Back to Home Page

Email a Hyperlink to this Article to a Friend

Mums Take to Containers

Garden mums, also known as chrysanthemums, are in full bloom and available at local
garden centers. The plants are very colorful but only flower for a few weeks and are a little more expensive than other bedding plants.

Chrysanthemum

Perhaps you won't fill a garden with mums but most gardeners like to add them to a large
container. Planting several mums in a large pot or planter gives a burst of fall color at an entrance and helps decorate the patio.

Most gardeners like the bright yellow, orange and bronze colors for fall but the plants are also available with lavender, red and white blossoms. Fill a clean container with fresh potting soil and then add plants of a single color or mix several colors together. Then follow these tips to keep them flowering.
Water when the surface soil begins to feel dry to the touch.
Display in full sun to light shade.
Feed every other week with a 20-20-20 or similar fertilizer solution.
Prune off old flowers to encourage the remaining blossoms to open.
Mums give a colorful display for 4 to 6 weeks. After flowering prune out the declining
stems back into the foliage. Give the plants good care and they often develop additional
blossoms.