September is a time when most of our flowers look pretty worn out, almost as worn out as I feel. Exhausted from garden weeding, mowing, and endless watering, I am ready for a change. Fortunately, fall is right around the corner.
With it arrives cooler nights, falling leaves and bright chrysanthemums in autumnal colors. What a word “chrysanthemum” is, and quite the tongue twister of a plant name. William J. Johnson said, “A chrysanthemum by any other name would be easier to spell.” I agree, so let’s refer to them as “mums.”
Mums are one of our most popular flowers, second only to roses. Mums come in many colors including: yellow, orange, white, purple, blood red, lime and even a newly developed blue. China grew mums as far back as the 15th century BC. Much later they found their way to Japan, and in 1798, they were brought to the United States. They are used abundantly in floral arrangements and outdoor decorating. Most of the mums purchased for fall are garden mums.
Commercial growers planted their mums in June. They have been watered and fertilized heavily to get them ready for fall.
The bloom cycle Is initiated by days growing shorter. A plant’s response to changes in daylight Is called photo periodic. Poinsettias are also photo periodic.
In our area the right combination of dark and light hours causes mums to bud by the end of August.
Many cultivars have been developed over years of selective plant breeding. Blue mums are genetically modified with a gene inserted to achieve the blue coloring. Look for them in the very near future.
Mums are nearly all patented. Growers are required to pay royalties on all patented plants and propagation is prohibited without a license.
Mums exist as both annual (blooming for only one season) and perennial (over wintering and returning the following season).
Caring for fall mums is very basic and relatively easy. Select mums grown by reputable plant sellers. Ask to see a nursery certification or a plant sales certification. The Tennessee Department of Agriculture issues and inspects local growers and nurseries.
When choosing plants look for insect infestation. Peak under the foliage where bad bugs like to hide. Bringing bug infested plants home is always a mistake.
Never purchase wilted mums. Under-watering usually causes the buds to fall off before opening. Look for mums that are rich green in color with less than one third of the buds opened.
Expect to pay $6-$30 for mums depending on the size of plant selected. Following your purchase, provide at least six hours of sunlight daily. Never let your mums dry out. Placing pans under your pots and keeping them full of water will adequately keep plants hydrated. Daily watering may be necessary during hot days.
Fertilizing is not necessary once the buds begin to open, in fact, it is discouraged. Some varieties of mums will return if planted in the ground, but most will not. By the time mums are purchased in the fall it is too late for the roots to get established before cold weather sets in. With proper care mums will be beautiful for four to six weeks.
Mums are great stand-alone plants and are ideally suited to border steps or sit on a ledge. They are equally at home in fall decorative displays. Just a few bales of straw, several pumpkins, a bundle of corn stalks and a few pots of mums and your neighbors will be green with envy.
For a really outstanding mum display try a monochrome theme. White mums, white pumpkins, and a white ghost or two, throw in some orange or purple lighting and presto, you have the perfect backdrop to photograph trick-or-treaters.
Go ahead and grab a few potted mums. They cost less than most bouquets and last much longer.