(Backyard Gardener - Photo Illustration - MetroCreativeConnection)

Hello Mid-Ohio Valley farmers and gardeners. I hope everyone is enjoying their pumpkin latte as we continue to enjoy a gorgeous October. I stick with good old dark roast coffee myself, but as they say ’tis the season.

I love the autumn season, and no decorative plant sets the tone for fall like chrysanthemums (Chrysanthemum x morifolium) the garden mum. Over the past two decades dozens of new varieties have been introduced, dazzling us with a variety of colors and flower shapes. We used to refer to these plants as hardy mums because they can be planted and will over winter in the home landscape.

The color selection for mums is almost endless, as you can choose from hundreds of varieties which range from white to yellow, pink, purple, bronze, red and all shades between. To shake things up, select some different types of mums. My personal favorite are the vivid, bright yellow mums but there are so many types and colors to bolster your fall decorations.

Mums are classified according to shape and arrangement of their flower petals. The major types of hardy mums include daisies or singles (daisy-like flowers with yellow centers), anemones (similar to singles but with a rounded crest of deeper color), decoratives (double or semi-double flowers and usually over 18 inches tall), and pompons (small ball-shaped flowers, on plants usually under 18 inches tall). Finally, cushion mums are not a flower form but a name used for early-flowering, low, bushy mums.

Backyard gardeners need to do a little preparation before planting hardy mums in the home landscape. They love fertile, well-drained soil with good organic matter. Mums don’t like having wet feet, so avoid low spots and areas with heavy soils. They require a least 6 hours of full sun. Mature plants set in a shady area will give nice color the first year but do very poorly the following year.

Mums grow between 1 1/2 to 3 feet tall depending on cultivar, growing conditions and whether they are pinched regularly during the growing season. Mums should be spaced 18 to 24 inches apart for best results.

Some more vigorous cultivars may need 30 to 36 inches of space allowed so the plants can develop to their full potential. Plant the mums approximately the same depth that they were growing in their containers. Water thoroughly after planting.

Furthermore, you may want set mums in a protected location such as near the house. Plants placed out in the open will be exposed to more extreme weather conditions and are more likely to be damaged over winter.

One of secrets of growing mums is providing them with the right amount of water. Not providing enough water will slow growth or stop it completely. Mums absolutely need plenty of water when they bloom. Field-grown mums require plenty of water to prevent wilting until they re-establish a good root system.

Get ready to fertilize because mums are heavy feeders. A weekly application of soluble fertilizer is a good practice. Mulch will help retain soil moisture, control weeds and improve appearance.

Many backyard gardeners ask this common question: Why won’t my mums survive the winter?

A major reason mums fail to overwinter is when we plant them. Spring is probably a better time to plant, allowing it plenty of time to establish roots. However, mums are much more commonly available in the fall.

If you plan on planting mums this fall, get them in the ground as soon as possible to let them set up a healthy root system. Be sure to select varieties which are winter hardy to our area before planting. I would use mums hardy to Zone 5 just to be safe.

Another characteristic of mums is they have a shallow root system. Unfortunately, this makes them prone to heaving during the winter which can severely damage or kill mums. A simple solution to this issue is to apply about 4 inches of mulch to your plants when the ground begins to freeze. This will help protect them during the winter season.

Since mums are shallow-rooted, they are also prone to drying out. Drought-stressed plants are less likely to survive the winter than well-watered plants. Therefore, they may need to be watered if conditions become dry. Mulch also helps retain soil moisture.

A neat plant characteristic of mums is their flowering or bloom is in response to shorter daylength. Mums are considered short day plants. In spring and early summer, daylight is increasing so the plants only produce vegetative growth. As fall approaches and day length shortens, their flowering response is triggered and they set buds.

When growing mums, control of both flowering and height is accomplished with a type of pruning called pinching. Pinching, very simply, is the removal of the growing tips and about 2 to 3-inches of growth. You can do this by hand or cutting back the growth with pruning shears.

Pinching will result in shorter, compact plants with many blooms. Without pinching or pruning, plants will develop in tall, leggy plants with few blooms.

To keep mums healthy, they should be divided every few years. Dividing plants every other year reduces crowding, which can contribute to foliage disease development, and provides new plants for the garden.

Divide plants in the spring, after the average date of the last killing frost. Lift plants out of the soil and gently wash some of the soil from the roots. Each old plant will be surrounded by several small new plants, each with its own roots. Separate the plants carefully, replant the small ones and discard the old ones.

Contact me with questions at the WVU Extension Office at 304-424-1960 or at jj.barrett@mail.wvu.edu. Good Luck and Happy Gardening!