Growing & Caring for Hardy Fall Mums

Planting | The key to getting hardy mums to perennialize in Northeast Ohio is early planting. Mums need four to six weeks in the ground before a hard frost to establish strong root systems.

Pruning | Pinch the tips of your mums throughout the season to encourage healthy branching and to delay blooming. Start when their spring growth reaches about six inches tall, removing the top two inches of growth. Repeat the process through the end of June.

Winter Protection | Apply 3-6 inches of mulch at the base of the plants before the ground freezes. Allow mums to die back naturally their first winter in the ground, then cut them back in early spring.