Giving that Mum a Chance at Coming back in Spring!

1. Start with a good quality mum. Like here at Patty's. Our mums are container grown, it takes a lil more time and effort to do this but it avoids shocking the mum when it is dug and we can better control ther fertilizing and watering. Plus when you buy a mum from Patty's you get all the roots that developed with the plant through the season cause they are in the pot, not cut so they "fit" into a pot. Mums luv the sun, so find a sunny location for them the more sun the better. If you have a protected southern exposure that will give them the best chance.

2. When to plant, I believe the earlier you plant the better. This gives the mum a chance to develop more roots and get established before the cold weather hits.

We grow mums with different bloom times, some that start in the beginning of September to those that bloom in mid October. We bring them out as they bloom but usually have a few that are "green" for those who want to plant the late bloomers early.

3. After you plant them water them, don't let mums dry up and wilt, the first thing you will lose are the blooms when they get extremely dry. Just check them daily to see if they need a drink. As for fertilizing if you want give them a balanced general purpose garden fertilizer, follow the instructions on the package. They won't benifit too much from it this season because they have already stored up enough nitrogen to grow on until we get a hard frost.

4. I wait until the mums die back and turn brown and then cut off the dead plant material right above the ground. Now you just wait until spring to see if they come back.

5. It's Spring!!! You flipped a coin and you start checking where you planted your mums last fall. Surprise a couple have come back!! What to do??? Well one is feed them, a granular general purpose garden fertilize, proven winners time release, or whatever your preference is but they need food to grow!!!! When they get about 6" tall cut them back leaving a couple leaves on each plant stalk....let them grow again and cut them back again. I have cut mine back 3-4 times in the spring and early summer. You should do one last cut back in the second week of July. This will make them full and absolutely enjoyable in the fall. Do NOT cut them back after the second week of July or their bloom time will be so delayed that they will freeze before blooming. If you do not cut them back they will be extremely leggy and will bloom in July, once they bloom that's it they are done for the season.

Keep feeding them through August and they will do alright.... Enjoy the added bonus of having your mums from last year blooming again.

If you want perennials that will definitely come back. September and October are "the" best time of year to plant them. In the fall of 2004, Patty's has begun to offer perennials for fall plantings. So, as long as you get them in before the first really hard frost you will have some nice looking perennials popping up in the spring. Oh, for those of you who have voles...dig the hole for the perennial and line it with landscape fabric, the one that will allow water to drain, not plastic. Bring the fabric just up out of the ground about 8-12" from the plant, maybe more depending on what you are planting, this will keep the voles away from the roots.