How to Keep Your Mums Blooming All Fall Long

Chrysanthemums, commonly known as mums, are fall's signature flower, available in beautiful shades of blazing reds, yellows, and oranges. The low-maintenance bloom adds seasonal interest to your garden just as summer flowers are fading. While mums are known for being drought- and disease-resistant, without proper care, the blooms can weaken and fade fairly quickly. To ensure this beloved flower fills your garden with beauty all season long, we spoke to experts who shared their tips for how to keep mums blooming throughout the entirety of fall.

Water Mums Adequately

While established mums can be watered as little as once per week, younger plants need more frequent watering to encourage bigger and brighter blooms. "This is especially important when the plant begins flowering because if the chrysanthemum wilts, it can lose all its blooms," says Benjamin Godfrey, garden manager at Cornerstone Sonoma. However, it's equally important to avoid overwatering them. "If the soil is saturated for too long, the roots will start to drown and the plant will weaken and become susceptible to disease," he says.

Fertilize in Spring and Summer

If you planted mums in your garden last year, encourage growth and root production before the cold weather season by fertilizing in spring through early summer. "Avoid fertilizing your mums in the fall," says Godfrey. "The plant may be tricked into returning to a growth cycle when you want it to put its energy into flowering." If you bought potted mums this fall, there is no need to fertilize them.

Mulch Around Mums

For mums growing in the ground, add 4 to 5 inches of mulch around the base of each plant as temperatures begin to drop in fall. "Once the ground freezes, the protective mulch remains around the base," says Joyce Mast, plant expert at Bloomscape. This step will keep your mums safe from future cold weather extremes.

Pinch Your Mums

Pinch mums throughout spring to create a fuller plant and maximize flower production. "Every time they grow 5 to 6 inches, pinch the tip of each shoot about 2 to 3 inches down the stem, just above the leaves," Godfrey says. "Each pinched stem will produce more stems, which can be pinched again when they're another 5 to 6 inches tall." Continue this process into July, when the growth cycle naturally slows down.

Deadhead Your Mums

Remove the old foliage and spent blooms from your mums to encourage growth. "Another important way to keep your mums looking good all fall is to deadhead the spent flowers before they're completely dead," Godfrey says. When you see dead or discolored blooms, simply cut them off with a gardening scissor, which will encourage the plant to put its energy into flower production.

Provide Adequate Sunlight

Whether you're growing them in the ground or containers, mums need at least six hours of full sun to thrive. If you've noticed bloom production has slowed down or the plants look leggy, it's possible your mums aren't receiving enough sunlight. Try moving them to another area of your yard to ensure they bloom throughout the entire season.