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It’s that time of the year where pops of orange, yellow and burgundy start showing up everywhere you go.  Pumpkins and mums are the go-to outdoor décor for the fall, and perfect for creating a showy front porch (which is great if your house is on the market during this time).  They are a great addition to your landscaping from September through November.  They can be used in pots on your steps or can be planted in the ground.

How do you keep mums looking bright and beautiful through the season?  Here are a few tips:

Re-pot them as soon as you get them.  They’re most likely rootbound in the tiny plastic pot they come in.  Use a good quality potting soil and break up any roots before re-potting.

Sun!  Mums thrive on at least 4-6 hours of direct sunlight each day.

Watering tip: don’t water them too much, but they also don’t like to be dry.  Well-drained soil keeps them healthy.  As a guideline, watering three times a week in the fall months would be average.  Be careful not to overwater, as that can encourage disease.  Watch to make sure the water isn’t standing on the top and that it is seeping into the soil so it will not drown the plant.

Deadhead any spent blooms as soon as they wilt.  You can pinch off the dead bloom with your fingers or with gardening shears.  If you don’t like the look of the stem poking up through the other flowers, you can go down the stem up to 5 inches and cut there.

You can overwinter your mums once hard frost hits.  Move inside your home or into a heated garage.  Mulch around the top and cover with cloth.  In the spring, you can prune old stems and remove the mulch.

These simple tips can keep your mums healthy and add beautiful color to the front of your home.

Happy Fall!