Expert: C.L. Fornari - 10/1/2006

Question
Hi,

I live in Southwestern Connecticut and I buy mums to put in my flower boxes every year.  I was wondering how I can tell which mums when planted in the ground will come back up the following year?  The little sticks that come in the pots don't have enough information on them.  

Thank you,

Mary Ellen

Answer
Mary Ellen,
Unfortunately, most mums are bred to be fall annuals.  The truly bone-hardy types like "Sheffield Pink" and "Penelope Pease" are sold in perennial sections earlier in the summer, and these tend to have flowers that look more like a daisy than a pom-pom.

That said, you are more likely to keep the annual mums alive with the following steps:
1. If you use them in windowboxes, transplant them to the garden as soon as the flowers have faded.

2. Continue to water the plants even after the flowers have gone - water well once a week - these plants have a root system the size of the pot, so they'll dry out quickly.

3. DO NOT cut the stems down after the flowers fade - leave them on the plant all winter, only cutting them down in the spring.

4. In mid-november pile hay, chopped leaves or pine branches around the plants to provide an air-filled mulch. (Make sure leaves are chopped by a lawnmower so that they don't make a heavy, wet mat)

5. Clear off mulch in April and cut off stems - you should see the new plants coming up from the soil then - Fertilize in May.

6. In mid to late may shear about 3" off the top of the plants with scissors to make plants bushy and full.  This can also be done again in mid to late June, but never after the fourth of july