Growing beautiful garden mums By JENNIFER SHERIDAN reporter@palestineherald.com
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t’s the season for harvesting chrysanthemums, better known to most people as mums. This flower is seen not only in home gardens, but also adorned on students during the homecoming season with ribbons attached. The flower grows naturally in the Texas climate, according to the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension. Buds produce flowers for home landscapes in late summer and fall colors. Garden mums require a minimal amount of care and can continue to thrive under adverse conditions. Buds bloom early enough in the year to avoid any heavy frost. However, variations may occur from one season or area depending on the weather and previous cultural atmosphere. According to the extension office, mums are planted in the spring and established from cuttings. Previously, the plants were offered as clumps normally in the fall. Now, plants are sold with annual flowers and vegetables. Plants are mostly sold in pots and need to be removed before planting. Each plant has had at least one pinch, which results in a well-branched plant. When planting, sites should be well-drained and have plenty of sunlight, stated the extension office. Spacing should be about 18 to 24 inches apart or 30 to 36 inches for more vigorous growers. Space is important to allow the plant to develop to their fullness. Mums should be planted at the
same depth as they were in their growing containers and no deeper for best results. After repositioning, plants should be thoroughly watered. Help plants to develop good, green foliage with optimal flowering by using fertilizer, the extension office says. “Apply a complete dry fertilizer, such as a 6-2-4 or 4-2-3 analysis, at the rate of two to three pounds per 100 square feet of bed area,” the extension office states. “The dry fertilizer should be watered after it is applied. Soluble fertilizers, such as a 20-20-20 analysis, are also quite satisfactory to use if desired. Follow the rate of application on the label.” Discontinue fertilizing after flower buds form in late July. Plants should be pinched as they grow to produce compact plants with more flowers, the extension office recommends. Plants will become “tall and leggy” if the process is not completed. Another issue to watch for during growth is the height of the plant. Taller plants will keep light from reaching the lower part of the plant resulting in dead leaves. “When the plants are three to four inches tall, remove the new shoots by pinching them off between the thumb and forefinger,” according to the growth tips from the extension office. “Leave two or three leaves on the shoot. This practice can be timed so that the fertilizing and pinching can be done the same day. Pinching will usually be once a month from May through July. However, with most
garden cultivars, the last pinch should be made no later than Aug. 15. If pinching continues after this date, flower buds will be eliminated from the plants.” Materials used in mulch can reduce weed growth while growing chrysanthemums, the extension office suggests. Shredded hardwood or cedar mulch will help in conserving moisture in the soil if applied about two inches deep. Products such as pine bark that breaks down rapidly require an addition application of fertilizer to make up for lost nitrogen. Pre-emergent herbicides such can also be effective if applied in early spring before weed seeds germinate. Landscape fabrics and decorative gravel are also effective in weed control. An important growth tip with garden mums is applying adequate amounts of water, the ex-
tension office says. Plants should be watered when the soil starts to dry. Apply enough water to soak the soak to four or six inches in depth. The extension office suggests using sprinklers instead of hand watering and completing the task during the day so foliage can dry before nightfall. If not, leaf and flower diseases can become a problem for the plant. “Fortunately for garden chrysanthemum growers, most insect and disease problems are controllable,” the extension office says. “The most common insect pests are aphids and two spotted mites. Powdery mildew can also be a problem due to weather conditions or poor air circulation between the plants. Control by spraying or dusting with labeled products. One disease that cannot be controlled with chemicals is verticillium wilt. Avoid planting
in verticillium-contaminated areas for several years.” Homeowners should consider the garden mum an annual flower, the extension office explains. When frost kills the tops of the plants, cut off the dead stems and remove them from the garden allowing the mums to prepare for growth in the following spring season. Keeping the plants over the winter means cutting off the dead tops and covering the plants with the mulch of around three to four inches deep. For more information about growing garden chrysanthemums, contact Truman Lamb with the Anderson County Extension office at 903-723-3735. Cover photo taken at the Palestine Garden Center at 1919 Crockett Road. Contact owner Larry Brown at 903-7235200 for information regarding chrysanthemum purchase.