WATER, WATER, WATER!!! Always water beneath the foliage at the soil level, as watering the blooms and leaves can result in fungi. Keep the soil moist but not soaking wet. Mums are thirsty plants, so be sure to check the moisture every single morning! You can also repot your mums in a larger pot with more soil or in the ground to help with water retention – your blooms will be happier and last longer!
Mums can survive in either sun or shade (outside only). If you want the blooms to open faster, you can put them in full sun. On the flip side, you can start them in the sun and then move them to the shade for longer lasting blooms. Placing mums in an area with full sun in the morning and partial shade in the afternoon is ideal.
Don’t forget to deadhead your mums! Removing wilted blooms and dead stems or leaves helps your mums bloom for an extended time. If you’ve opted to plant your mums in the ground and the frost gets to them, don’t fret. Just prune them back until there’s only about an inch of stems above the ground, and leave the mulch remaining around the plant. Mums are technically perennials, so if you desire to have some spring blooming mums, trim them back and keep them watered for an encore next year!
