With so many colors and varieties it is no wonder that mums are the most popular fall flower. You can dress up your yard or the inside of your home with matching flowers that will enhance your décor. There beauty and longevity will attract all kinds of attention and make the neighbors envious.

Fall is the season for holidays, and picking a mum to color coordinate with each season is always fun. For the month of October pick a hardy orange, yellow, and bronze color mum to go with that pumpkin. For November/Thanksgiving, uplift your décor with Autumn Red mums, and for Christmas try a white Blizzard mum that will bring a touch of nostalgia to any home.

Life of Mums

You have a choice of planting them yearly or having them in your garden permanently. If you have the green thumb and are willing to give them proper care, plant them in the spring and allow them to become acclimated to your garden. You may even be rewarded next season with spring and fall blooms. Many people prefer to plant them in pots and window boxes just to add a pop of color to any area. You can see them used in many landscaping projects to give the grounds a fresh cheery look.

Planting Mums

Find a spot that will get at least six hours of sun each day. Try growing them in raised beds or a place that your soil can be well drained. If your ground is always soggy with rainwater it could destroy the roots of the plant. Use compost in your soil and plant the roots deep into the soil. Water them thoroughly when you first plant then, and then water them once a week.

Do not water the foliage because it could damage the leaves over time. If you plant them in spring fertilize them with 5-10-10 at least once a month if not twice.  Give them high phosphorus fertilizer to stimulate root growth if you plan to overwinter.

Tips

Do your research before you plant to make sure that you have all of the correct care instructions for your variety of mum that you have chosen. With every plant there are specifics that you should be aware of.

To get better blooms, it is recommended that you do some pinching. It is always hard to discard pretty blooms but this will help you get those nice big round blooms that you may have seen in pictures. Pinch away half of the new growth that you see at the top of the shoot. Do this in various places on the plant and keep this up until early July. By fall you will see the benefit.

Try a different style and variety that you have never tried before. Give your garden a lift of color and diversity. Don’t be afraid of change.