This time of year Chrysanthemums can be found in almost every color of the rainbow from bright yellows and oranges to pinks and lavenders. A traditional choice for your fall floral displays, mums can also make a nice addition to your garden. While mums enjoy full sun conditions, they can be used temporarily on porches or in the home. While being used for decoration, pinch off spent blooms to keep them neat and water the soil when it begins to feel dry to touch.
Once mums have served their display purpose, they can be planted outdoors. Pinch off any remaining fading blooms (most plants will give you a second bloom this season). Find a full sun location with well drained soil and amend with Whitney Farms Planting Compost. Mums bloom in response to the shorter daylight hours in fall, so don't plant them near street lights where the evening light will mess with their bloom cycle. Feed with a good organic fertilizer in spring and then again in June to promote growth and fall bloom. Mums need to be pinched to maintain their bushy shape. In spring in start pinching when new growth is about 6" long. Then about every 2-3 weeks afterward, pinch out the center of any more growth that is about 4-5" in length. Stop pinching the beginning of summer or you might pinch off potential flower buds. Divide the plant every couple of years to reinvigorate it.
If you would like to see just how lovely mums can look in your garden, take a look at the photos posted by Rebecca Sweet in honor of Bloogers Bloom Day October at Gossip in The Garden
No comments:
Post a Comment