Mums the word!



Fall is for garden Chrysanthemum! Above is the mum 'Quarterback.' The first 4 shown are are from the 'football series.'  Years ago, it was customary to wear a mum corsage to football games. Quarterback is a dusty rose color, 16" tall and 22" wide. These mums are perennials to zone 4, but often short lived. I have had some that are 8 years old already. Fall care of mums likely plays a determining factor in  whether they live or die.



 Homecoming mum

 Stadium Queen's orangey red incurved blooms are 6-7" across. The plant is 16" tall and 22" wide. This beauty blooms mid September.

Centerpiece is a gorgeous 'spider' mum with rich pink color. The plant is 24 x 24." and blooms early Sept.

Notice the quill type petals. 

 Mellow Moon is very hardy. Beautiful 5" cream colored flowers blooming in mid-September. Plants are 16" tall and 22" wide.

Brilliant sunny yellow gold 4" blooms. Plant is 20 x 20" and blooms early September.  

Mums are very shallow rooted plants, and need watering if rain is not adequate, 1-2" per week.

Mum plants that go into winter in drought conditions like last fall, have a greater chance of dying. Plant tips for mums:  plant early in the season so plant gets established. After Aug., only purchase plants that are least 1 gallon so you are transplanting a decent size root system. Use several inches of straw or bark mulch around crown of plant. Mulch will greatly help in reducing soil moisture loss. Mums should be planted in full sun and are great in bouquets. Not all mums are hardy to this zone. You will usually see non-hardy mums in big baskets for fall decorations. I say "why throw them away?' Buy perennials...even if they only last a few years, still a better value then a 2 month display. Earthworks will have all of these and many more available by mid-summer.