topic Re: Quick MUM question... in Garden

Quick MUM question...

MrsCat21 — Sat, 05 Oct 2024 16:53:35 GMT

Once mum flower starts dying off they will not rebloom, correct? So, if I go to Home Deopt or Lowes or anywhere and purchase a Mum plant where most of the buds are open, its not going to rebloom ? Everywhere around here the mum plands are in full bloom, why would I buy them? No way it will last thru the month

Re: Quick MUM question...

CarolinaGirl88 — Sat, 05 Oct 2024 16:59:44 GMT

In my experience, yes, you're correct. They bloom once, however they are perennials, meaning if you plant them in the ground, they will rebloom each fall.

Re: Quick MUM question...

AuntG — Sat, 05 Oct 2024 17:01:05 GMT

That's the nature of mums from those stores. I'm on week 4 with mine. A few blooms are drying up, but I plan to limp them along until Halloween. By then, we'll have had a killing frost anyways.

Re: Quick MUM question...

Kachina624 — Sat, 05 Oct 2024 17:02:20 GMT

@MrsCat21. No, they won't rebloom this year but plant them in thre ground, cut them back, and they'll rebloom every fall.

Re: Quick MUM question...

KathyM23 — Sat, 05 Oct 2024 17:09:13 GMT

We never buy those in bloom in September. Wait til October. Ours are blooming now, Those we put in pots, DH transplants in back yard after they quit blooming and transplants again in front yard where summer flowers have lost their color.

Mums used to be perenialls but now only last a couple years if you are lucky.

Re: Quick MUM question...

Mom2Dogs — Sat, 05 Oct 2024 17:46:45 GMT

@CarolinaGirl88 I am certain they will not rebloom if you trim the spent blooms, but if you want them to come back next year they may or may not ....it depends.

My mums have come back BUT I was told by the nursery where I bought them if you get them in the ground around labor day and water a lot, they will set root for next year...If not properly taken care of they can't set root for the following fall....that is what I was told, and it may make a difference what zone your are in.

Where I live the winters can get pretty cold.

Re: Quick MUM question...

MrsCat21 — Sat, 05 Oct 2024 18:38:10 GMT

But my question is, if I purchase a mum where all the buds are already bloomed how long will it last? A week or 2 or will it hold til the end of OCtober?

Re: Quick MUM question...

Kachina624 — Sat, 05 Oct 2024 19:36:49 GMT

@MrsCat21. Depends on how long ago it first bloomed. If all the buds have opened, it's not freshly bloomed so I'd guess maybe 2 weeks but that's just a guess.

Re: Quick MUM question...

Sooner — Sat, 05 Oct 2024 19:39:51 GMT

To me it's not worth trying to replant them for next year. Bloom, enjoy, toss. . .

Re: Quick MUM question...

KathyM23 — Sat, 05 Oct 2024 21:43:22 GMT

@Sooner We replant ours as We have a lot of flowers and all the color in our yard makes me happy. By replanting the mums we have a yard full of blooming color 3 seasons without spending $8-10 per plant for new mums. We also do buy new mums every year too (this fall 11 and those in pots will get replanted for next year ) We have 7 replants from last year so we now have 18 blooming mums.

DH also divides the Asters and they are doing great this year. And I bought some Fall Pansies. Some of the summer annuals are still doing good, lots of color in the yard. So we are good until late November; then snow, Christmas lights and decor.

Re: Quick MUM question...

Mom2Dogs — Sat, 05 Oct 2024 22:50:59 GMT

@MrsCat21 Not sure, water is important....I would guess several weeks. I purchased new mums about 3 weeks ago...still blooming.

Re: Quick MUM question...

Carmie — Sun, 06 Oct 2024 00:36:29 GMT

Some mums will rebloom. They bloom in the spring and again in the fall.

Plant them in your garden and they will renloom for years.

Re: Quick MUM question...

Sooner — Sun, 06 Oct 2024 02:11:42 GMT

@KathyM23 wrote:
@Sooner We replant ours as We have a lot of flowers and all the color in our yard makes me happy. By replanting the mums we have a yard full of blooming color 3 seasons without spending $8-10 per plant for new mums. We also do buy new mums every year too (this fall 11 and those in pots will get replanted for next year ) We have 7 replants from last year so we now have 18 blooming mums.

DH also divides the Asters and they are doing great this year. And I bought some Fall Pansies. Some of the summer annuals are still doing good, lots of color in the yard. So we are good until late November; then snow, Christmas lights and decor.

@KathyM23 Nope! That was more at the last house. Thankfully at this stage of life we don't have all those beds to worry about. But we never replanted the mums anyway, they were just for the front porch and walkway.

Re: Quick MUM question...

ValuSkr — Sun, 06 Oct 2024 11:15:26 GMT

Most people just discard them after the season. It seems like a waste, but if they don't have garden space, or sufficiently sunny locations, what are they supposed to do. I stopped buying them for another reason - they were expensive deer food.

Re: Quick MUM question...

PINKdogWOOD — Sun, 06 Oct 2024 11:27:40 GMT

While they may not last too long, buy your mums with buds not open yet. This way you can watch them slowly open to their own lovliness at your home in your yard. We bought two new yellow ones at lowe's (they have TONS of mums right now) two days ago. They're lovely in the sun.

We have one that we've had for a month now, an orange one that's been in bloom for a month now.

Re: Quick MUM question...

amyb — Sun, 06 Oct 2024 15:47:47 GMT

I never buy mums for fall...they are my least favorite of flowers and they pass relatively quickly and look horrble and ready to toss...so they also don't seem like a good value for fall decorating. I feel like everyone just defaults to them but they just look average and blah to me...though some people can cluster them with pumpkins, etc, and make them look nice. And yes, you can plant them in ground for mums next year. I'm on a second floor condo so I don't go that route. (Though we often will plant perennials & bulbs, that have passed, on our condo community grounds, but we're pretty set on that now.)

I recently went to my local nursery who get such a variety of fall plantings, some annuals some perennials...and had so many suggestions besides mums for fall.

I was refreshing my window box which I'd taken a few passed plants out of. I bought Snapdragons which they told me tolerate the cool temps. I got two different foliage, colorful leafy plants to offset the other flowers. I got some deep vibrant red/orange Million Bells, and another plant they told me tolerate the fall temps well and is a perennial...it has deep green/burgundy leaves with little purple (forget me not looking) flowers on it. It all looks beautiful, fall, and not a mum in the bunch.

They also suggested marigolds (which I may go back this week to buy some for other smaller pots I have outside), and of course they also have pansies in fall colors...both those withstand cooler, fall temps.

So @MrsCat21 you don't have to default to mums. There are other beautiful fall flowering and foliage plants to plant for fall! Hope that helps.

If you're curious, I can look up what that small purple flower plant is...I saved the info stick.

Maybe I can post a pic...

Re: Quick MUM question...

GoneButNotForgotten — Sun, 06 Oct 2024 22:53:34 GMT

I'm out of action due to a real bad case of kidney sepsis last spring and I'm still not over it (lots of complications). I miss working in the yard so much. I can't wait till spring so I can go out and get dirty!

Re: Quick MUM question...

Kabella — Wed, 16 Oct 2024 11:59:56 GMT

@MrsCat21 It depends on your climate. If you deadhead them (cut of the spent bloom down to the stem) they will re-bloom until you get a freeze.

Re: Quick MUM question...

Lucky Charm — Sat, 19 Oct 2024 00:48:42 GMT

First year I didn't buy mums in probably 40 years. They're pretty till they're not. Replanted in ground and they get too big and it seems the color isn't as vibrant.