late July may mean flowers in October
rather than September. In the South
pinching can go as late as mid-August,
particularly for late-blooming
cultivars. Pinching or cutting back
plants too late may reduce the floral
display. (Results of cutting back mums
in August in the Midwest are noted
below.) Although pinching directly
above lateral leaves makes for a neat
initial appearance, removing 1 in. of
stem with hedge shears simulates a
pinch and accomplishes it much more
efficiently. The plants fill in quickly,
hiding any cuts.
One alternative to pinching, which I
prefer, is to simply shear the plants
once by half or two-thirds in early to
mid-June. In the South a second
shearing may be necessary for best
results. Cutting plants back in this way
may delay flowering. If staggered
bloom on a large planting of mums is
desired, an additional 4–6 in. can be
removed from some plants later in theseason (mid- to late July or to
mid-August depending on your
climate, as discussed above) to further
delay part of the planting.
Mums usually are disbudded if
grown for shows to produce a larger
terminal flower. Disbud mums by
removing all buds along the stem,
except for the top largest bud. Remove
buds when plants are in tight bud with
no color showing.
How to prune mums for winter may
be as important as when to pinch or
cut back for height control. Research
in Germany, and confirmed in trials at
Iowa State University, has shown that
leaving the plants up for the winter
greatly improves their overwintering
survival rate. Do not cut down the
plants until spring when all threat of
cold weather has passed. Hedge shears,
either hand held or electric, make for
greater speed.
other maintenance Unless
cold-hardy forms such as those listed
below are selected, most mums are
best treated as annuals. Ed Higgins,
from the mum-producing firm of Yoder
Brothers, provided some further tips
for successful overwintering: avoid
planting mums in areas subject to cold,
drying winds; mums are heavy feeders
but fertilizing should be stopped,
especially in the North, by the end of
July to discourage new growth late in
the season; to promote roots that are
well established by winter, keep the
soil moist but not soggy through the
autumn; avoid wet overwintering
conditions; in northern areas, provide
loose winter mulch after the ground
freezes. Divide in the spring every year
or two to maintain vigor.
related plantS The following
Chrysanthemum cultivars have been
reliably hardy in central Ohio, showing
great vigor and requiring no addi-
tional feeding beyond good organic
soil. These forms need no division for
4 or more years.
Chrysanthemum ‘Mei Kyo’, 2 ft. tall,
offers deep rose or burgundy small
double flowers in late October.
Pinching is not required as plants areChrysanthemum ×morifolium
‘Viette’s Apricot Glow’
(foreground), ‘Mei Kyo’ (middle
ground), and ‘Venus’
(background)