Wintering Potted Mums

September 19, 2024 Post a Comment

Wintering potted mums

If you live in a colder region (Zones 4 and colder) or it's already October, your best bet is to overwinter your potted mums indoors in a cold, dark place. Here's how: If the plants are in the ground, pot them up after the first fall frost; include as much root system as possible. Leave the foliage on the plants.

How do you store mums for the winter?

Move the plant indoors to a dark area that is between 32 and 50 degrees Fahrenheit. A basement or unheated closet might work well. If temperatures could drop below 32 degrees Fahrenheit, wrap the bottom and sides of the pot with three or four layers of newspapers.

What do you do with potted mums after winter?

If you live in an area that receives frost, move your potted Mums into a protected place that will stay above freezing. You don't want the roots to freeze or they may die. You can put your plants into any cool and dark location, such as an unheated garage or shed.

Will potted mums come back next year?

Both potted mums and garden/ hardy mums return every year if planted early enough and properly cared for. There are thousands of cultivated varieties of mums (technically classified as chrysanthemums) and even 40 wild species.

How do I save my potted mums for next year?

The easiest way to keep your mum plants alive for next year is to bring the plants indoors. For potted plants this means cutting off the brown foliage and stems about 3–4 inches long above the soil, wrapping the pot, and bringing it inside to an unheated garage or shed.

Can I overwinter mums in the house?

But don't cut those stalks off yet you will then take your mom indoors. And put it in a location

How do you care for potted mums indoors?

General Care

Plant mums in containers with fresh, well-drained potting media. Mums like moist, but not overly wet soil.
Place them in an area that provides bright, but filtered light. When growing mums indoors, as opposed to outdoors, direct sunlight can harm them.
Keep it cool.

How do you take care of outdoor potted mums?

How to care for outdoor garden mums

After planting, give them a good watering and keep the soil moist everyday until they are established.
Mums don't like to get dry between waterings, so make sure you water them at least every other day and especially if they start looking wilted.

How long do potted mums last inside?

Caring for mums indoors is easy and with only a few tips you can keep a mum plant healthy for three to four weeks. They are a big bang for your buck as they are less expensive than most bouquets of flowers.

What should I do with my potted mums?

Once you've re-potted your mums all you need to do is:

Place your mums in a sunny area in your home.
Keep the soil moist. ...
Deadhead often for lasting blooms. ...
Once your mums stop blooming, you can place them in the ground outdoors once the weather starts to warm.

How do I get my mums to come back every year?

Cut back the stems of the mums to 3 to 4 inches (8 to 10 cm.) above the ground. Leaving a little bit of the stems will ensure that next year you have a full plant, as the new stems will grow from these trimmed stems. If you cut the mums back to the ground, fewer stems will grow next year.

Can I plant potted mums in the ground?

It's easy to find mums in fall hues of yellow, bronze, purple or burgundy, but they also come in white, pink and red. These plants can either be planted in containers and hanging baskets or stuck into the ground to fill gaps in the garden.

How long do potted mums last outside in the fall?

Garden mums may be grown in containers, or planted in beds with existing shrubs and flowers. Flowers generally last about two or three weeks, depending on the outdoor temperatures and how far along the blooming process was when the plants were purchased.

Can mums live indoors year round?

They are more sensitive to cold and light changes, but you can find them any time of the year and bloom for several weeks in the home interior. Growing chrysanthemums indoors is easy and requires little special care beyond watering, good soil and drainage.

Can mums be left outside in frost?

While mums are hardy and will tolerate cool, almost-freezing, temperatures relatively well, they are not immune to frost, and just one frosty night can do them in.

What to do with mums in pots after they bloom?

After they finish flowering, garden mums should be cut back far enough to remove all of the faded flowers (about one-quarter their height). If the winter stays very mild, some mums will produce a few more flowers. In late January or early February, garden mums should be cut back to about three inches from the ground.

Do mums do better in pots or in the ground?

Mums are ideal for containers because of their shallow root systems. Use those pots of blooming mums sold in the fall as annuals to replace summer annuals that are past their prime. Tuck the mums in beds, borders or planters to keep the color coming until frost.

When should I bring my mums inside?

When your mums flowers begin to fade, or when the temperatures simply become too cold in late fall, it is time to move your plants to safety for good. For mums in pots in late fall, that means getting them indoors to survive their first winter.

How do I know if my mums are annual or perennial?

The perennial, fall-flowering form is Chrysanthemum x morifolium and the annual variety is Chrysanthemum multicaule. If your plant came without identification, note that the annuals have thinner, strappy leaves that are not as toothed as the perennials, which are wide and deeply notched.

Do you cut back potted mums in the fall?

After your mums stop blooming in late fall, don't cut them back right away. Leaving the stems through the winter will help insulate their roots. Cut back your mums' dead stems and leaves in early spring when new green growth emerges.