Best Times To Buy Chrysanthemums!
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What are Chrysanthemums?
The most popular flower used to decorate for the fall season are Chrysanthemums, or as many of us know them by “Mums”. There are many varieties of mums and they come in many beautiful colors and bloom sizes. There are options for everyone!
Best Time to buy Mums
Pleasant fall weather is the favored temperature for chrysanthemums! It’s no wonder they are grown to sell during this season! Between 62-72 degrees Fahrenheit (17-22 degrees Celsius) is the ideal temperatures for longer lasting blooms. Mum plants can survive in a wider range of temperatures but if it’s too hot, the heat will compromise their bloom time and possibly wilt. If a predicted frost is expected, it’s best to protect your in ground mums with a frost blanket and move the potted mums indoors or a garage that stays above 20 degrees Fahrenheit (-6 Celsius). This protection will extend your mum’s blooming period.
Given the temperature facts, the overall best time to buy mums for the best blooming period is when your local weather shows to stay under 85 degrees Fahrenheit (30 degrees Celsius).
Bloom Times
Bloom times vary for different varieties of mums but most bloom anywhere for 4-8 weeks. Check the buds before purchasing your mums. It’s important to choose a plant that has not yet bloomed or has a couple of buds slightly open. These mums are to open shortly and will extend your bloom time. If a constant bloom is what you want for that fall decor, you may have to dead head your mums for more blooms or replace them if it’s more convenient for you.
I have saved my mums before and planted them in ground for my North Texas gardening zone 8 location. Every year, I see the flower buds reproduce in the spring time and bloom during the months before the heat waves move in. If I let the buds bloom, I remove the dead blooms afterwards but sometimes I decide to pinch off the new blooms so the plant redirects the energy into growing more blooms. Pinching off closed blooms guarantees larger plants with more blooms in the fall.
Where to buy Mums
These beauties can be found pretty much everywhere! I do have to say that the biggest potted mums with that beautiful round head of blooms have been located mostly at local plant nurseries and warehouse grocery stores like Costco and Sam’s Club for better prices. Other places like your garden centers at home improvements stores like Lowe’s and Home Depot, also get many different colored mums from which to choose from, not to mention sometimes you can catch a deal. Lowes also adds mums on their clearance racks when they are a bit out of shape and need a little tender love and care.
How Long do Mums last?
So you bought all these beautiful mums for your fall front porch decor and you want to save your mums for the next season? These beautiful fall flowers don’t just bloom in fall but also in the spring in their appropriate zones. In zones 5-9, you can actually plant your chrysanthemums in the ground and see them grow and come back year after year. It is required that you plant them in a location with part/full sun. That is, 5-6 hours of morning sun, not burning afternoon summer sun. I have planted my mums in the ground and they do well as long as their roots are protected from the winter with heavy mulch and remain moist during the heat of summer.
Conclusion
We are just upon the wonderful fall weather and these big beautiful mums are still up for grabs. You still have the opportunity to deck out your patio with mums and enjoy them the entire season! What are you waiting for?