With their fluffy domes of vivid blooms, mums are Mother Nature's way of throwing a welcome party for fall. They keep our gardens colorful as the growing season winds down and they make fabulous porch accents. They're happy to bloom indoors, too, and are an affordable way to surround yourself with flowers for just a little longer each year.
Florist mums
These annual mums show up in grocery stores and floral shops in late summer, and are cultivated to maintain a dense and bushy shape with a thick covering of small blooms. Florist mums are available in a variety of colors, and you can choose from a range of pot sizes to fit your desired space. When you shop for annual mums, look for plants with as many closed buds as possible so you can enjoy a longer bloom time. Don't count on this variety to stick around for long — their shallow root system makes it difficult for them to survive the winter in most climates.
Garden mums
Also known as hardy mums, this tougher perennial variety makes an excellent garden plant and is cold-hardy in zones 4 through 9. These fast-growing mums can reach their mature size within a single growing season, with a looser growth habit that displays more foliage than bushy florist mums. While florist mums do well in pots, garden mums are happier and healthier in the ground.
Caring for mums
* Both types of mums require at least six hours of sunlight each day, and thrive in moist (but well-draining) soil. Add compost and other organic matter to your garden soil to amend it if necessary.
* Make sure to water your mums deeply and regularly. Your mums will require more water in hotter temperatures, so check the soil in your garden or pots frequently to ensure that it stays adequately moist (but not waterlogged).
* Perennial mums thrive with slow-release fertilizer in the spring and an application of high phosphorus fertilizer in the middle of summer to support profuse flowering.
* Pinch spent blooms off florist mums to prolong the life of the plant and maintain a tidier appearance.
