Chrysanthemums are undeniably beautiful, and there’s a reason why so many people love placing them in their fall garden beds. These flowers are so great because they add color to your yard.
You can find mums in violet, yellow, and red. They’re going to add so much charm to your yard when you choose to find a place for them.
If you’re considering planting mums this year, you’re going to want to learn a bit about them. For example, you’ll likely want to know when these flowers bloom.
Keep reading to get more information about caring for chrysanthemums. You’ll also be able to learn a bit about making the blooms last as long as possible.
When Chrysanthemums Bloom
Knowing when chrysanthemums bloom will be easy so long as you know the type that you have. You see, there are three basic types that all bloom at different times.
Early blooming mums might start flowering as early as the late days of July. Most mums are early fall bloomers that start flowering in September.
There are also late blooming mums that won’t flower until October. Different varieties will bloom at different times.
It should be easy to get specific information about the mums when you purchase them. This will ensure that you know what to expect so that you can do everything that you’re supposed to do to help the mums thrive.
You Can Force Mums to Flower
It is indeed possible to force mums to flower no matter what time of the year it is. Exposing the mums to shorter daylight periods will actually force them to start flowering.
Once they start experiencing shorter daylight periods and longer nights, it’s going to change the way that they react. It triggers the plants to start producing flowers.
You know that most mums flower during the fall at some point. They know that it’s time to flower when the daylight cycle starts to change.
It’s not that hard to artificially produce this, and this is why you see flowering mums for sale all year. You can go to a nursery or garden center and find flowering mums most of the time.
If you’re going to be planting yours outside, it isn’t really going to be possible to replicate this. This is something that you would do in an indoor gardening space.
Regardless, it’s interesting to know that you can trigger chrysanthemums and make them flower earlier than intended. There might be other ways to get them to bloom for longer periods of time that will be more practical when you’re planting mums normally, too.
Proper Care Is Essential to Get Mums to Bloom Normally
Of course, you’re not going to have much luck with mums if you completely neglect them. These flowers aren’t that hard to care for overall, but that doesn’t mean that you don’t need to do things properly.
Be sure to provide them with enough water so that they’ll produce bright and beautiful blooms. Most people try to water these flowers every other day.
It’d actually be better to check the soil to see if they need to be watered, though. Touch the soil to see if it’s a bit dry, and remember to water them whenever they’re starting to dry out.
This should help you to keep the mums healthy and ready to bloom. If you neglect them and don’t water them enough, the blooms won’t be as vibrant or healthy as they should be.
It’s also going to be good to give them as much light as they need. It’s recommended to place chrysanthemums in a spot where they can receive six hours of sunlight each day.
When these flowers get more sunlight, it helps them to grow better while also improving the blooms that they produce. If it’s very hot in your area, it might be better to plant them in a slight shade.
Summers in very hot regions of North America might be a bit too harsh for full sunlight. You want to protect the mums from scorching as much as you can.
You’ll be happy to know that mums can be grown in many different types of soil. The most important thing is to ensure that the soil is nutrient-rich.
It’s also best to have well-draining soil so that you don’t accidentally water these flowers too much. Chrysanthemums will likely thrive in most soil types, but you can still plant them in ideal soil to get even better results.
Some enthusiasts choose to make their own soil mixture using compost and peat moss. This ensures that the soil has enough nutrients so that the mums can grow strong.
Fertilizing
As you might expect, fertilizing is going to play a key role in helping the mums bloom. Mums can indeed bloom without fertilizer, but you might be able to get better results by fertilizing in the early spring.
Consider fertilizing them every two weeks in the early spring until the buds start to form. There are many different types of fertilizer that you can use for these flowers, but it’s best to stick with a 6-2-4 or a 4-2-3 option.
You should be able to keep fertilizing them until the buds form without it being an issue. This will encourage the flowers to be bigger and bolder than usual.
Deadhead the Mums
Deadheading the mums is also going to be a very good idea. This is a good way to enhance blooms by getting rid of blooms that are already dying.
The process is really easy since you’re just going to be cutting off the flowers that appear to be dead or dying. Just use gardening shears to get the job done and it won’t take long at all.
As an added benefit, you’re going to keep your mums looking much tidier if you do this. They’ll continue to bloom and grow even if you don’t take the time to deadhead them, but they won’t look as nice.
When you deadhead your chrysanthemums, it’s going to keep them from wasting energy on dead or dying blooms. This energy can then be redirected toward other budding areas of the plant.
It’ll also encourage more buds to form, and you’ll be able to enjoy more constant blooms. Anyone who wants to see the mums look their best should be deadheading their plants.
Final Thoughts
Knowing more about mums and when they bloom will allow you to plan out your garden easier. Most are going to bloom during the fall, but some will bloom in the middle of summer.
You should always be able to tell which type of mums you’re buying from the garden center or nursery. This will allow you to get plants that will bloom at the time that you want them to.
Caring for the chrysanthemums will be an important part of making the blooms look nice. You’ll need to take care of all of the basics such as sunlight, water, and nutrient-rich soil.
It’ll also be beneficial to fertilize them so that they can grow stronger. You can buy a fertilizer that will help the blooms to be even bolder than usual.
Deadheading will ensure that the mums remain vibrant and that energy isn’t being wasted on spent blooms. So long as you put the effort into taking care of your flowers, it’s going to help your property to look so much nicer this year.
Growing up with a mom who filled her home (inside and out) with all sorts of plants, Lisa got her start in gardening at a young age. Living now on her own with a home and yard full of plants (including an indoor greenhouse), she shares all the gardening tips she’s gained over the years.
Before you go: Now is the perfect time to start tracking your gardening progress, and I created a garden journal to do exactly that. Click the image below to see it in action and to get your own copy.
