Expert: C.L. Fornari - 5/30/2004

Question
I don't usually plant annuals, but this year wanted to try something different. I used topsoil in my window boxes. I don't really care if they come back next year. I planted garden mums last week and water them the way I'm supposed to and the flowers are dying already.Is this normal? I don't really know that much about mums. If they are done blooming I will remove them and plant something else. Thanks!

Answer
Lori,
Mums aren't usually chosen for window boxes because they have one burst of bloom and then quit.... for this reason they are not normally planted in summer boxes.  Since they do well in cool weather they are usually used in fall displays.  You don't say where you are gardening, so I suppose you could be planting these in New Zealand where it is fall!  But in any case, if they have finished blooming they won't bloom again this year - I would take them out and plant them in a sunny place in your yard - with luck they will grow happily there and will come back next year.

In general, mums don't like to be kept too wet - their foliage will yellow and die if kept damp.  In containers they do best with a good quality potting soil, but if the top soil you used is well drained I'm sure that would have been OK.  Most people use potting soil in boxes instead of top soil because the top soil can sometimes be heavier, depending on the brand.  It's best not to use soil from your garden for boxes because it is usually too heavy and has fungal spores that can infect plants grown where they are watered frequently such as in containers.

If you live where the growing season is just underway, plant another annual in your boxes for all-summer bloom.  Scaevola, super petunias, short marigolds and margurites are all good choices for sunny boxes.

Let me know if this didn't answer your question!
C.L. Fornari