From our perspective, the most crucial decision you make is where to plant us. We Hardy Garden Mums, or Chrysanthemums, crave sunlight to fuel our vibrant displays. We require a minimum of six hours of direct, unfiltered sunlight each day. Any less, and our stems will become weak and leggy as we stretch pathetically towards the light, and our flower production will be disappointingly sparse. Well-drained soil is non-negotiable. Our roots despise sitting in constant moisture, which quickly leads to rot and a premature end to our lives. If your garden soil is heavy clay, please amend it generously with compost or other organic matter. This not only improves drainage, giving our roots the airy environment they need, but also provides essential nutrients for a strong start.
Think of the soil as our pantry and support system. We are not overly fussy about pH, but we thrive in a slightly acidic to neutral range. A soil rich in organic matter is like a gourmet meal for us. When you plant us in the spring, mixing a slow-release fertilizer into the soil will give us the sustained energy we need to establish a robust root system and develop lush, green foliage. Please avoid high-nitrogen fertilizers later in the season, as this will encourage excessive leaf growth at the expense of the magnificent blooms we are so eager to produce. A balanced fertilizer applied as we begin to set buds in mid-to-late summer is the perfect encouragement for a spectacular autumn show.
This might seem counterintuitive, but to become the full, rounded mounds of color you desire, we need you to be a little ruthless. If left to our own devices, we tend to grow tall and flop over, flowering only at the tips of our stems. The secret is pinching. Starting in late spring, when our new growth is about six inches tall, use your fingers or sharp shears to remove the top inch or two of every stem. This signals to us to stop growing upwards and instead branch out from the leaf nodes below the cut. Repeat this process every few weeks until around the Fourth of July. This continuous pinching creates a dense, bushy structure capable of supporting hundreds of flowers instead of just a few.
While we are called "hardy," our survival through freezing temperatures depends largely on your autumn care. The greatest threat to us in winter is not the cold itself, but the cycle of freezing and thawing, which can heave our shallow root systems right out of the ground. The most beneficial thing you can do is to leave our foliage and spent flowers standing after the first hard frost. Do not cut us back in the fall! This dead growth acts as a natural insulator, trapping a layer of protective air around our crown. After the ground has frozen, you can further insulate us with a loose, breathable mulch, such as straw or shredded leaves. Please avoid heavy, wet mulches that can smother us. Wait until spring arrives to cut away the old dead growth, as new shoots will emerge from the base.
Every two to three years, in the early spring as new growth begins to appear, we will benefit greatly from being divided. You will notice that the center of the clump may have died out, with all the vigorous new shoots emerging from the outer edges. This is a clear sign we are becoming crowded. Carefully dig up the entire clump and use a sharp spade or knife to divide it into smaller sections, each with healthy roots and several shoots. Replant these divisions, and you will be rewarded with rejuvenated plants that are more vigorous and floriferous. This process is essential for our long-term health and prevents us from becoming weak and woody.
