Fall Mum Care
Oh how I love fall mums. Every fall I enjoy filling the front porch with beautiful chrysanthemum plants. Over the years I have certainly killed my share of them. Watered too much…watered too little…not enough light…etc…you get the idea. After a lot of trial and error, I think I have figured out what these beautiful plants need to make it through the fall season. Keep a watchful eye on spider mites too, they can strike when you least suspect them. If you want the answer to the question – where do spider mites come from? You can check out worstroom.com for help in that area. Here are my tips for how to care for fall mums.
Here are my tips for fall mum care:
Light
- Natural light or direct sun is preferred.
- Keep away from artificial light at night. These plants are considered short day plants and need long periods of darkness to flower.
- If kept inside, find a south facing window or if you have something like a bay window (in case you don’t, get in touch with a bay window replacement company to get one installed) that gets sun all day, you could place the plants next to it.
Water
- Soak until water runs out the bottom of the container
- Don’t let the plant sit in water.
- Use nutrient rich topsoil or compost, like those available on greshamrock.com, for instance.
- Don’t allow soil to dry out. Water before any signs of wilting.
- Monitor soil moisture daily.
- Water if top inch of soil feels dry but before any sign of wilt.
- Water from bottom of plant or gently separate top of plant. Do not get water on the foliage. This will help you avoid plant disease.
Other
- Cover with a light sheet at night if frost warnings.
- Dead head spent blooms.
- Rotate plant every couple of days. This will ensure even growth as plant likes to grow towards the light.
