Many of the fall-blooming Sedum species are classic plants for fall container gardens. If you want to overwinter a fall container outdoors, sedum is a particularly good choice because the dried flowers can look beautiful, especially covered with snow or frost. Some varieties can grow quite tall and are great to use in the center or back of a container.
Kevin DuttonThe blue or indigo purple flowers of aster are a symbol of the fall garden and can work equally well in a fall container garden. Because most types grow rather tall—as much as six feet—these are plants best suited for very large containers. As container plants, they do best when planted in rich soil and kept moist but not soggy.
After flowering is complete, cut the stems back completely and store the potted plants in a cold frame or greenhouse. Chrysanthemums flower in an incredible range of different colours. Flower shapes can vary, too, from reflexed, single or pompom and more. Spray chrysanthemums form a number of flowerheads on one stem and are often grown under glass for cut flower production.
Early-flowering chrysanthemums can be planted in ornamental borders and will flower from late summer to autumn. Late-flowering chrysanthemums flower in winter and are grown as house plants. For a reliable perennial chrysanthemum, choose hardy garden varieties that can be left in the ground all year round. Otherwise, dig up and store in autumn, as you would dahlias. Fall flowers are your reward for planting mums in the spring and allowing them enough time after pinching or trimming to reach their potential.
Just because you plant your mums late in the season, doesn't mean they won't overwinter. However, giving them a month or so before frost sets in to root into the soil well will make for a better yield of flowers. An alternative to overwintering plants in a garden bed is to dig them up and put them in cold frames to ensure survival. If you plant hardy mums in the fall, they likely won't survive the winter.
Instead, you can try letting the plants go dormant in their pots and keeping them in a cold but frost-free indoor spot like a garage until the following spring. Then you can plant the mums outside in your garden once the soil has warmed up again. You should soon see new growth appearing from the roots if your plant is still alive. If you stop pruning in early July, the plants will likely flesh out and begin blooming in September.
The best time to plant your mums is August or early September. If you can get your mums in the ground before they start blooming you will double the bloom time. The plant will get a more robust root system which helps elongate the bloom time. Also, if you choose a perennial mum, a better root system will reduce the chances of frost heave . If you wait until the plant has already started blooming, you will cut the bloom time in half. The mum will still give you great color, just for a shorter period of time.
Once you plant the mum, make sure you stay on top of the watering. When you plant during the hotter summer months, plants will need to stay a little more hydrated just like people. While most growers view garden mums as a fall commodity, the possibility of enhancing spring and summer sales should not be overlooked.
Garden mums can also be shaded and grown for markets in July and August. The most common market for garden mums continues to be late summer and fall which will be the focus of this fact sheet. Chrysanthemums often appear for sale at your local garden center or grocery store long before summer is over.
But hold onto your pumpkin spice latte, should you buy these seasonal plants just yet? That's why a few potted mums perched on your porch seems like a no-brainer for transitioning from summer into the next season. But don't be in too much of a hurry if you want your plants to last. Even though retailers start selling mums well before fall begins, you may want to hold off on buying them just yet.
If you want to avoid this hamster wheel of fall color hassle, consider planting perennial mums – winter hardy chrysanthemums – in the landscape beds instead. Johnson's Nursery carries 5 of the Mammoth® Series , introduced by the University of Minnesota. Like most plants coming out of Minnesota, they are very cold tolerant and have a much better chance of surviving winter than their less expensive counterparts.
Even better, they have been bred so you don't have to pinch them back during the summer for a bushy appearance. Nestle a pumpkin next to your perennial mums for the perfect harvest time landscape. Depending on the weather, Labor Day weekend can be a good time to put out your pots of mums and start planning your fall gardening and decorating. If it's still sweltering, though, you may want to wait a few weeks and put out your mums in mid- to late-September. When the weather turns cool and you can feel a hint of fall in the air, you know it's time to set out the pots. If you're shopping for plants at your local garden center, be sure to select mums with many closed bloom buds to ensure the plants will have longevity.
Verbena is a large genus of prolific-blooming species, but the varieties most often grown in containers are shorter varieties that are usually grown as annuals. They are suitable fall flowers on the basis of a long bloom period and their tolerance for cool temperatures. Many verbenas are hardy down to 15 degrees Fahrenheit and will continue flowering even after the first frost. Verbenas look great either on their own or filling in spaces and spilling over the edges of garden planters, window boxes, or hanging baskets. Colors range from white to brilliant reds to deep dark blue to purples and pinks.
Good drainage during the winter months is a must, making sure that the roots are not inundated with cold and/or freezing water. The base of the plant should be covered with 6 to 8 inches of soil, and all of the stems and stalks should be cut back to ground level. After the first frost, the gardener should apply 4 inches of mulch or straw over the top of the plant for the winter months. In colder temperatures, after November frost, cover with 12 inches of mulch. Good choices for mulch would be leaves or straw.
When the winter is over, the mulch material can be uncovered, and the plant will resume its growth. Overwintering is more easily achieved in your garden if the mum bulbs are planted in the spring with plenty of time to root. If you're planting for next fall, the best time to plant mums is after the last frost. Since the roots of this plant are shallow, planting in the spring gives them enough time for growing a suitable root network.
Whenever possible, irrigate garden mums automatically . Overhead irrigation is satisfactory and inexpensive; but the umbrella effect caused by the leaves and the effect of wind results in a lot of wasted water. To prevent foliar diseases always water early enough in the day to allow the foliage to dry before evening hours. Regardless of the watering system you use, do not allow plants to wilt particularly during the time before the lateral shoots from the second pinch are at least one inch long. It is critical to keep plants actively growing in the early stages.
Plants that undergo water stress are more likely to initiate premature flower buds. Many mums bloom throughout the fall months, but some species will provide blooms from late spring through the fall. In some cases, mum season varies according to the vagaries of the weather. There are perennial varieties, and if those are planted early enough, they can usually be counted on to last through the cold months and bloom for years to come. If you live in a cold climate, it is best to leave the foliage on the plant, even after it has browned and died, to increase the plant's chance of surviving the winter.
In spring, you can prune out the dead leaves before the new ones start to develop. On average, garden mums will not start to set buds until the nights last about 10 hours long. In fact, chilly weather intensifies colors and keeps blossoms looking fresh until a hard, killing frost drops the curtain on the gardening year. If you choose early-, mid-, and late-blooming varieties, you will enjoy a full seven weeks of bloom — a brilliant last act for any landscape. Perennial mums, on the other hand, should be planted directly into your garden bed in the spring.
Though they sometimes have smaller flowers, they'll provide autumn color to your garden year after year. However, they do require more maintenance throughout the summer. Like annual mums, you'll get the best blooms if they're planted in full sun, but they will tolerate partial shade. This encourages them to grow fuller and bushier, and flower later into the season. In most climates, the containers can be moved to a sheltered area to successfully overwinter. Or they can be grown as annuals, planted afresh in containers each spring.
Although they are perennials, mums are more typically grown as annuals, discarded after blooming ends with the frost of late fall. But potted mums can sometimes be overwintered if you cut back the shoots and place them in a sheltered location over the coldest months. Put the pots back into a warm sunny location in spring, and keep them closely pruned again until mid-summer. Many of the same fall-flowering plants grown in the garden make fine specimens for container gardens and hanging baskets. Good candidates for fall containers include any flowering plant that has a genetic disposition to fall blooming or has a long-lasting bloom period that extends into fall. Good tolerance for the cooler temperatures of fall is also essential; heat-loving species don't thrive in the fall.
Though technically perennials, mums are often grown as annuals owing to shallow root systems inclined to heave right out of the ground during winter's freeze-thaw cycles. If you live where winter can be frigid , go with early-blooming varieties — they're more likely to come back in subsequent years. Those of you who live south of Zone 6 can push the envelope, opting for varieties that need more time to reach their full potential. When winter looms, apply a mulch of crisscrossed evergreen boughs to help plants make it through the cold weather ahead.
David BeaulieuBlack-eyed Susans are a traditional form of perennial daisy that can be grown in containers as well as in the garden. They bloom from mid-summer to late fall and can be overwintered if the containers are placed in a sheltered area for the cold months. Unlike many perennials, black-eyed Susans are relatively easy to grow from seed. Kerry MichaelsOrnamental cabbages are delightfully chubby and cheerful plants, while the kales are spiky.
However, both of these plants will take you well into fall with style and beautiful sage greens blended with pinks and purples. As a bonus, the colors of flowering cabbage and kale only intensify as the weather gets colder, especially after a frost. Cabbages are wonderful grouped in either rustic garden planters or low baskets. They also bring great color and texture to mixed container gardens.
Kales can look great in funky shallow baskets, window boxes, or modern metal planters with clean lines. These are bold plants, so don't be afraid to plant them in unusual containers or combine them with unlikely companions. Chrysanthemums are sold as rooted cuttings or small plants, in spring. Pot these on at home and plant out after all risk of frost has passed, from late May. Grow in moist but well-drained soil with added compost or well-rotted manure in a sunny, sheltered spot. Pinch out spray chrysanthemums and 'disbud' single-bloom chrysanthemums.
Lift in autumn, cut back and store in a dry, frost-free place. When feverishly loading them into your shopping cart, choose ones that still have plenty of tight buds to extend the blooming period in your yard. If I'm feeling lazy, I just plop an extra-large container of mums, straight off the shelf, into my landscape beds, no shovel needed. However, the labeling of "Hardy Mums" can be misleading. These Chrysanthemums have spent the entire summer in a greenhouse, their tips being pinched back to create a bushy appearance.
Even if they do survive, you'll need to keep pinching and pruning the buds until July to keep them looking tidy. I bought some potted mums from Home Depot in early October here in middle TN. I kept deadheading them every other day, watered them, and kept them in full sun. After cutting my last bloom, they are all now blooming again. But now that they are blooming again, should I wait to put them away in the garage when frost first appears on the ground? Once the weather turns cool and summer blooms begin to fade, however, we will begin to see Autumn's arrival as mums appear on shelves at garden centers and supermarkets.
Late-blooming mums add a diverse array of bright colors and flower shapes and sizes to add natural decoration to the Fall season. I love seeing mums during this time of year, but I much prefer Perennial varieties over the Florist pot mums we tend to see on store shelves. Wondering if that gorgeous mum you bought is a perennial?
Mums are one of the more confusing plant groups . Garden mums, also known as hardy mums, are perennial mums. When selecting garden mums, look for full, healthy plants that still have some tightly closed buds.
This ensures you'll get blooms for a longer period. Additionally, mums do best and often look better when repotted out of their plastic nursery pot and into a larger container that can hold more water. You can also help your mums thrive by providing them with full sun, keeping them consistently moist, and deadheading them . Use annual mums for temporary color in your garden or on your porch, and compost them when they're finished blooming. Pot on rooted cuttings and small plants bought from garden centres into individual 10cm pots and pot on again when their roots have filled their growing space.
Plant out after all risk of frost has passed, into moist but well-drained soil in a sheltered, sunny spot. Dig plenty of organic matter into the planting hole or apply a general purpose fertilizer. Tender chrysanthemums can be grown as house plants or in the greenhouse for cut flowers. Alternatively grow them in pots and bring them undercover in autumn to continue flowering.
