Can potted mums be planted outside?

Garden mums are tough perennials you plant outdoors where they can live year round. Florist mums are used as indoor potted plants and won't survive a winter if you plunk them into your garden in the Midwest.

Can you replant potted mums outside?

The mums sold as potted or gift plants in spring are usually florist mums. They are hardy in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 7 through 9. You can transplant them outdoors any time of year except the hottest part of summer.

How long do potted mums last outside?

Garden mums may be grown in containers, or planted in beds with existing shrubs and flowers. Flowers generally last about two or three weeks, depending on the outdoor temperatures and how far along the blooming process was when the plants were purchased.

Can you put mums in the ground?

Soil: While mums thrive in just about any soil type, they do benefit from generous helpings of homemade compost. Dig in a spadeful at planting time and topdress with more. Soil must be well drained, however, or the plants will rot. Sunshine: Mums planted in full sun bloom more profusely than those in partial shade.

How do I save my potted mums for next year?

Choose a mostly dark cool area, such as an unheated garage shed or basement, which has temperatures between 32 and 55 degrees Fahrenheit. If temperatures could fall below freezing, wrap the pots with several layers of newspaper to protect the roots. Water your mums so that the soil is slightly moist.

Planting Potted Mums

What can I do with potted mums?

Bury the Pots

One option is to try to overwinter the mums by burying the pots in the garden. Cut back the dead foliage to the surface of the soil and bury the pot up to the edge. This will help keep the roots warm. A layer of mulch on top of the pots will also help keep the roots warm.

Do potted mums come back every year?

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. These people toss the mums in the trash once the blooms have faded.

Can I keep mums in pots over the winter?

With potted mums, the first key is to never let them endure a freeze in their pot or container. Mums can survive light frosts and cold fairly easy, but a hard freeze can kill roots in pots permanently. What is this? Once potted mums have endured a hard freeze, their chances for surviving winter are slim.

Are potted mums perennials?

There are potted florist mums, which look just like garden (hardy) mums and even share the same botanical name (Chrysanthemum x morifolium)—and they're perennials, but their survival depends on when you get them and where you live. Garden mums, also known as hardy mums, are perennial mums.

Do mums come back year after year?

Because people often think that mums (formally called Chrysanthemums) are at best a finicky perennial, many gardeners treat them as annuals, but this doesn't have to be the case. With just a little winter care for mums, these fall beauties can come back year after year.

When can mums be planted outside?

If you're using a mum as a perennial, plant in early spring, or in the fall at least six weeks before the first killing frost. If you're using chrysanthemums for a pop of fall color to boost your late season garden, plant them when they're blooming in later summer or early fall and treat them as annuals.

How do you keep potted mums alive?

To prolong the blooms, keep the plant in bright indirect light, rather than full sun. Water Mums from Bottom: Protect your mums from rain, and water them carefully without splashing the foliage or blooms. This will help keep the blooms from spotting and browning.

Will potted mums survive frost?

Most garden mums should be able to endure a light fall frost. Cover the plants at night when freeze warnings are in effect. To keep the plant attractive and healthy, snip off any dead blossoms as soon as they wilt.

How cold can potted mums tolerate?

In general, potted perennials are two hardiness zones more tender than their stated rating for in-ground plants. This would make potted garden mums hardy only down to USDA zone 9, where the minimum average temperature is from 20 to 30 F.

What do you do with potted chrysanthemums in the winter?

It is easy to overwinter chrysanthemums, simply dig up the plants and cut back all the stems to about 6in. Place the chrysanthemums in a box or tray and cover with soil or compost and store in a cool, frost-free place for the winter.

What's the difference between garden mums and hardy mums?

Garden mums are the same thing as hardy mums. Nurseries and garden centers have stopped calling them hardy mums overtime. Mums need special care to over make it through the winter. Mum overwintering is dependent on placement, pruning and conditions.

Do mums need sun or shade?

Chrysanthemums are sun-loving plants. Although they technically require only 6 hours of sunlight each day, the more light they receive, the better their growth, bloom and hardiness. Slight shade in hot, summer afternoons is appropriate in warmer gardening zones to prevent scorching.

When should I buy fall mums?

Mid-September is the earliest time you should consider buying mums. However, each year the longer and hotter summers are pushing that date later and later into September, even into the month of October. As a rule, we at Southern Living recommend "buying plants as they start to break bud.

How do I get my mums to come back?

Newly purchased potted mums need to be kept consistently moist but not wet and in bright, indirect light indoors. They need at least five hours of full sun outdoors to stay healthy enough to successfully come back the next season.

Is Miracle Grow good for mums?

To get the most from your garden mums, place them in a sunny location and feed them every 7-14 days with an all-purpose water-soluble plant food like Miracle-Gro® Water Soluble All Purpose Plant Food. Or, you can feed and water your mums at the same time with Miracle-Gro® LiquaFeed®.

What is difference between indoor and outdoor mums?

General Care

When growing mums indoors, as opposed to outdoors, direct sunlight can harm them. Mums are phototropic, meaning they rely on day length to trigger blooming. Reduce the amount of light the get to below 10 hours per day to trigger blooming.

Where Should mums be planted?

Mums should be planted in partial to full sun. If you're trying to decide between the two light exposures, always choose full sun for mums. This helps the plant maintain its energy during the blooming cycle as well as produce new buds, which is important if you want to see color up until the first hard frost.

Is it worth planting mums?

The best time to repot a chrysanthemum is when the plant is actively growing in autumn. Some gardeners advocate repotting mums a second time in spring, but this isn't necessary unless the plant grows so fast that it quickly becomes rootbound.