Chrysanthemum

Variety: grandiflorum

Common Name: chrysanthemum

Type: Herbaceous perennial

Family: Asteraceae

Zone: 5 to 9

Height: 1.50 to 2.00 feet

Spread: 1.00 to 1.50 feet

Bloom Time: September to frost

Bloom Description: Dark maroon red, white, yellows, oranges, purple, pink

Sun: Full sun

Water: Medium

Maintenance: Low

Suggested Use: Annual

Flower: Showy

Tolerate: Rabbit, Deer

About

Chrysanthemums, sometimes called mums or chrysanths, are flowering plants of the genus Chrysanthemum in the family Asteraceae. They are native to Asia and northeastern Europe. Most species originate from East Asia and the center of diversity is in China. There are countless horticultural varieties and cultivars.

Hardy, garden chrysanthemums can be purchased from garden centers and other outlets in the spring and fall. Although fall is the time we enjoy the beauty of their colorful floral displays, spring is the best time to plant garden chrysanthemums. Spring-planted garden mums have the best chance of successfully overwintering in cold climates.

Garden chrysanthemums can be planted from spring through mid- to late July. Plant them in a well drained location that receives full sun. Plant them at the same depth they were growing in the container. Space chrysanthemums 18 to 24 inches apart in the garden, depending on the mature size of the variety. Water them thoroughly at planting and once a week through the summer during dry weather. Fertilize newly planted mums with a complete analysis, water soluble plant food and continue fertilizing once a month through mid-July to encourage vigorous growth.

Chrysanthemums grown for spring sales may have been forced into bloom. After the flowers fade, prune the plants back to about one-third to one-half of their flowering height. This will produce a sturdy, compact plant that will bloom again in the fall.

Growing

Best grown in humusy, fertile, consistently moist, well-drained soils in full sun. Tolerates very light shade, and appreciates some afternoon protection from the hot sun in southern climates. Pinch stems back as needed from late spring to mid summer (e.g., Memorial Day and the 4th of July) to control height and to encourage bushy vegetative growth. For best bloom, feed plants several times during the growing season. Cut plants back to 6” after flowering and mulch (e.g., straw or evergreen boughs) for winter. Divide as needed (usually every 2-3 years) in spring or fall. It should be noted that in cold winter climates such as the St. Louis area, plants given winter protection will usually survive, but not always. Winter hardiness can vary considerably from year to year and from location to location within a particular hardiness zone. Notwithstanding the preceding culture recommendations, garden mums are frequently purchased in pots in late summer each year and grown as fall flowering annuals to supplement or replace summer annuals, rather than as permanent additions to the garden.

Chrysanthemums sometimes become crowded in the garden. The old, center portion of the plant dies back and the new growth occurs around the perimeter of the clump. Renovating chrysanthemum clumps every 3 or 4 years will encourage healthy growth, neat plant growth habit, and continued flowering. When new shoots appear in the spring, dig the entire clump. Use a sharp spade or knife to cut the clump into wedge-shaped sections, like a pie. Remove and discard the point of the wedge (this is the oldest part of the clump). Plant the new plants, "wedges", 18 to 24 inches apart at the depth they were growing. Water and fertilize as described above.

Propagation

Cuttings of chrysanthemums can be taken in early spring to early summer from plants already established in the garden. This in an inexpensive way to increase the number of plants in your garden or to share with gardening friends. Take cuttings when the new shoots are 3 to 5 inches tall. Use a sharp knife to take a 2- to 3-inch cutting from the end of the shoot. Remove the leaves on the bottom half of the cuttings. Insert the cuttings in a flat or pot containing moist perlite. Insert the cutting into the perlite up to its first leaves. A rooting hormone can be used to speed up root formation, however, roots will form without it.

Keep the perlite moist at all times. Chrysanthemum cuttings will root in 3 to 4 weeks. When the roots are 1 to 1 1/2 inches long, remove the cuttings and plant them into small pots containing fresh potting soil or plant them directly into the garden. Pinch off the top 1/2 inch of the small plant to encourage branching. Continue to pinch all shoots every 2 to 3 weeks until late June. This will produce full, mound-shaped plant.

Although mums grow readily from seed, they readily cross-pollinate and, as a result, the seeds may not produce a plant that resembles the parent plant in flower color, composition or growth habit. Most seed propagation is done solely to create new mum varieties and it is not advantageous to home gardeners. Clonal methods such as cuttings provide the only reliable means of reproducing a particularly attractive or hardy mum variety.

Observation

02-12-2016: I planted 4 different varieties of hardy mums last fall (no yellow!!) and got them into the ground immediately in hopes that they will survive the winter. I did not have time to mulch them before winter set in (busy building a fence around the garden and adding new beds)… still hoping they survived (they’re kind of in a microclimate near the house furnace exhaust). They performed spectacularly last fall and I loved the abundance of color they provided the autumn garden.  If they did survive, I will continue to propagate these lovely plants by cuttings.  A couple of things to note, gleaned from the above information, about this plant:

• It needs space to grow
• It will easily grow from seed, but will not produce identical plants; cutting are the way to go (but in order to get cuttings, you needs plants that survived the winter)
• They need pinched back on Memorial Day and on the 4th of July to promote the bushy abundance of flowers you see in the fall.  If they aren’t pinched back, they become huge plants that will flop.

03-09-2016: It looks like they survived!  All of them!.  Very pleased about that.  Some did better than others, but there is growth on all of the plants.  I’m going to wait until the new growth is 3-5 inches tall before trying to propagate.  But believe me, I will!  These were outstanding last year, and with all the new beds out front, I will need a lot of fall color.  So between these and the asters, it should be a spectacular fall show this year!