Many people associate garden chrysanthemums, or mums, with the beginning of autumn. Soon, these floral features will occupy garden centers and front porches around the country. To ensure that every mum has the best longevity possible, let’s start with the basics.
Chrysanthemum Basics
kAmx? p>6C:42[ E96C6 2C6 EH@ >2:? 42E68@C:6D @7 >F>Di 7=@C2= 2?5 82C56?] u=@C2= >F>D 2C6 EJA:42==J 8C@H? :?5@@CD 2?5 2C6 D@=5 3J 7=@C:DED 7@C 2CC2?86>6?ED] v2C56? >F>D 2C6 7@F?5 :? 82C56? 46?E6CD 5FC:?8 E96 72== @C :? D665 42E2=@8D 7@C =2?5D42A:?8]k^Am
kAmq@E9 7=@C2= 2?5 82C56? >F>D 4@?E2:? 2 G2C:6EJ @7 7=@H6C EJA6D] q=@@>D 2C6 4=2DD:7:65 244@C5:?8 E@ D92A6 2?5 A6E2= 2CC2?86>6?E] %96 EH@ >@DE 4@>>@? EJA6D 2C6 “D:?8=6” W52:DJ >F>DX 2?5 “564@C2E:G6” W7=@H6C >F>DX] !@AF=2C 4@=@CD @7 E9:D DA64:6D :?4=F56 H9:E6[ 3C@?K6[ J6==@H[ C65[ 4@C2=[ A:?< 2?5 =2G6?56C] k^Am
kAm%96C6 2C6 >2?J H2JD E@ 5:DA=2J >F>D 7@C E96 72==i z66A E96> :? E96:C @C:8:?2= 4@?E2:?6CD 7@C 5é4@C[ C6A=2?E :? =2C86C 4@?E2:?6CD @C A=2?E 5:C64E=J :?E@ E96 D@:=] z66A :? >:?5 E92E >F>D C6BF:C6 >@:DE[ H6==\5C2:?:?8 D@:= H:E9 D:I 9@FCD @C >@C6 @7 52:=J DF?=:89E] x7 FA\A@EE:?8 :?E@ 2?@E96C 4@?E2:?6C[ >2<6 DFC6 E96 ?6H A@E :D 2E =62DE 2? :?49 =2C86C @? 2== D:56D] (96? C6A=2?E:?8[ H96E96C :? 2 A@E @C :?\8C@F?5[ 5@?’E A=2?E E@@ 566A – A=2?E >F>D 2E E96 D2>6 56AE9 2D E96 D:K6 @7 E96:C @C:8:?2= 4@?E2:?6CD] xE’D 36EE6C E@ A=2?E E@@ D92==@H E92? E@@ 566A]k^Am
kAmp 4@>>@?=J 7@C8@EE6? AC24E:46 H:E9 >F>D :D 5:G:5:?8 E96:C D9@@ED] !:?49:?8 ?6H 8C@HE9 AC6G6?ED =@?8[ DA:?5=J 3=@@>D 2?5 2==@HD 7@C >@C6 3=@@>D 24C@DD E96 6?E:C6 A=2?E] s6259625:?8 E96 DA6?E 7=@H6CD 2=D@ 2:5D :? >2:?E2:?:?8 2AA62C2?46 E9C@F89 E96 72==] k^Am
kAmkDEC@?8mr9@@D:?8 E96 #:89E |F>k^DEC@?8mk^Am
kAmr9@@D:?8 E96 36DE >F> :D @?6 @7 E96 >@DE :>A@CE2?E 2DA64ED @7 42C:?8 7@C >F>D] %96C6 2C6 2 76H 492C24E6C:DE:4D E@ =@@< 7@C H96? 49@@D:?8 E96 C:89E A=2?E 2E 2 82C56? 46?E6C] k^Am
kAmqFJ >F>D H96? E96 3=@@>D 2C6 ?@E J6E 7F==J @A6?] xE 42? 36 E6>AE:?8 E@ 8C23 E96 =2C86DE[ 7F==J\3=@@>:?8 A=2?E[ 3FE 49@@D:?8 @?6 H:E9 3=@@>D ?@E BF:E6 @A6? H:== 2==@H 7@C 2 =@?86C 3=@@> E:>6]k^Am
kAmp=H2JD 4964< 2 49CJD2?E96>F> 7@C :?D64ED 2?5 5:D62D6D] q6 @? E96 =@@<@FE 7@C A@H56CJ >:=56H] uF?82= :?764E:@? @44FCD BF:4<=J @? 5CJ A=2?E DFC7246D 2E >:=5 E6>A6C2EFC6D 2?5 2E 2 C6=2E:G6 9F>:5:EJ @7 2E =62DE hd A6C46?E] %96 492C24E6C:DE:4 4@EE@?J A2E496D 2C6 FDF2==J D66? H:E9:? 2 76H 52JD 27E6C :?764E:@?] %@ 4@?EC@= >:=56H[ C6>@G6 2== :?764E65 =62G6D 2?5 EC62E E96 >F> H:E9 2? 2AAC@AC:2E6=J =236=65 7F?8:4:56] k^Am
kAmkDEC@?8m(2E6C :D x>A6C2E:G6k^DEC@?8mk^Am
kAm|F>D C6=J 962G:=J @? 256BF2E6 H2E6C:?8[ 6DA64:2==J :? 5CJ @C 9@E 4@?5:E:@?D] %9:D :D AC@323=J E96 >@DE 4@>>@? >:DE2<6 H96? 8C@H:?8 >F>D]k^Am
kAmxE :D 62DJ E@ 2DDF>6 E96 A=2?E :D 7:?6] %@@ @7E6?[ 4@@=6C E6>A6C2EFC6D =625 E@ ?68=64E :? H2E6C:?8[ 6DA64:2==J :7 E96C6 92G6 366? 2 76H 27E6C?@@? C2:? D9@H6CD] q67@C6 =@?8[ E96C6’D 2 5625 A=2?E @? E96 7C@?E A@C49]k^Am
kAm%@ C6>65J 5CJ D@:=[ 52:=J >62DFC6>6?ED @7 D@:= >@:DEFC6 D9@F=5 36 C@FE:?6] u66= E96 D@:= 6249 >@C?:?8 E@ E96 56AE9 @7 ` :?49] x7 E96 D@:= :D >@:DE[ H2:E ac 9@FCD 2?5 >62DFC6 :E 282:?] x7 :E 766=D 5CJ[ 36 DFC6 E@ D@2< E96 D@:= E9@C@F89=J] k^Am
kAm$@>6 A6@A=6 >2J 92G6 2 5:77:4F=E E:>6 C68F=2C=J >62DFC:?8 H2E6C C6E6?E:@?] x? E92E 42D6[ A=2?E >F>D :? 2 4@?E2:?6C H:E9 2 C6D6CG@:C 2E E96 3@EE@>] p D2F46C 2=D@ 4@F=5 36 25565 E@ 4@==64E H2E6C] %96D6 AC@G:D:@?D 4@F=5 96=A 6IE6?5 H2E6C:?8 :?E6CG2=D]k^Am
kAmr@?D:56C 2 >2DD A=2?E:?8 @7 @?6 4@=@C 7@C 2 =2?5D42A6 DE2E6>6?E E92E H:== 92G6 E96 ?6:893@C9@@5 E2=<:?8]k^Am
kAm|F>D 2C6 2? 2FEF>? DE2A=6 7@C >2?J 564@C2E@CD 2?5 9@CE:4F=EFC2= 6?E9FD:2DED] q6 DFC6 E@ D92C6 E96D6 E:AD H:E9 ?6:893@CD[ 7C:6?5D 2?5 72>:=J E@ 6?DFC6 E92E 6G6CJ@?6’D A@C496D 2?5 =2?5D42A6D C6>2:? 4@=@C7F=]k^Am
kAmu@C 96=A @? @E96C 9@>6 2?5 82C56? BF6DE:@?D[ 4@?E24E J@FC =@42= 4@F?EJ tIE6?D:@? @77:46 @C G:D:E k2 9C67lQ9EEAi^^246D]65FQm246D]65Fk^2m]k^Am
kAmk6>mO {F4J t5H2C5D :D E96 r@F?EJ tIE6?D:@? r@@C5:?2E@C 7@C r9:=E@? r@F?EJ]k^6>m k^Am
kAm k^Am




