Want Your Mums To Return Next Year? Make This Simple Addition Before Winter

It is a common misunderstanding that all chrysanthemums are annual plants. Florist mums, the kind you find potted up in the fall, are annuals that will die off come winter. However, garden (or hardy) mums are, in fact, perennials that will overwinter if you care for them properly. And one of the best ways to make sure your mums make it through winter is to add a solid layer of mulch to their bases. 

Like other perennial plants, mums benefit enormously from a good blanket of mulch in the wintertime. Lay it on in the late fall after your first frost, provided you've planted your mums in the spring so that they've had time to establish their roots. You'll also want to remove any remaining weeds and deadhead any spent blooms. Just don't remove any of the foliage at this time. That can wait for spring. 

Next, you come in with your mulch and lay it on thickly (at least 2 to 3 inches) around the base of your mums. The best types of mulching materials for this job include straw (provided that it's clean and without weeds), wood chips, pine needles, and even grass clippings. Avoid using fallen leaves, as they have a tendency to compact and don't provide the best insulating properties needed for the mums to make it through the winter. So, why is mulching a necessary step in helping your mums survive the winter?

Though they are tougher than florist mums, garden mums are not nearly as hardy as many other perennial flowers people keep in their gardens. This is due to the fact that mums have shallow roots. Winter can greatly affect how they grow, especially if it is a season of consistent freezing and thawing. That can actually cause the plants to be pushed up out of the ground, which may lead to extensive damage or even kill them. Additionally, most mum varieties are better suited to warmer climate areas and not being winter hardy below USDA hardiness zone 5.

As such, you will want to mulch around your mums, as it provides that all-important insulation for the root system. Because mums are so shallow-rooted, hard freezes could affect their potential to return the following year. This insulation will also help reduce the likelihood of freeze-thaw cycles having a greater negative impact on the plants.

However, it is important to remember to remove the mulch from around the base of your mums once spring hits. This will allow the sun to warm the soil up faster so that the plants are encouraged to begin growing. The mulch can actually hold onto the cooler temperatures by blocking out the sunlight. So, while it keeps the mums warm in winter, it could end up keeping them to cold come spring.