Chrysanthemums....

Nature's Most Popular fall flowers

Throughout North America, garden mums are known and appreciated as the plant for fall blooming. Untold millions of garden mums are planted each spring, summer and fall. Garden mums are the most popular of all flowering plants due to their excellent growth habits and wide range of colors and flower forms.

Planting

• Plant young plants in sunny location (at least half-day of sun)

• Plant in fertile, well drained soil. Soils can be improved by adding compost, peat moss or other organic matter

• Flowering plants can be placed in any location where a splash of color is desired, but will grow best in a sunny location

• Space garden mums in flower in the fall based on plant size, this is ussally 18-24 inches apart

Watering

• Rainfall in many areas is sufficient to keep your garden mums growing well. During dry spells, water as needed to keep plants from wilting.

• Always thoroughly water-in any freshly planted garden mums.

• Garden mums planted outdoors in the fall do not need any fertilizer until they begin to grow the following spring.

Fertilizing

• During the growing season, incorporate into the soil a general purpose fertilizer such as 5-10-5 at the rate of 1/2 to 1 lb. per 100 square feet. Repeat monthly until August. Liquid fertilizer may also be used weekly as needed.

• If planting in the fall, no fertilizer is needed till next Spring

Pinching

• To encourage branching and development of compact bushy plants, it's very important to pinch back your garden mums in the spring as soon as the new growth is 4 to 6 inches tall. Use your thumbnail and index finger to pinch or remove about 1/2 of the new growth at the top of each and every shoot.

• Repeat this procedure through the summer whenever the shoots are 3 to 5 inches long stopping at July 4th.