When Should mums be pruned?
Really, the last part of June up to July 4th is a great time, but doing it much more into July risks your mum from not being able to re-produce blooms by Autumn’s arrival. What ya do is quite simple: Pinch or take scissors and trim back your mums until they are about 4-6″ high from the ground.
Do you cut back mums after blooming?
After they finish flowering, garden mums should be cut back far enough to remove all of the faded flowers (about one-quarter their height). If the winter stays very mild, some mums will produce a few more flowers. In late January or early February, garden mums should be cut back to about three inches from the ground.
Should mums be cut back in fall or spring?
As mums begin to grow through the spring and into summer, they’re going to start producing buds. To get the most out of a mum, it’s best to prune those buds, pinching them back until the time comes to let the plants develop new leaves, branches, and flowers. That way they’ll look gorgeous next fall.
How do you trim overgrown mums?
To pinch them back, grab a stem between your thumb and index finger about 2 to 3 inches above the base of the plant, and just above a leaf, and simply pinch it off. If you’re like me, and keep your fingernails clipped short, you can use a pair of sharp pruners or snips to cut the stems.
Should I cut my mums back for winter?
After the foliage of the plant has died back, you will need to cut it back. Cut back the stems of the mums to 3 to 4 inches (8 to 10 cm.) above the ground. Leaving a little bit of the stems will ensure that next year you have a full plant, as the new stems will grow from these trimmed stems.
How do I keep my mums from getting leggy?
To keep them growing optimally, they should be planted in a full-sun location that receives at least six hours of direct sun per day. Plants requiring full sun that are planted in shady areas will often stretch for more sunlight and grow straggly. The soil should be well-drained and kept slightly moist.
What does it mean to pinch back mums?
Many gardeners “pinch back” their garden mums to maintain a more compact form. This simply means to prune the plant lightly. Everywhere you make a cut, new growth will emerge, making the plant fuller. This procedure usually begins in spring when the plants are about 6 to 8 inches tall.
What happens if you don’t prune mums?
If you don’t prune them, all you’ll get are tall, leggy plants the next year. Pruning is necessary whether you keep your mums in their pots or plant them in the ground, which you can do in U.S Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 5 through 9.
Do you cut down mums for the winter?
Cut back the stems of the mums to 3 to 4 inches (8 to 10 cm.) above the ground. Leaving a little bit of the stems will ensure that next year you have a full plant, as the new stems will grow from these trimmed stems. If you cut the mums back to the ground, fewer stems will grow next year.
How do you save mums for next year?
How do I stop my mums from flopping over?
To keep mums from flopping over under the weight of their bountiful fall flowers, keep the plants cut back to about 6 inches until late June or early July. Go ahead and shear them. You don’t have to “pinch” each stem one by one as some people think.
How do you prune mums for winter?
What do you do with mums in the summer?
Care for mums in the summer is easier with mulch. Adding 2 or 3 inches of organic mulch such as shredded bark on the soil surface around the plants helps conserve soil moisture. Keep the mulch back a bit from each plant’s center to help prevent fungal diseases.
How do you cut back mums for winter?
How do I winterize my garden mums?
Prepare mums for winter after the first hard frost. Mulch up to 4 inches with straw or shredded hardwood around the plants. Pinch off dead blooms to clean up the plant, but leave branches intact. Mums have a better chance of surviving if you wait to prune old stems until spring.
What do you do with leggy mums?
The most common way to make mums more compact is to tip prune. You can start “pinching” off the tips when they reach about 6″ in spring, and repeat about every 2-3 weeks. You’ll have to experiment with your mums to see how often works best for them.
Why do mums get leggy?
If you plant your mums in a spot that receives too much shade, the stems may become leggy and then fall over while trying to reach sunlight. Find a garden spot that bathes your mums in sunlight to help keep stems from inordinately stretching too much.