Fall Color

By Ms Sherry

Although the warm days still feel bit like summer, the calendar and the shorter number of daylight hours signal that the seasons have changed. Our summer annuals and perennials have faded. Large bins of Halloween candy sit next to Christmas merchandise. Our local farmers co-op is advertising bales of hay, corn shucks, and mums to make yard decorations. While shopping in the community’s big box stores and local garden centers, I have seen huge displays of chrysanthemums. Available in a large variety of flowers with different petal shapes, colors, and even pot sizes, chrysanthemum are an easy way to brighten up our gardens. Although officially termed a perennial, I have never been able to grow this flower (officially referred to as florists’ mums) to look like the ones newly purchased. Despite all my best efforts to keep them properly pinched and cultivated,  they always get a bit lanky and leggy, usually ending up falling to the ground instead of becoming the stocky, bushy plants found in the trade. Therefore, I have ended up discarding the plants when the blooms played out—replacing the plants each fall. For just a little bit of money you can have quite a wonderful pop of color. Since our fall days can still be quite warm, it is necessary to keep the mums, whether planted in containers or in the ground, well watered as they wilt very easily.

There are about 160 species of chrysanthemums, although florists’ mums are the most well known to us. Among the others frequently found in our gardens as perennials are painted daisies, marguerite daisies, and shasta daisies.  Florists’ mums are officially described as perennials, but in the home garden, are often used for annual color. If you want to try to carry mums over in the garden, choose the ones referred to as “old fashioned florists’ mums”; one of my very favorites is ‘Ryan’s Pink’, growing 1 ½ to 2 feet tall with pale pink petals. ‘Ryan’s Pink’ does not require the care that the “newer” florists’ mums need. Other old fashioned mums to try are ‘Sheffield Pink’, ‘Mrs. Hathaway’ (yellow blooms), and ‘Single Apricot Korean’. Just writing their names inspires me to plant several of each.

In case you are interested in growing your florists’ mums from one year to the next, the following may help.

Like all growing things, florists’ mums prefer well-drained soil enriched with organic matter. Add a complete fertilizer to the soil two to three weeks before planting.  Fertilize your mums two or three times during the growing season and use a low nitrogen fertilizer as your last application, not less than two weeks before the mums bloom. (From THE SOUTHERN LIVING GARDEN BOOK) In our area of Alabama (east central) mums will appreciate some shade from the afternoon sun. Plant young mums in early spring and water as needed. If you water too little, the mums will have woody stems and the lower leaves will fall off;  water too much and the leaves will yellow and fall off.  I have done both. Now . . .  the secret to those big mum blooms in the marketplace – frequent pinching. Start pinching when you plant by removing the plant tip. Keep pinching all summer, removing the top pair of leaves on every shoot that gets 5 inches long. If your plants get too tall and fall over, staking may also be necessary.

Whether you choose to grow your mums as annuals or perennials, these cheerful flowers can provide just the lift our gardens and our spirits need as the summer gardening days wind down. Just walking through your local garden center and noting the wonderful array of colors will brighten your day. Enjoy!

THE SOUTHERN LIVING GARDEN BOOK , pp. 243 - 245 was used a reference in writing this blog.