Do this one thing to keep your mum’s alive

Do this one thing to keep your mum’s alive this season and season’s in the future. 

Wanna know my tip on how to keep your mum’s alive? The tip is certainly not rocket science but I am amazed at how many people won’t do this…I know….. because I use to be that person.

The person who would spend money on mum’s to decorate the front porch and patios for the Fall season and just toss them away once the first frost rolled around . Or perhaps, you forget to water them and they dry up and die…and you go buy more because you didn’t learn your lesson. Okay you ready …..take them out of the container they came in and plant them in a bigger container or better yet, plant them in the ground. They will look better, thrive and live longer. That’s it.

For years I would consider my Fall mum’s to be merely decoration and discard them after the season was over. Last year I decided to plant several white mums in the ground just to see how they would do. Surprise. They showed up bigger and more beautiful then the year before. These are some of the one’s I planted from my Fall Porch here.

Imagine my surprise that sometime around May or June they started to emerge from the ground. In fact in July they had grown so big and started to flower that I had to cut them back. At first I was hesitant to cut them back thinking they wouldn’t grow and bloom when I wanted them to….. but you can see they showed up!

A few things to remember if you transplant mums 

• Most mums are hardy enough to survive through the year in zones 5-9.
• Remember to always provide good fertilized soil for your mums.
• After the first frost, cut your mum down all the way and cover it with ground cover, mulch, pine straw etc.  Even when winterizing, make sure they still get enough water and sun. 
• After the Spring your mum will start showing up. Based on the warmer temps it may show up sooner and begin flowering. If that happens you can either let them do their thing or cut or pinch back if you want Fall color. 
• Mums love full sun and plenty of water. Just remember not to let them stand in water.

For more tips on keeping your mums looking beautiful after you bring them home from the store click here. If you have mum’s this season I hope you will do this one thing to keep your mum’s alive…..cause they sure are pretty when they come back!

What do you do with your mums after the Fall season is over?

PS. My hubby really should read my blog a bit more.:)  Remember my Fall Tour here, well when I went to Florida a few weeks back my hubby forgot to water the mums, so I transplanted them to the front flowerbox. When I came home after 5 days of no water they were so dead looking but I went ahead and planted them anyways. They are the one’s with no blooms.  I will let you know how they do. 

grateful

for patience and grace when I need it the most