Chrysanthemum Care: Essential Secrets for Long-Lasting Blooms

Chrysanthemums bring summer to a close, blooming with outstanding color when almost everything else in your garden looks a bit worse for the wear. That alone makes them worth growing — though being able to plant a perennial mum and enjoy it for years is a bonus.

This guide will help you master planting, growing, and caring for mums, walking you through:

• How to choose plants for the longest bloom time.
• How pinching can double your flower count.
• When to water, fertilize, and deadhead.
• How to give potted mums a real chance at returning next year.

Choose the Right Mums

Before you can start admiring the gorgeous blooms of a chrysanthemum, you need to know what kind of mums you’re working with.

There are hundreds of different types of mums, and different varieties have different appearances and growth trajectories. At your local garden center, you might see compact cushion mums that come back every year, tall mums that make excellent cut flowers, and florist mums that won’t survive a frost.

How to Choose Chrysanthemums

Different chrysanthemum varieties are best for different uses. To determine which type is best for your garden, you’ll want to consider whether a mum is hardy or not:

• Hardy garden mums come back every year and improve with time.
• Florist mums are better off indoors and usually can’t survive winter outside.

You can also consider flower color; many gardeners select their mums based only on this attribute. But first, think about your goals for the plant: Do you want mums that will work as a perennial border, cut flowers, or in fall display containers?

5 Chrysanthemums for Different Needs

1. Cushion: Reach 12 to 18 inches tall and cover themselves in blooms. Includes varieties like Drummer Boy, Lemonsota, and Sesquicentennial Sun.
2. Daisy: Widely grown and easy to find. Includes varieties like Allure, Flame, Tripoli, and Savona.
3. Heirloom: Produce long stems ideal for arranging. Includes varieties like Clara Curtis and Hillside Sheffield Pink.
4. Zones 3-5: These mums typically have names with a “Minn-” prefix, as they’re bred by the University of Minnesota for northern winters. Includes varieties like Minnruby and Mammoth Daisy.
5. Longest-Lasting Blooms: Choose late-season bloomers, such as Oriole, Tracy, and Cabernet.

Should Mums Have Open or Closed Buds?

Your goals will determine whether you should choose chrysanthemums with open or closed buds.

If you want to use your mums for a fall display, choose plants with mostly closed buds. A plant that’s already blooming in September has little left to give for the rest of the season. However, if you’ll be planting in containers on a shaded porch, choose chrysanthemums with partially open buds.

For better longevity, buy mums in true fall, when temperatures are cooler and the plants are naturally beginning to bloom. In general, they’ll last much longer.

Choosing the right variety always matters in your garden. Learn how to choose the right peony variety in our growing guide here.

Decide When to Plant Your Mums

Chrysanthemum care is ultimately determined by when you plant.

A mum planted in spring will need pinching and fertilizing in summer. Flowers picked up in full bloom at a garden center in October do not.

Starting Clean in Spring

This is the most involved approach, but mums started in spring will be noticeably stronger than anything you might buy in fall. These are the plants that will return year after year.

If you’re planting in spring:

• Buy small garden mums or rooted cuttings.
• Get them in the ground after the last frost.
• Pinch and fertilize through the summer.

Choosing Container Mums for Fall Display

Most gardeners start here, and it makes sense: By September, garden centers are loaded with blooming mums.

The nursery has already done the pinching and fertilizing, too. So, you just need to pick plants that still have mostly closed buds, water, and figure out whether you want to plant them before winter.

Working with Established In-Ground Mums

Already have mums that are returning from last season? That’s the best position to be in. Chrysanthemums that have been in the ground for a season will bloom heavier, root deeper, and handle winter without much help.

You’ll still need to water and fertilize your mums through early summer, pinch on schedule, deadhead during bloom, watch for disease and insects, and prep for winter.

Pick a Full Sun Location

Chrysanthemums need full sun to grow well. If they’re in shade, they’ll develop tall, weak stems and fewer flowers; they may even fall over before the season ends.

Make sure to choose a planting location where your mums will get at least 6 hours of direct sun each day. More sunlight is even better.

How to Choose the Best Location for Mums

• Avoid planting under large trees. Branches block sunlight and roots will compete for moisture.
• For strong stems, a south-facing spot with full-season, full-sun exposure is best.
• If your porch is fully shaded, try moving your planters into the sun during the day.
• If you live in a hot climate or your mums are near walls or pavement that reflect heat, providing afternoon shade can protect the flowers and keep their color longer.
• Avoid planting mums near lights at night, as these can interfere with bloom cycles and prevent buds from forming.

Find out how much light is needed for flowers like hydrangeas by reading our growing guide here.

Plant Mums in Well-Draining Soil

Chrysanthemums have shallow roots and rot easily when soil stays wet. Waterlogged soil after rain can cause root rot in summer, and water around the crown during late-winter thaws can kill even healthy plants.

It’s much easier to fix drainage before planting than after your bed is full. The best soil for mums is loam or sandy loam, which drains well but also holds nutrients.

5 Soil Preparation Steps

1. Loosen the soil to a depth of 8 to 12 inches before planting to encourage roots to spread.
2. Work 2 to 3 inches of well-rotted compost or aged manure into the top 12 inches of soil.
3. If drainage could be a problem, add topsoil and compost mix to raise the area 4 to 6 inches.
4. Aim for a soil pH of 6.0 to 7.0 for best nutrient availability. Add lime to raise the pH or sulfur to lower it.
5. Level any low spots in the bed where water might collect after rain.

Space Chrysanthemum Plants Properly

If mums are planted too close together, moisture gets trapped between their stems and leaves, which can lead to powdery mildew and other fungal problems. Crowded roots also cause plants to compete for water and nutrients, leading to fewer flowers and greater stress.

Ultimately, it’s easier to space plants correctly from the beginning than to deal with overcrowding issues later.

Pre-Planting Tip: Before you start planting, check whether your container mum is root-bound. If you see roots circling the bottom or packed tightly, gently loosen them before planting. This will help roots spread and get established.

Spacing and Planting Chrysanthemums

• Most mum varieties need to be 18 to 24 inches apart (18 inches for cushion types, 24 inches for taller varieties).
• Dig each planting hole at least twice as wide as the plant’s root ball.
• Set each mum into the soil with the top of the root ball at or just slightly below ground level.
• Backfill and press soil firmly around the root ball to eliminate air pockets.
• Water thoroughly after planting to settle the soil and get the roots in contact with surrounding moisture.
• For taller mum varieties, set a grow-through support ring in the ground at planting time. This prevents root damage and broken stems.

Water Mums Deeply at the Base

When mums are blooming, they need a lot of water to stay healthy and keep producing flowers. Without enough water, they’ll wilt, drop buds, and lose petals faster. Once a mum drops its buds, they won’t come back.

Aim to give mums about 1 inch of water per week. Water deeply, making sure the entire root area gets wet.

How to Water Chrysanthemums

How you water these plants is just as important as how much water you’re providing. If the leaves stay wet, especially overnight, it can cause powdery mildew.

Soaker hoses are a good solution because they water the roots directly while keeping leaves dry.

Container mums are less forgiving because pots hold less soil and dry out faster. Check them every day while they’re blooming and water before the soil dries out completely.

Are You Under- or Over-Watering Mums?

• Under-Watering Signs: Wilting in the morning, dry soil below the surface, and bud drop.
• Over-Watering Signs: Yellowing lower leaves, soft stems at soil level, and still-wet soil two days after watering.

6 Steps to Water Correctly

1. Water in-ground mums when the upper inch of soil feels dry to the touch.
2. Water at the base of the plant with drip irrigation or soaker hoses.
3. Make sure water is soaking several inches deep to reach the entire root ball.
4. If using overhead sprinklers, water in the morning so foliage has time to dry before evening.
5. Check the soil moisture of container mums in active bloom every morning.
6. Place a saucer under potted mums to create a water reserve and reduce stress between waterings.

After you master the art of watering mums, learn how to water orchids in our planting and care guide here.

Pinch Mums for More Blooms

Pinching is critical: If you don’t pinch a young mum, it will grow one weak stem with just a few flowers at the top.

Pinching off the tip makes the plant branch out, leading each branch to grow its own flower buds. Pinched mums offer many more blooms than those left alone.

How to Pinch Chrysanthemums

Pinch each chrysanthemum plant’s stem when new shoots reach 6 inches. Do it again when the resulting branches hit 8 to 10 inches.

Continue doing this monthly through spring and into early summer — then stop.

For cut chrysanthemum flowers, the approach is different. For one large bloom per stem, remove all side buds as soon as they’re large enough to handle. For a spray of smaller flowers, remove only the central terminal bud and let the sides develop.

When to Pinch Mums

Mums are short-day plants, meaning they begin forming flower buds when nights reach roughly 10 hours of uninterrupted darkness. That process is typically underway by mid-July, so pinching after that point isn’t necessary. Instead, it will remove developing buds and run the risk of losing the bloom completely.

Cool nights in early summer can push out buds early. If you see small buds forming early, remove them immediately and resume normal care. Plants nearly always recover and bloom on time in the fall.

Many newer types of mums branch out on their own and don’t need pinching. If you’re short on time, look for mums labeled self-branching. Similarly, mums purchased in the fall don’t require pinching.

Apply a Balanced Fertilizer

Chrysanthemums respond well to regular fertilizing during the growing season, but timing matters as much as the amount you provide. The goal is to support healthy stems and branching through the first half of the season, before buds begin to form.

Nitrogen helps mums grow leaves and stems. It also keeps the plant focused on foliage and prevents too-early buds. But if you add too much nitrogen, or apply it too late, it can weaken stems and reduce flowers.

When to Fertilize Mums

Plan to start fertilizing your chrysanthemums about a month after planting.

Continue feeding until mid-July, then reduce the frequency. Stop fertilizing once buds are fully formed.

Container mums need more regular feeding because nutrients wash out of pots faster than from garden soil. Mix slow-release fertilizer into the potting mix when planting, then add a liquid fertilizer every two or three weeks while the plant is growing.

If your mums already look healthy, with deep green leaves and strong branches, you might not need to fertilize them often. Pay attention to how your plant looks and let that guide you.

Chrysanthemum Fertilizer Schedule

• Use a balanced (10-10-10) fertilizer 4 weeks after planting, following label rates.
• Continue fertilizing on a regular schedule through mid-July.
• Reduce feeding as flower buds begin to form.
• Stop fertilizing once buds are fully developed.
• For container mums, combine slow-release and soluble fertilizer at planting and apply every 2 to 3 weeks during active growth.

Learn how to feed other garden flowers, like begonias, in our begonia growing guide here.

Mulch for Moisture and Protection

Mulch does three jobs for mums: It slows moisture loss between waterings, helps the plant bloom when it is drawing heavily on soil water, and suppresses weeds.

In cold regions, mulch is important for survival. When soil freezes and thaws over winter, it can push shallow-rooted mums out of the ground. Mulch helps keep the soil temperature steady and prevents this problem.

The Best Mulch Materials for Mums

• Shredded bark, shredded leaves, and straw are good choices.
• Avoid fresh wood chips, which rob nitrogen as they break down.
• Avoid rock or gravel, which holds and radiates heat at the crown.
• Avoid peat moss, which repels water when it dries out.

How to Mulch Correctly

1. Apply 2 inches of organic mulch around the base of each plant after planting.
2. Keep mulch a few inches back from the crown to allow airflow.
3. In cold climates, add an additional 1 to 2 inches after the first hard frost to insulate roots through winter.
4. Refresh mulch each spring before new growth emerges to control weeds and hold soil moisture.

Deadhead Spent Blooms

Deadheading chrysanthemums means removing old flowers as they fade. This is different from pinching; while pinching shapes the plant before it blooms, deadheading keeps it looking good during flowering.

After a mum finishes blooming, it starts putting energy into making seeds. This can slow down or stop other buds from opening. Removing old flowers helps the plant focus on the remaining buds.

For mums that bloom over several weeks, regular deadheading can extend flowering, sometimes by two weeks or more.

Deadheading Mums During Bloom

• Check plants every few days and remove flowers as soon as they begin to fade.
• Do not wait to remove flowers until they are fully brown.
• Using clean scissors or pruners, cut the spent flower back to the next set of healthy buds or to a leaf node.
• Continue until no more buds remain or frost ends the season.

Watch for Diseases and Pests

Chrysanthemums are naturally pest-resistant because they make pyrethrin, an ingredient that’s used in organic insecticides. However, soft-bodied insects like aphids and spider mites can still show up on stressed plants.

Diseases are a bigger concern for mums, and most problems are caused by wet leaves, poor airflow, or crowded plants. Keeping the leaves dry and providing enough space will prevent most diseases.

Pest and Disease Prevention Checklist

• Water mums at the base, not overhead.
• Space plants for airflow between stems and leaves.
• Remove dead leaves and debris in the fall.
• Rotate planting location every 3 years to reduce soil-borne disease buildup.

Common Chrysanthemum Pests and Diseases

1. Powdery Mildew: A white powdery coating on leaves and stems. To treat, remove affected leaves and improve airflow around plants.
2. Botrytis (Gray Mold): Fuzzy gray growth on stems and flowers that’s common during cool, wet stretches. To treat, remove and dispose of infected material immediately (do not compost it).
3. Bacterial Leaf Spot: Water-soaked spots that darken to brown. To treat, water at the base and avoid handling plants when foliage is wet.
4. Aphids: Small, soft-bodied insects that cluster on new growth, leaving sticky residue. Treat with neem oil or insecticidal soap at the first sign of infestation.
5. Spider Mites: Stippled, yellowing leaves that are common in hot, dry conditions. Treat with neem oil or a miticide; steady watering also reduces risk.

Prepare Mums for Winter Dormancy

One common mistake is to buy mums in the fall, enjoy them until October, and then plant them after they finish blooming. By this time of the year in many areas, the ground is cold and the plant can’t grow new roots before winter. As a result, it may not survive until spring.

If you plant mums earlier and give them about 6 weeks to root before the first hard frost, they have a much better chance of coming back next year.

How to Set Mums Up for Success

After your mums finish blooming, leave the stems standing through winter instead of cutting them back. The stems help catch snow and debris, which protects the base of the plant from freezing and thawing repeatedly.

Cut dead stems back to 3 to 4 inches above the soil line in spring once you see new green growth at the base.

Mums get better at surviving winter the longer they’re in the ground. By their second or third year, they handle cold much better than new plants. If this is your mum’s first winter, add some extra mulch.

5 Steps for Overwintering Chrysanthemums

1. Plant potted fall mums into the ground at least 6 weeks before your first hard frost (28 to 29 degrees Fahrenheit).
2. After bloom ends and frost arrives, leave stems standing through winter.
3. Apply mulch after the ground begins to freeze, not before.
4. Once you see new green growth at the base in spring and shoots reach 1 to 3 inches, cut the dead stems back to 3 to 4 inches above the soil.
5. Divide overcrowded plants in spring: Dig the clump, keep only the outer rooted shoots, and discard the woody center.

What About Container Mums?

When moving a container mum into the ground, you can divide it into two plants, but I don’t suggest weakening the plant before winter.

It’s always best to divide spring-blooming plants in fall and fall-blooming plants in spring, so waiting until spring is recommended.

Final Advice

Chrysanthemums are some of the easiest fall plants to grow once they’re established. You just need to make a few good decisions at the right times: Pinch them on schedule, water regularly during bloom, and plant fall mums early.

This year, instead of tossing out your mums, treat them like the perennials they are. Plant them so you can enjoy their blooms for years to come.

Happy growing!