Asked by: Drema Holstein
home and garden landscaping

Can you plant hardy mums in the fall?

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Mums are a hardy perennial plant best planted in the spring, but mums that are sold in garden centers in the autumn are really being treated as annuals. They are already in full bloom with beautiful autumn jewel-hued colors to decorate your house, along with autumn wreaths and gourds.


Similarly one may ask, how late can you plant mums in the fall?

The early to mid-spring is the best time to plant mums. Mums may die off and only last for a single year if added later in the year such as during the fall or the onset of winter. With proper care, they will become a perennial fixture in your flower garden.

Also, are fall mums annuals or perennials? Mums are considered tender perennials. Whether they come back the next year depends on when and where they are planted: October – Mums planted this late in the fall season may not have time for their root systems to become established enough to survive the winter. If this is the case, enjoy your mums as annuals.

Accordingly, can I plant potted mums in the fall?

Plant Them Anyway Technically, however, they can be planted in your garden any time before the first frost of fall. This means you can try removing the mums from your pot and planting them in the ground in the fall. Although your potted mums may look dead, they might just be dormant.

When should you plant hardy mums?

In cold regions, this is too late to plant mums and expect them to survive winter. The best time to plant fall purchased garden mums is the minute you buy them, which should be as soon as you see them for sale. Early planting—even as early as late August—helps plants develop a strong root system.

Related Question Answers

Terese Bindseil

Professional

Do deer eat mums?

Chrysanthemums are not toxic to deer, and in fact, many species are frequently severely damaged by the large, hungry mammals. Deer are not as likely to come right up to your porch and eat the mums in pots as they are to eat mums planted at the edge of your yard.

Bouna Secanell

Professional

Is it too late to plant mums in October?

Most gardeners plant mums too late in the fall for the plants to survive over winter. Some of the mums may come back the next year if they are mulched. The shallow-rooted mums that are planted late in fall while in full bud or flower just do not have enough time to establish before winter sets in.

Veridiana Wassink

Professional

Do mums like sun or shade?

As much as you can give them. Mums will thrive in full sun conditions, given adequate moisture. About three hours of direct sunlight is about the minimum that will produce bushy plants and plenty of flowers.

Kimbra Trigg

Explainer

Should you deadhead mums?

Deadhead mums in late spring to mid summer.
This is right before blooming season, so the flowers have time to branch off from the cut stems. If you are growing your mums in a greenhouse or indoors, you can deadhead them as soon as you see dead growths since the mums won't be exposed to cold weather.

Jude Saña

Explainer

Can mums survive a frost?

Frost Protection
Mums do not respond well to frosts and freezes, which may not occur until December or January in warmer areas. If you don't want your mums to suffer damage, you can protect them by moving them to a sheltered area such a garage or porch if they are potted.

Simona Schauer

Explainer

Can I transplant mums in the fall?

They are perennial in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 5 through 9, although they also grow well as annuals. Transplant any potted mums in spring after frost danger has passed or in fall six weeks before the first expected freeze. Turn the soil again immediately before planting.

Hendrikje Zorg

Pundit

How do you winterize mums?

The next step in winter care for mums is to properly insulate them in the fall. The leaves of the plant will die back and become brown after a few hard frosts have hit your area. After the foliage of the plant has died back, you will need to cut it back. Cut back the stems of the mums to 3 to 4 inches above the ground.

Kexin Leuchtweis

Pundit

When should I trim my mums?

As a general rule, the time to prune -- or "pinch" -- your mums is from spring into the early summer. Start doing it in spring, when the shoots are about 4 to 6 inches long. Keep pinching every two to three weeks through the spring and all the way through July.

Marc Gronsky

Pundit

How long will mums last?

four to six weeks

Badi Vechia

Pundit

How cold can mums tolerate?

20 degrees below zero Fahrenheit

Qianqian Cardone

Pundit

How do you plant mums in the fall?

Use those pots of blooming mums sold in the fall as annuals to replace summer annuals that are past their prime. Tuck the mums in beds, borders or planters to keep the color coming until frost. Plant them in beds or borders in the early spring or fall as perennials. They come back each fall with more flowers.

Nellya Ikazategui

Teacher

Do mums reseed themselves?

You will have some buds on them by then, but don't worry. They will grow back and your plant won't look dead in the middle." Many people buy mums in the fall thinking the plants are annuals. But if you buy hardy mums, you can get them to bloom year after year.

Meihua Viadel

Teacher

Where is the best place to plant mums?

For your fall mums to have the best chance at survival in cold areas, overwinter them in the basement or a dark, cold closet. Pot up plants after the first frost if they are in the ground; include as much root system as possible.

Hristo Papernick

Teacher

Are mums inside or outside plants?

Florist mums planted outside are most likely being used as short-term bedding plants that will be removed when the blooms are spent. You can plant a potted florist mum you receive as a gift, and it may grow for the summer, but it will not survive the winter outside, no matter how much protection you give it.

Eugeniusz Unternehr

Teacher

Do mums grow back every year?

They will grow back and your plant won't look dead in the middle." Many people buy mums in the fall thinking the plants are annuals. These people toss the mums in the trash once the blooms have faded. But if you buy hardy mums, you can get them to bloom year after year.

Mostefa Elso

Reviewer

What do I do with my mums after they fall?

Cut all of the plant's stems back to 6 to 8 inches above ground level either shortly after the mum has finished blooming or in late winter just as new growth emerges. You may opt to leave the stems intact until spring growth develops if you find the dead stems of winter interest or valuable to wildlife.

Elois Mirantes

Reviewer

How do you take care of mums in the fall?

Cut back the foliage after it dies naturally in fall. Leave the potted mums outdoors in winter if the temperature rarely drops below 32 degrees Fahrenheit, or overwinter the potted plants indoors by a window that receives indirect sunlight. Water the mums' soil only enough so it doesn't dry entirely.

Dusti Faun

Reviewer

What kind of mums come back every year?

Garden mums, also known as hardy mums, are perennial mums. Cut-flower chrysanthemums, like spider mums or football mums, are perennials in Zones 5 to 9, and these types are becoming easier to find for sale online.

Nesrin Cepero

Reviewer

How do you get mums to come back every year?

The "real" way to get mums to come back year after year is to plant them in the spring. They well become established and there will be no stopping them. It takes some maintenance though; the buds have to be trimmed off two times during the growing season if you want your plant to flower in the fall.

Co-Authored By:

EveryThingWhat Staff Editor

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25th February, 2020

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