How to Overwinter Mums | Winterize Save Chrysanthemums

[@alburke6132]

thanks, I have tried, with no luck, in the past to save mums that my wife buys to decorate in the fall. This year I will follow your video and store them in the garage and plant next spring.

[@budgetgardeningvita]

@@alburke6132 Key is to only water once per month and just a tiny bit. Over watering will rot the plant. Fingers crossed. I'd love to hear an update next spring. 🙂🌸

[@bjbrown6488]

I live in the zone 7A Western Colorado. My mom stay right in the ground all winter and our beautiful The Following fall. I have white yellow purple and burgundy. Thank you for the great videos

[@budgetgardeningvita]

You're so welcome! It sounds like you have a beautiful collection of mums in your yard! 😊🌸💞

[@jimsgardenproject3507]

@@bjbrown6488 I stuck one in my veg garden once to over winter. I couldn’t believe how big it grew 2.5’ high and wide. It was gigantic. I had to put upside down pots on each side to support it. I was afraid to move it for fear of killing it. Now I put leftover mums in barrel tubs so they’re mobile. This was if they look good I roll them out to my front walkway for fall. This years was a pot consisting of 7 different colors. Looked nice but hindsight I would have kept pinching until end of July. It got leggy by fall. Another thing I notice is overwinter/ saved mums tend to bloom a bit later. Makes sense as store bought are forced. Mums are great for messing with. I just enjoy the challenge of trying to keep things alive. Asked local nursery if I could divide my two ferns I had purchased they said no. Told my son to get the knife and ended up with eight. Haha. Guess they wanted more purchases.

[@AnneEddy-p4f]

Zone 5B here in VT. First time it occured to me I might be able to save these beautiful flowers! I brought them in a while ago, before the first freeze, but not before the first frost. I just cut them way back, and now I guess I will put them in my shed. So happy I found your video, now I can save (maybe) my Belgian "Mefisto Purple" mums (according to the tag). Thank you!!

[@budgetgardeningvita]

Hi there! Does your shed get freezing temperatures? I just wanted to make sure that your mums will be placed in an area that does not freeze. Also, make sure that they do not dry out but also make sure you do not give them too much water as that may cause rot. Good luck with your mums. It will be so worth the effort! ♥🌷

[@AnneEddy-p4f]

Yes it does freeze! Going to put them in my unheated closet, and that way I can check the water easier. Thank you for all your help! @@budgetgardeningvita

[@budgetgardeningvita]

Anytime! I love VT by the way. Burlington is a beautiful spot to visit in the summertime, 😊

[@KensSmallEngineRepair]

Thanks for this. I’m in SW Connecticut so what you do is pretty much what I will do. I enjoy the contrast of yellow against the deep Burgundy colored mums. I plant them in August (if I need to) and include white, yellow, burgundy, whatever I can get my hands on. I let the plants, which get to 3 feet in diameter, overwinter in the ground, the stems protect the bulbs from getting dug up by chipmunks and squirrels. Never did a lot of fertilizing just a spray of miracle grow when the first buds start popping. Now I need to go around the neighborhood and ask them to give me their potted mums and not to throw them away! Thanks for the info, I enjoy learning about plants!

[@budgetgardeningvita]

Do you cut back your mums in the summer or do you just let the mums grow tall? That's awesome! I like your idea about going around and asking people for their mums. I may just need to do that myself! 😊

[@steph5200]

Another great informative video. Just in time too. Did not have time to plant my new fall mums early so planning to overwinter in 7a. Also plan to take some cuttings from a beautiful purple mum and see if they can make it till spring. We shall see. Btw your purple mum is gorgeous....also, just collected quite a few impatient seeds thanks to one of your earlier videos 👏👏

[@budgetgardeningvita]

Thanks, Steph! ♥Overwintering plants & collecting seeds gives us something to look forward to for the spring! 🌺

[@Marsha_B]

I’m in zone 6 and have overwintered in garage and also plant around in landscape around my house and they have turned out beautifully- I only dead head and in spring cut back the dead and the foliage is pretty during summer and then blooms in fall and last so much longer.

[@budgetgardeningvita]

Hi Marsha. Do you cut your mums again after spring? If not, do they get tall, leggy & flop over or are they fine? Just curious.

[@Marsha_B]

I do cut them back by 1/3 - this seems to be the trick.

[@brad823]

I'm in Vermont zone 4B. I've successfully been doing almost exactly what you described that you do with your mums. I do leave them outside in sunny area in front of garage until temps really start to drop. So they do get exposed to freezing temperatures for a short while. Then into the garage, setting up off the cement floor and in an indirect sunlight area. In spring after frosts they go out into the perennial beds.

[@budgetgardeningvita]

Hi Brad. Thank you for sharing your experience! How much water do you give your mums while they are in the garage overwintering? I usually just give mine a small drink once per month so that the roots don't dry out but also so that the roots don't rot with too much water. 😊🌸

[@brad823]

@@budgetgardeningvita Sounds like we both are spot on with watering. Yea, I give mine just a shot of water probably about once a month. I judge the soil / plant by feel and eye. As the hardcore winter breaks I increase water to keep the soil slightly moist.

[@bellepfeiffer3630]

@@brad823 Hi, I'm also in VT. I just brought a bunch in my garage for another attempt at over wintering them, I guess it depends on the year but how cold does your garage get? Mine does eventually freeze, in some years into the teens. This year I put the pots up on shelves against the house interior wall. I can't seem to find anywhere what the lowest temp a Home Depot or Costco type mum can tolerate.

[@brad823]

@@bellepfeiffer3630 HI Bellepfeiffer3630, I have 3 mums this winter I'm working with. My garage also freezes, so this year I put a min/max thermometer in there to see how cold it really does get. I use the garage for the car so can not put them directly in front of the garage door windows. But I do place them about a foot off the cement floor where they get an hour or so of sun, at least once in awhile, if we are lucky. You know how that goes in Vt. I love that you have an interior house wall. That should really help keep some of the freezing at bay. Best of luck to you with them. I'm in northern Vt. What part are you in? Take care.

[@bellepfeiffer3630]

@@brad823 - Burlington area

[@SF-cy4pn]

Thanks for the video. We got mums this fall and just planted them like first week of November and we are hoping they come back but afraid I waited to long. They probably haven’t had a chance to root. Based on your video I’m going to leave them with the going dormant blossom and cut them back in the late spring. Hoping it protect the roots as much as possible. Or Should I dig them up and repot them? (In southern nh)

[@budgetgardeningvita]

You're welcome. Sorry for the delay in responding to your question. I think at this point, your best best is to really insulate the plant with leaves, etc. If they don't survive, next year definitely try to get your mums planted in the ground as soon as you see them out in the garden centers (usually late August). Also, Bio-tone starter fertilizer will help with faster and stronger root development. I'd love to hear how your mums do next Spring. 😊🌺

[@jimsgardenproject3507]

Just plant them after they’re done blooming. Leave all the branches on them for protection and add some leaf mulch for extra protection. They come back fine. Then once they start growing next spring start pruning and shaping them keeping them tight until mid July. This will create ramification generating more buds . Then stop and let them start developing their buds. Note: they will bloom a little later than your store purchased ones because they will have acclimated to your area. I’ve put half dead plants in the ground and they’ve come back fine.

[@budgetgardeningvita]

Hi there. I tried planting mums in October and they didn't survive. I spoke with a friend who works at Proven Winners and they said here where it's very cold (New Hampshire zone 5b) I have to get them in the ground as soon as I see the mums in the garden centers so that the roots have plenty of time to establish. It could be that in warmer climates you can put your mums in the ground later. You are correct though that you want to keep the branches on all winter long and also prune the mums back 1-2 times before July 4th in order to get a more compact plant. I also like dividing my mums in the Spring. Such a great plant for late summer / early fall interest! 😊🪻

[@gmaw23beauties37]

❤Hello, Just discovered your channel. Zone 6 here Ohio! I have found 1 online store to purchase mums in the off season and the prices are INSANE ‼️I have tried overwintering several times and never been successful. Research in the past has said the “ hardy mums/garden or true perennial mums have a particular leaf shape. Have you heard of this ❓I successfully planted mums 1 time years ago but eventually their lifespan ended them. Every seller besides big box tells you, yes they are “hardy “ but never volunteer the secrets to maintain them. Do you have ANY online sources you can share that sale good stock mums in the off season? I would GREATLY appreciate that so much ❤! Also, I have a wooded lot like yourself. I am going to attempt to plant all the perennials I bought this year in that strip of lot. I absolutely love ❤️ the curves of yours ‼️ Did you actually dig it out? Any fabric or barrier applied? Does the shredded leaves in fact keep the weeds at bay? Anything you can share on your long wooded bed? I tried to find this content within your many fabulous videos to no avail. Thanks so much for sharing your home and garden journey! I am so overwhelmed about design, as we have so many leaves and trees that also are around my entire lot, directly over current beds that I am so considering using decorative rock instead of mulch in those beds with the exception to my back lot that is very similar to yours. I have maple trees unfortunately and between leaves, branches and helicopters/seedlings from the maples it seems I spend a majority of time on cleanup instead of enjoying my plants.

[@budgetgardeningvita]

Hello friend. I'm so glad that you found my channel! 😊 I have only bought my mums from local / big box stores. I always make sure they says "hardy" or "garden" mums on them. The key in colder climates like our zones is to plant them in the ground as soon as you see them in the store (end of August / early September). Keep them well watered and don't cut the top growth off in the late fall / winter as that helps protect the plant. Then come Spring as you see new growth emerging, you can then safely cut the top growth off. For my flower beds, I have never put down any weed barrier. All garden begs were dug out and over the years I've added homemade compost. The shredded leaves do help suppress the weeds as does mulch. The key with weeds is to get them out before they go to seed. Once you have a small section weeded, mulch it afterwards and then try to stay on top of your weeds. Good luck, friend. Gardening is a journey but the end result is so satisfying. 💗😊

[@gmaw23beauties37]

@@budgetgardeningvita thanks so much for the reply. I also read focus on feeding mums phosphorus for the root development! That and planting early September I feel a little more confident ❤️

[@jimsgardenproject3507]

@@gmaw23beauties37 I don’t know what you have planted in your beds but some alternatives to all your clean up work: -Consider mulching the leaves and using them as a natural bedding ? Large property? Lawn mower or a ride on? This way you just continually created layers each year. Bottom layers would be worm and microbial snacks building up soil quality. It’s part of no dig gardening. Undisturbed soil helps prevent weeds from sprouting. A lot of gardeners turn their soil each spring. That only brings weed seeds to the surface where light germinates them. Cardboard or newspaper for weed suppression instead of weed barrier. The cardboard and papers ( with a new layer of soil or compost on top) will break down over time and the upside is you can practically grow right away if you’re adding a few inches of fresh soil or compost. As the material softens and breaks down the roots will go deeper. Watch Charles Dowding on YT for more no dig info. Stones are not great cause if you ever want to remove them it’s a pain I know from experience. Horrible. Or, just let the leaves stay as mulch until spring then blow them out, mulch them and use as a nice topper for the beds. This helps retain moisture ( less watering ) Besides the leaves house / overwinter a lot of beneficial insects, bees etc. let them hang out until spring. The leaves are there for a reason ( winter protection) let them do their job. The manicuring is for spring. Takes a while to get used to what’s considered a messy yard but it’s there for a purpose. I’m insane about neat and organized but if I can do it you can too. Worst case, don’t go outside til spring haha. Have fun

[@alburke6132]

when showing mums growing in your garden I noticed some spikes growing, I have some from plants I received and wondered if they can be overwintered or just planted now and they will survive. thanks. I'm in 6A Michigan

[@budgetgardeningvita]

Hi there. Great question! In our colder growing zones (5B for me / 6A for you), it's usually advisable to plant mums in the ground as soon as you see them in the garden centers (end of August or early to mid September). Mums take a long time for their roots to establish. Since it's now the end of October, I wouldn't advise planting your mums in the ground. Instead, it's better to overwinter them. Do you have a garage that doesn't freeze? If so, bring the mums in there for the winter. Only water them once a month (very sparingly) as you don't want the roots to rot. In the Spring, you can then cut back the old growth as new growth should be pushing through. At that time, you can also plant your mums in the landscape. Good luck, friend! 🤞🏼😊🌸

[@alburke6132]

What about the spikes?

[@budgetgardeningvita]

@alburke6132 Hi there, sorry if I'm not understanding which spikes you're referring to. Are you talking about the dead flower growth on top of the mums after the mums have gone by?

[@alburke6132]

Spikes that are usually grown with geraniums can they be transplanted?

[@alburke6132]

@@budgetgardeningvita how can I send a pic

[@emlyle1228]

I noticed today, Feb 19th, that I have new growth. They are planted in the ground. I'm in Alabama 7B. Should I go ahead and cut off all the dead branches?

[@budgetgardeningvita]

That's wonderful news! You should be ok with cutting the dead branches off at this point since you live in a warmer climate than me. 😊🌺

[@boysrus61]

Should I divide my mums that are in my landscape?

[@budgetgardeningvita]

Hi there. Mums (chrysanthemums) should be divided every couple of years to promote regrowth and health. The best time to divide mums is in early spring, after the last hard frost and when new growth begins to appear. I'll be making a video this spring showing my process for dividing mums. Please be on the lookout for that video. 😊🌸