growing mums — How To — Made Just For U

One of the mums in a flower bed on my Missouri hillside. (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

Are Mums Growing?

Mums, short for chysanthemums, are a popular flower in gift bouquets because they are long-lasting. As a gardener, these are also excellent garden plants because they not only deter bugs but they are very easy to grow.

One of the more popular times to plant mums is in the fall, leaving the gardener to water the plants through winter until they get well-established. Once settled in, mums come back every year, providing continuing fall color for years.

So how do you tell if your mums are still alive?

At first glance, this dried up mum in my flower bed looks dead. As you get close, you will see green, signs of growth around the base of the plant. That’s how you know your mum is settling in.

Underneath the dry top, signs of new growth. (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

It can take a little time for the new growth to show up. Another mum outside my front door looked dead for months. Now I find new growth appearing at the bottom of that plant as well.

New later growth on another mum. (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

If you have mums in water, also check the bottom of the stems. You may find that your cut mums are developing roots in water. Did I mention mums are easy to grow?

So don’t get discouraged if the top of your mums look dry and dead at the moment. Underneath, new growth should be getting established to grow later this year.

Here are some of my favorite mums, yellow ones, that have returned for several years in one of my garden path corners.

Mums are not only pretty and helpful in the garden but their daisy-shaped flowers make excellent cut flowers.

Charlotte