “annuals” where I live. I succeeded by overwintering in the garage, watering every 2 weeks and planting in the ground early Spring. 💃 💃 I learned this in out local gardening FB group.

Where can I buy the "Mammoth" in Wisconsin?

@@cybermarcela It's too late this fall to get them - due to being completely frozen. Try next year!

Thanks so much for watching! Happy Gardening!

What do they smell like

Mums don’t seem to have any notable smell

Thanks for watching!

@Yushi Kuang Did it work?

Did your mums survive the winter ?? I am in zone 6a The local lowes was selling perennial mums and I bought a couple and planted them in ground before the end of july. Hoping they’ll come back next year

Glad it was helpful!

It depends if your mum is a large, unique floral mum (annual/not cold hardy) or if it is an actual fall, garden mum (perennials/cold hardy). The garden mums can be wintered over in an unheated garage or garden shed, water it well before bringing it into a dark corner of the garage or shed, check on it 1x per month, irrigate lightly if the soil feels dry 1" deep, cut back to new green growth that develops in the spring. You can also dig a hole in the garden/landscape and place the potted mum in the hole, mulch around the pot 4-6" deep or place on a protected side of the house and surround with mulch. More information about fall garden mums is available here: www.petittigardencenter.com/?s=fall+mum&search_nonce=7566386d92#group=searchlist&searchpagination=0-9

@@PetittiGardenCenters thank you so much. I will do just that! I appreciate your time and advice.

@@PetittiGardenCenters she’s huge more than a foot across and top heavy. I brought her in last night because I felt it would be too cold out.

If you are going to overwinter in a insulated garage or cool cellar make sure to cut mums back to 3 or 4 inches above soil and don't over water during the winter. Just a bit to keep slightly damp so they don't try to grow!

You can use any planting mix soil!

Mum coloration has a lot to do with the amount of moisture and nutrients in the soil that is available as they are developing buds and blooming. Color may become muted due to sun, heat and dryness.

No matter what color of fall mums I plant ( tried red, purple and bronze) they always come back yellow. Zone 7- 50 plus inches of rain.

@@YSLRD What the heck!! 🤔🤔

The earlier you plant them, the better chance there is for them to perennialize in our area! They might bloom earlier than normal this year, but you can prevent that next year by cutting them back throughout the season.

You can find more information about the ingredients in Bio-tone here: www.espoma.com/product/bio-tone-starter-plus/#tab2 We recommend contacting your local, independent garden center for more information on anything similar that's available in your area!

Yes, the fall mums are rated for USDA Hardiness Zones 5-9, so they should grow, but if you are not able to maintain consistently moist soil they will wilt and become a maintenance problem in the future. Have you grown "October Daphne" (Sedum sieboldii)? It provides excellent fall color and is a rock garden type plant, excellent in hot/dry environments. Sorry that we are unable to deliver to Texas, but I wanted you to see the details of the plant.

@@PetittiGardenCenters thank you for your advice and time

It is too late in the season to add mulch as a protective material. It's likely you may smother the mums by doing this rather than protecting. Have you seen any new growth coming up from the base/crown of the plant? If so, that new growth should be hardened off to cold weather, plus if you didn't cut the mums back, it is surrounded by last years stems that provide winter protection. If no new growth has developed it's just a matter of "wait and see" what happens. Don't cut last years stems back until you see new growth develop. Keep in mind that driveway borders are tough spots to grow especially if snow gets piled up on the sides, if salt is applied to the driveway for de-icing, and run-off of water, soap, etc. can affect the soil conditions in the area.

Yes, you can divide established mums that have been growing 2-3 years in a pot or in the garden OR large mum plants tend to have 2-3 individual starter plants that you can separate. We recommend dividing and transplanting the opposite season the plant blooms, so typically dividing fall mums in spring is best. You can divide now, but it may stress out the plant and shorten the bloom cycle.

We do not recommend dividing and planting mums at this time. There is not enough time to get their roots established to return next year. Also, they should be divided and transplanted in spring, the opposite season they bloom. Right now, we recommend enjoying the mum outside and letting it die-back naturally. Place it in a cold garage or garden shed over the winter, and lightly water once a month. In spring, when you see new growth developing at the base, cut the plant back to the new growth and divide and plant after you have prepared the soil. Sometimes extra large mums are grown from 3-4 separate starter plants, so these plants could be divided out and planted now with limited success. Mulch the mums heavily (6") in November and wait to see what happens in the spring.

You're Welcome 😊

Not necessarily, I left mine in a pot last year and planted into the ground this spring and they put on a ton of growth and are just starting to bloom. Just make sure they get consistent water, even in the winter, and there's a chance they can make it.

@@fabianbladez123 do you recommend that I take the pot inside for the winter? or just leave it out? I'm in zone 5. thanks

As breeding practices advance, and as new varieties are developed, sometimes one genetic trait is replaced by another. In the case of fall mums, the cold hardiness has been lessened for compact, uniform blooms that make excellent fall accents. No, they will not do well indoors as a houseplant. Better to try wintering them over in a cold garage, watering lightly once a month over winter, or placing them on a protected side of the home and mulching heavily to keep insulated.

@@PetittiGardenCenters hi..ok good to know...thank you so much

I let my mums die back naturally it because allows them to keep taking in energy from the sun and gives them the best chance at coming back, they will naturally lose their leaves in the cold, then after winter and at the start of spring you will see green growth and just cut off the dead stems at the top and they will push out the new leaves for the year. Remember to pinch back the plant in the summer because otherwise they will bloom in the summer and not fall when you want them to.

Tying them up will work for the rest of this fall season. When they are young, we try to place a mesh material for them to grow through if their stems tend to get top heavy and split with the fall weather conditions, but this doesn't occur in smaller pot sizes and in certain varieties. If you are wintering the mums over in the ground or in pots, be sure to cut them back down to the new growth at the base in spring, then remove 1/2 of the new growth by the end of May, and repeat this around the 4th of July. This will keep the stems of the plants compact, branched and uniformly budded. Fertilize after every cut back with Osmocote or Plant-tone.

Yes, the fall mums are rated for USDA Hardiness Zones 5-9, so they should grow, but if you are not able to maintain consistently moist soil they will wilt and become a maintenance problem in the future.

I am in 7a and the way it worked for me last year is: cut them back when they were done blooming, water well and put in the garage. Water every 2 weeks all winter. Plant them in the ground in a sunny spot as soon as the weather warmed up (fertiliza at this time) in early Spring. Cover them if it freezes after that and continue watering as needed. This method will allow them to develop good root system all Spring and Summer and it will start enduring winters. They are in bloom right now and are a good size. I am so proud of myself 😄 and Of them of course!! Did this with only 2 last year but this time I have 6 that I will overwinter in the garage. Will be forming a border with them next Spring. 🥰

Thank you so much for the info! I’m in 7A also 😊

Mums can get floppy and separate if they are not sheared to branch out, produce more buds while remaining more compact. Rule of thumb is cut them back about 1/2 their growth by 4th of July. We often recommend shearing the new growth in 1/2 by Memorial Day, then remove 1/2 the new growth again by the 4th. This keeps them very compact & bushy. Feed them after each time you cut back too.

I'm just seeing your reply. I somehow missed it. Thank you so much. I'm about to put 2 mums in the ground and came here again looking for info.

Later in fall when the mums yellow and dieback, move them to a cold garage or a protected side of the home keep them in their pots. Make sure they have adequate drainage. In the garage, water them lightly 1x per month over winter. If kept outside, mulch around the pot with leaves or bark mulch to insulate the roots. Our garden guide is available here: www.petittigardencenter.com/growing-caring-for-hardy-fall-mums/

Yes, when planting in the landscape we always recommend We recommend incorporating Petitti Planting Mix™ into the lifted soil to achieve a 50/50 blend of ground soil and fresh planting mix. Here in Northeast Ohio, we have clay soil, and so amending with fresh organic matter will go a long way to support the plant’s establishment. We also recommend adding in Epsom Organic Bio-tone® to the hole and then positioning the plant in the hole so that its crown is slightly above the existing soil level. Bio-tone® is an organic starter fertilizer and root stimulator. Hope this helps!

Brown buds and any tip damage is indicative of either too dry or too wet soil conditions. The scoring of the roots & fresh potting soil should be fine. As long as the Miracle Gro was mixed at the proper rate, an application every 2 weeks can be beneficial. If you still have green buds they should continue to open provided the soil is not drying out or the mums are sitting in water. The brown tips should be removed and the rest should fill out fine.

@@PetittiGardenCenters Good advice, thank you!

Thats okay! Try mulching heavily around them to provide extra winter protection.

@@PetittiGardenCenters they buds started growing but I haven’t seen then sprout into flowers, just buds for 1 month already. Am I doing something wrong?