Expert: Gill Borchardt - 10/13/2009

Question
Should I cut off the dead blooms on my mums?  Will they keep blooming this fall?

Answer
Hello Susan

It is always a good idea to cut the faded blooms off flowers to encourage the plant to produce more.  If you do this your plants should continue to flower well into the fall.

If you live in an area that has very cold winters, with a lot of frost or snow, it is a good idea to dig up the plants in late fall (usually just after the first frost).  Cut off the stems to about 6" and lift the crowns.  These should be stored in  trays (or boxes) of dry compost in a frost free place over the winter.

If you don't get frost (or not very much), or if the plants are just too big for you to dig up,  you can leave them in the ground - just give them a good thick mulch of leaf mould or garden compost.  This is especially important if you do get frost - that mulch will keep a degree or two of frost away from the roots.