attractive and extend the interest of
the plant so are best left on. Plants may
flop, particularly if given too much
shade. Plant height can be reduced by
pinching in the early spring when
plants are about 6 in. tall. For me,
pinching in mid-June resulted in
plants that never flowered. Do not cut
back for the winter. Prune in early
spring.
other maintenance Plants are
moisture loving and will form nice
stands if sufficient moisture is
available. Plants grown under drier
conditions will be shorter and less
vigorous. Prefers high-organic soil and
tolerates light shade. Divide every 4
years, if needed, in the spring or after
flowering in autumn.
Chrysanthemum
×morifolium
mum
compoSitaeDaisylike flower heads; lobed leaves
1–3 ft. high; 1–3 ft. wide
Full sun
Blooms August–October
Zones 5–9
pruning Mums and pruning go hand
in hand. Cutting back or pinching
before flowering will create more
compact plants, often with more
numerous though possibly smaller
flowers. Pinching or cutting back may
also delay flowering if done late in the
summer. Naturally low-growing forms
don’t need pruning for height control,
but it may be desirable to delay bloom,
such as with early blooming cultivars.
Pinching is often associated with
mums, and vice versa. The frequency
and timing of pinching, whether
employed for height control or to delay
bloom, can be determined by experi-
menting according to your individual
needs and expectations. Three or 4
pinchings is sufficient for controlling
height on most mums, though
lower-growing types generally need
only 2 pinchings. For mums that have
overwintered, pinching can be
initiated when the plants are about 6
in. tall (May) and then again every 2–3
weeks. New garden mums planted in
the spring should be first pinched a
few weeks after planting. The cutoff
date for pinching depends on the
climate and the type of mum, be it
early or late season. Mums need
several weeks to set buds after the final
pinching. For early season mums
(most garden-center varieties are
early) and in gardens north of the
Mason-Dixon line (colder than about
zone 6), the usual recommendation is
for pinching until about mid-July. For
northern gardens, stopping in
mid-July will assure bloom before
heavy frost. In the Midwest, though,
for even later bloom or for
late-flowering cultivars, pinching intoChelone lyonii