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Why is my Mum blooming now?

14 years ago

I bought several Mums last fall. I don't even recall exactly where it came from. Might have been Rite Aid. Once late fall arrived I planted it in one of my half barrels really just to see if/how well it would overwinter. I've been so behind this year I haven't made it around to re potting the thing yet and in the last month it started really growing tall. Now this morning I see it has several lovely little dark burgundy blooms.

Is the plant confused or am I? I was going to pinch it back around the 4th of July and didn't expect flowers until fall again.

Thank you.

Kate

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Comments (7)

mayhem69
14 years ago
that's good though, it will keep on blooming till fall, just dead head.
I have a white with yellow center mum that does the same thing.
katefisher
Original Author
14 years ago
Okay. Well its still strange but I can live with that. So after it finishes blooming cut it back? Or do nothing until next spring?

Thank you.

Kate
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I'm no expert, but agree with calliope. I have one similiar in shape to yours. I'd asked the cutting back question last year, since Mom always said "keep cutting back until 4th of July (you're right, Ken) but that was for ones that get all tall and leggy. I was told this type (or at least mine) is called a 'cushion mum' and bred to remain compact and rounded. I never cut mine back (except for initial cutting it down after dying) and it blooms magnificantly throughout the season. Here's a pic of mine (bad quality) late in the season (fall?) as it was dying off. You'll notice it did start to lay down and have a gap in the center, but because if you'll notice, there's a dark semi-circle thing above it which is a giant bush. And if I don't keep THAT trimmed back, it crowds out and shades the mum so it can't grow in a full 'cushion' shape. But other than that, you can see it kept its rounded shape all season, never got leggy. I haven't tried the pinching back after first bloom but will try that this year, since later on it does start to look pretty shabby so TKS calliope for that hint!! Also, just checked mine out and it's dead inside NOW but you say it's advised not to pinch back now. So I gather these types are not made to rebloom if I cut it back now?? (I'm sure you answered that, but can't see your response now).
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I can't tell you about growing them in FL, but in NH I planted them in the fall and mulched heavily in December. I uncovered them in the spring and scratched in compost. On the 4th of July I cut them back by 1/2 and scratched in more compost. In September they were in full bud and I had lovely blooms till the first hard frost. If I hadn't cut them back in July they would have bloomed in September. I learned this tip from Paul Parent who I listened to every Sunday morning on the radio. Hope it helps.
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here in kansas my mums will try to bud also and bloom...but i dont want that of course.....so when plants are up around 8 inches tall.....i give them a good trim all over a couple inches.....and round them as i shear them.then every two weeks until mid july ...i shear them again....lightly...then let go.....and they should be rounded and not so tall as to fall over for fall bloom.
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nana- OMG YES -It's 12 days too late! LOL I bet they would do ok it trimmed now.... only one way to find out! WHy do you need to trim them? I first heard the 4th of July thing back in the days of tall chrysanthemums.... if you didn't pinch them a couple times you would have to stake them since they got four feet tall by the time they bloomed... the kinds that are sold today are self branching and stay much shorter. Do you want to 'reset' the blooms? Maybe if you keep up with deadheading they'll last into the fall?
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calistoga_al ca 15 usda 9
14 years ago
If you don't pinch it back it will probably fall over before the regular bloom in the fall. I have so tired of pinching them back I have pulled them out. Al
DYH
14 years ago
Here in North Carolina, we pinch mums back until July 4th to ensure we have a bushy plant loaded with blooms for the fall. I just finished trimming all the buds off the mums in my garden. I don't know how it is in other parts of the country/zones.

Cameron
leslie197
14 years ago
My Clara Curtis mum has just put up 12-15 inch tall bloom stalks (over 4 inch foliage) with buds on them! It always wants to bloom early, but this is ridiculous.
highalttransplant
14 years ago
Yep, one of my mums is blooming too, and I'm in zone 5! I didn't pinch that one, because it was smaller than the rest, and now it's too late.

BTW, where have you been Leslie197? I haven't seen any photos of your gorgeous garden lately. Your pictures are always inspirational!

Bonnie
leslie197
14 years ago
Thanks Bonnie for the kind words. I've had quite a few life changes and I hate to admit it but I've become somewhat addicted (a lot addicted) to using my computer time on World of Warcraft.

But I still have the same garden - and boy is it full.
Out of necessity, I have come to consider myself a layering and pruning expert, but even I am having trouble adding new stuff, so I don't tend to drag out the camera very often.

This spring I had a tree company come out and thin, trim, shorten, topiary or espalier just about every tree and bush in the place. I think I shocked their staff, but I knew what I wanted and surprisingly the garden looks even more lush this year than usual.

I only bought a couple of new perennials this season and spent about half my usual budget on annuals. I've got a bulb order coming this fall - with absolutely no idea how or where to squeeze them in - ah hah - that's gardening as usual around here now !!!

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