When to Purchase Garden Mums
Mums Galore at the Big Box Store!
By Brent Wilson
It's late summer here in mid-Georgia...have you seen all the garden mums already on the shelves and in full bloom at the big box stores in the Deep South? If so, maybe you noticed how the foliage was wilting? This is because these plants were shipped way down South from way up North.
But, here in the South, garden mums are a cool-season flowering perennial that should bloom later on in the Fall when temperatures are much cooler. The flowers of mums won't last near as long in the heat as they will later on in cooler weather. In fact, if you garden in the South, your mums should be pruned about half-way back in mid-July to delay blooming until Fall and cooler weather.
So, the word of precaution is to wait until late September or early October to begin planting mums in the South. That being said, local nursery and garden centers in the South may begin to stock garden mums earlier on in September. These are okay to purchase and plant as long as they are tightly-budded and not in bloom. Most local nursery and garden centers get their mums from local commercial growers so the plants should be acclimated to local conditions. Too, there are early, mid-season and late blooming mums. Plant some of each in your garden to extend the spectacular mum show.
Visit Perennial Garden Mums to learn more about these spectacular fall bloomers!