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I wanted to be cool like my neighbors so I bought two rather large potted mums (wine red color) at a Stew Leonard's here in CT. I placed them on my front porch steps.
Now how do I take care of them, what do I do with them?
It's unlikely that your potted mum is going to winter over, in the pot, in Ct. Most people treat them as annuals, and eventually toss them out.
If they are hardy Mums, then plant them in the ground. They are perennials and I have had success in having them come up and bloom again. I live in NY so we should be in the same gardening zone. I believe that after they die out in the winter and the stems become dead you're supposed to cut them back to the ground.
Also place wood chips over them after you cut them back.
Something to remember about mums ~~ if you want them to bloom, they need to be in the dark at night. A bright streetlight or porch light will mess up their blooming program.
If they are hardy Mums, then plant them in the ground. They are perennials and I have had success in having them come up and bloom again. I live in NY so we should be in the same gardening zone. I believe that after they die out in the winter and the stems become dead you're supposed to cut them back to the ground.
Also place wood chips over them after you cut them back.
thank you.
I just bought mums for the first time, "hardy" mums, and I was told I have a good chance of them coming back if the winter wasn't too harsh, but I wasn't sure what to do with them once they died.
So, how much do you cut? I am picturing cutting all but an inch or so above the ground, or do you cut to ground level?
Thanks a lot, this has been on my mind but I keep forgetting to look it up!
If they are hardy Mums, then plant them in the ground. They are perennials and I have had success in having them come up and bloom again. I live in NY so we should be in the same gardening zone. I believe that after they die out in the winter and the stems become dead you're supposed to cut them back to the ground.
Also place wood chips over them after you cut them back.
Mums, especially Belgium Mums, planted in the ground in zones 4+ often return. They have a tendency to flop open in the middle and therefore need to be divided almost every Spring and deadheaded till late June-early July to remain bushy and look their best.
I live in Maine and this past winter we had temps below -20 degrees and at times with little snow cover to protect them......but I had 3 mums come back and bloom this year. If you plant them in the ground and I guess cut them back (truthfully I dont remember doing this).
Plant them in a sunny place.
Mine came up in the spring and grew happily......now there is a tedious task that I opted to skip.....the beautiful chubby potted mums you buy in the fall are the result of careful and persistant pruning and pinching back of the growth over the spring and early summer.....to make the plants get bushy and thick....then in mid august stop and let them get their buds and flower in early fall................if you dont do this (like me) they will flower before fall.....mid august .....and their shape wont be so compact.....but still beautiful.....Then I cut off the spent flowers....and now those plants are in bud again and I think I will get a second set of blooms.
Water them when the top 1" or so is dry. -stick your thumb in the soil, if it feels dry, water.
Oh, and if they are sitting in that silly celofane, decorative stuff, remove it. Any excess water will rot the roots. If you see the color fading, you can give them a watering of plant food. But I suspect it will be freezing before then.
They should last til first frost/freeze. And yes, you could put them in the ground then for next year.
And follow posts 2 & 4.
PS Oh yes, and CONGRATS on the new home! Isn't it fun?
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