Chrysanthemums or chrysanthemums are shrub-like plants that bloom in the fall. Moms originated in ancient China and Japan. Today, mums are the first choice for gardens because they are durable and versatile.
Whether you’re looking for a perennial to serve you year-round or vibrant colors to enhance your garden in the fall, mums are your best choice. However, mums need fertilization and pruning to survive the cold winters and be able to bloom again.
With the following simple tips and tricks, you’ll learn how to get mums to bloom in the fall. We’ll also show you how to store them in winter for the upcoming fall bloom.
After a cold winter, your moms may not look so good. They are probably full of dead flowers and stems. Before you lose all hope of reviving your moms, try the following methods.
Remove old flowers
Chrysanthemums usually bloom in late July or early August. The flowers remain colorful and vibrant throughout September and October and begin to fade in November.
Once the temperature begins to drop, the flowers begin to die quickly.
Old flowers that fade regularly is the first thing you should do to get your moms to bloom. Deadheading involves removing the dead flower and its stem so that a new, healthy flower can grow.
Remove dead flowers from their mothers during the fall to maintain the plant’s colorful appearance, then remove all the flowers when they fade in early winter.
To cut the flowers, you must pinch or cut the flower stem. You just need to remove the dead flower and its stem and leave the healthy part underneath.
Deadhead blooms regularly to ensure healthy flowering mothers.
Prune Chrysanthemums Seasonally
If killing your mothers didn’t work, pruning them is your answer. Mums need pruning when they get too big and to encourage growth and flowering.
Chrysanthemums are shrubs and are supposed to be round, so when you find them growing vertically, it means it’s time to trim them to shape.
Prune your mums after the fall flowering season. Once the mothers stop flowering, you should take your pruning shears and prune the plant until it is 6 inches off the ground.
Fertilize your mums before flowering
Fertilizing your plant is vital to help it survive the winter and bloom later in the fall.
Fertilize your mothers regularly with fertilizers rich in nitrogen and potassium before the flowering season. Stop fertilizing them once the flower buds start to emerge.
Once fall arrives, you’ll need to follow these simple steps to keep the mums blooming all season long.
Give your moms room to grow
Mums do not like crowded places, so you should repot the plant into two or more pots when it grows too large in its current position. You can also propagate your stems and replant them in your garden.
Moms love the fall sun
Moms thrive on short days and long nights. They need full or partial sunlight to bloom.
Provide water regularly
If you prefer chrysanthemums in pots, make sure they drain well. Moms don’t need water every day, but they do need constant observation.
Whenever you feel that the soil is drying out, it is a sign that the plant needs watering. Water every other day, but do not overwater the soil.
After the fall flowering season, mothers should be stored in a place protected from the cold and sunlight.
The place to keep the moms is inside, in front of a window where it can get enough sun. You can also cover your moms with a plastic cover that allows exposure to the sun.
The answer to how to get mothers to bloom is to provide them with plenty of sunlight for a limited time of the day and water every other day. This is because mums grow in the fall and thrive in fall weather.
You should also cut off old flowers regularly and prune them before storing them for the winter. In winter, moms should stay indoors or covered. Also remember to fertilize the moms and expose them to indirect sunlight throughout the winter.
If you watch your mothers throughout the year and apply these gardening tips, you will make them bloom and last a long time.