DEGOEYS CARE
Hardy Fall mums botanical name is Dendranthema x grandiflora.
☼ Location - At least six hours of sun a day, to full sun.
☼ Soil - Mums thrive in well-drained soil.
☼ Planting – Plant in the ground before the first hard frost.
☼ Watering – Do not allow to wilt. Check your mums every other day for watering until you are familiar. Established mums can be well-watered once weekly (normal conditions).
☼ Fertilizing - Mums love fertilizer! Slow release is easiest and some can feed for up to 3 months. For water-mixed fertilizing; feed your plants at least bi-weekly into mid August.
☼ Overwintering - Prepare mums for winter after the first hard frost. Mulch up to 4 inches with straw or shredded hardwood. Fill in around the plant and between branches. Pinch off dead blooms to clean up the plant. Leave branches intact. Mums have improved survival if you wait to prune old stems until spring.
☼ Spring – Pinching- As soon as the weather warms, pull away mulch to allow new shoots to pop up. Once your mums start re-growing, remove the old stems. Pinching- Once the plant has reached 4- 6 inches, remove 1-2 inches of the new growth on every shoot. After the plants have grown 3-5 inches from the first pinching, it is time to pinch again (1-2 inches). Stop pinching your plants around mid-July. Pinching creates more compact bushy plants that are robust with flowers.