Mum – White Perennial Mum

The best time to plant perennial mums is springtime.  You can also plant them in very early fall, but keep in mind if you have freezing temperatures before the roots have time to establish, you risk the chance of the mum not returning the next year.  Mums have shallow roots, and when they have not had a chance to get established, the freezing and thawing of the soil can cause the roots to push out of the soil during the winter.

Plant chrysanthemums in rich, well-draining soil in an area that gets full sun (6-8 hours of direct sunlight).  Their preferred soil pH is between 5.8 to 6.8.  Since their roots are shallow, plants will dry out quickly and will need regular, consistent watering, especially during hot, dry spells.  Adding 1-2″ of mulch will help converse moisture.  To prevent leggy mums, pinch back the stems until the beginning of July.  After that, you can let them grow and produce flower buds for fall flowering.  This video on YouTube does a really good job of explaining the pinching back process.

For overwintered mums in the garden, start a monthly feeding schedule after all danger of frost has passed.  During the vegetative phase, nitrogen and potassium are important (ratio is Nitrogen-Phosphorus-Potassium NPK).  A granular 6-2-4 or 4-2-3 analysis works well.  If using water-soluble fertilizers, a balanced 20-20-20 or 15-15-15 will do nicely.  If using a slow-release fertilizer, use a 12-6-6 early enough so nutrients are absorbed by early July.  Once you stop pinching back the plant in early July, do not feed again until next spring.