Is it Fall yet? We sure can’t tell by the weather. But the answer is yes--if we go by mum sightings. It’s definitely mum time. They’re everywhere!
Speaking of mums, do you know how to take care of them? Garden mums (Chrysanthemum x morifolium) do best in full sun. They love rich, well drained soil (soggy soil in the winter will do them in). Mums thrive in a soil pH of 6 to 6.5. They like to be mulched with shredded leaves to protect their shallow roots. And they appreciate a little side dressing of compost or well-rotted manure.
I don’t get all that fussy about mum care, but my mums have been around for years and still bloom their little heads off every fall. I just toss a bit of composted manure and shredded leaf mulch around them in the spring. To keep them from getting tall and floppy, I start snipping them back in spring as soon as they’re six inches tall. I stop snipping after July 15, so they’ll bloom no later than early October.
I love spoon mums, but there are many other types to choose from—anemone, button, single daisy, spider, and pompom are the most common. And talk about a color range--mums are available in every color except blue.
If you’d like your mums to come up year after year, buy hardy mums that have rhizomes (look for nodes at or slightly below the soil surface).
For detailed information on mum care, go to PSU"s mum care page.
Do you have a gardening question? In Delaware County, call our Master Gardeners hortline at 610-690-2671 on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 9 AM-12 NOON.
UPCOMING MASTER GARDENERS EVENTS
October 13, 2007: Scarecrow Making
Our annual scarecrow making workshop is a fun family event that is enjoyed by kids of all ages. You bring the clothes, a hat and a pillowcase--we supply the rest.
Registration required for all events (except plant sale). Please call 610-690-2655 for more information or visit our website
