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There's plenty of life left in your garden long after summer blooms have faded away
Few flowers enjoy an association with fall like the garden mum. This fall favorite brightens up flower beds with colorful blooms from late August through November, and they flower prolifically in a wide array of colors including white, yellow, pink, lavender, red and bronze. These versatile plants also look great in garden beds, borders and containers.
While garden mums are technically perennial, most people, especially in the North, grow them as annuals because mums do not reliably survive the winter. When planted later in the fall, garden mum roots don't have enough time to properly establish before temperatures start dropping and the ground freezes.
If you want your mums to last as a perennial, there are a few steps you can take to increase their chance of survival:
Mums are easy to care for and perfect for planting in mass for a bold color statement. They need to be planted in a sunny location with well-drained soil.
To plant mums in-ground:
A display of vibrant potted mums adds fall color to your patio, deck or front steps. Place containers in a spot where they'll get plenty of sunshine.
To plant mums in containers:
Watering. Whether in-ground or in containers, mums like a steady supply of moisture and should be watered whenever the top 1-2 inches of soil is dry. In-ground mums may need to be watered 1-2 times per week, or as needed to supplement fall rains. Potted mums dry out more quickly and need more frequent waterings, as often as every other day or even daily.
Feeding. To get the most from your garden mums, feed them every 7-14 days with a water-soluble plant food like Miracle-Gro® Water Soluble Bloom Booster® Flower Food. If you have a lot of in-ground mums to feed, try the Miracle-Gro® LiquaFeed® Garden Feeder with Miracle-Gro® Liquafeed Bloom Booster Flower Food.
Frost Care. Though mums don't reliably survive a hard freeze, most plants will withstand a light frost (temperatures between 28 °F to 32 °F for a few hours). If below freezing temperatures are expected in your area, bring container plants into a protected space like a garage or shed, and cover in-ground plants with blankets or sheets.
Enjoy! Mum flowers last for weeks, so enjoy the beautiful show of fall color!