Texan Magazine
By Marc Hess, Editor of Gardening South Texas
The Garden Mums, also known by their big name, Chrysanthemums, are the star of fall gardens throughout Texas. They’re usually the last plant to bloom before frost, ushering your garden into the big sleep of winter with a last bang of color. Mums come in a rich range of colors including white, yellow, orange, lavender, purple, red and bicolor. They’re easy-to-grow and can be used in beds, borders and containers. Mums grow from September until the frost gets them. They will grow up to three feet tall and up to two feet wide. The size of your mums will be dependent on the type of mum you have. They attract butterflies in the fall and make great cut flowers that will last up to two weeks indoors as a bouquet in a vase.
Mums are ideal for container planting because of their shallow root systems. Although considered a perennial, you can use those pots of blooming mums sold in the fall as annuals to replace summer annuals that are past their prime. Tuck the mums in beds, borders or planters to keep the color coming until frost.
Garden Mums are one of the most sought-after garden additions of fall. Most varieties are easy to care for and grow with basic needs being full sun, well-drained rich soil, and good air circulation. There are literally hundreds of varieties to choose from that can provide blooms from late summer through fall.
If you’re using a mum as a perennial, plant in early spring or in the fall at least six weeks before the first expected frost. You’ll find smaller plants for sale in the spring than you might in fall. They likely won’t be budded or flowering, and the color selection may be minimal. But if you plant hardy mums in spring, you’ll be rewarded with a strong color show in years to come because they will have a season of warm weather to grow a strong root system. That root system is key to their long-term survival.
Mums with big, showy flowers look beautiful now, but they won’t last long. Some pros recommend waiting until later in the season to buy. And whenever you buy, look for plants packed with buds or with flowers just starting to open. When properly cared for, these plants will provide color for at least a month. Use a container larger than the one the plant came in to give the roots room to expand. Loosen tangled roots before planting in a potting mix that drains well. Water properly and water gently so you don’t break or saturate the blooms because wet blooms fade faster. Try putting the hose or watering can under the blooms and watering the soil directly. You can also water from the bottom of the plant — self-watering pots are great for this. This gets the water where it needs to go, but it also keeps the blooms dry.
Frosty blues of fall that tint ornamental kale and Russian sage, interact dramatically with other autumnal colors, including deep oranges, reds, and violets.
“Mums are mainly planted in the fall for annual color, but in Texas they can also be used as perennials in your garden and they will grow and look better and better every year.”
~ Dr. Jerry Parsons, Retired Bexar County Extension Agent
