Annual Mums
There are two types of mums:
garden mums
, which are treated as annuals and hardy perennial mums. Garden mums are the big, colorful annuals sold in pots each fall across the United States.
Do asters come back every year?
Asters that are planted in your garden in the spring will bloom in the fall. For late-season planting, you can purchase them already in bloom for fall color.
They’ll more than likely return next year
, as long as you get them in the ground about six to eight weeks before the ground freezes in your area.
Are Aster mums perennials?
Asters typically are
perennials
and survive to United States Department of Agriculture zone 4 while Chrysanthemums are hardy to zone 5. Mums come in a shocking array of colors from tones of orange, to red, white, pink, salmon, purple and yellow.
Can asters survive winter?
Asters have good winter hardiness, reliably
surviving winters in Zones 4 to 8
. As with most perennials, winter survival hinges on having aster plants in the right type of soil. Tuck asters into soil that’s fertile and well-drained. Soil that stays wet and drains poorly in winter can kill aster plants.
Does the flower mums come back every year?
Because people often think that mums (formally called Chrysanthemums) are at best a finicky perennial, many gardeners treat them as annuals, but this doesn’t have to be the case. With just a little winter care for mums, these
fall beauties can come back year after year.
Do asters spread?
White wood aster (Eurybia divaricate, formerly Aster divaricatus) is a rambunctious plant that
spreads by underground rhizomes
. … You can spot wild aster by its small, daisy-like flowers that pop up in unwanted areas, especially lawns.
Do asters grow well in pots?
Aster Container Growing
Use a
container with plenty of space for the roots to grow
. However, avoid overly large containers, as a large amount of potting mix holds excess water that may result in root rot. It’s always better to repot when the plant outgrows its container.
When should I plant my fall mums?
The
early to mid-spring
is the best time to plant mums. Mums may die off and only last for a single year if added later in the year such as during the fall or the onset of winter. With proper care, they will become a perennial fixture in your flower garden.
When should I buy fall mums?
Mid-September
is the earliest time you should consider buying mums. However, each year the longer and hotter summers are pushing that date later and later into September, even into the month of October. As a rule, we at Southern Living recommend “buying plants as they start to break bud.
Should you cut down mums?
It’s
always best to cut mums back every spring shortly after they first begin to grow
. Timing is everything. If you don’t cut mums back in early spring, then they are more likely to produce a premature and disappointing period of poor bloom in summer and a lackluster season of poor bloom in fall.
Do asters like sun or shade?
Light: Asters grow and flower
best in full sun
. Some varieties will tolerate part shade but will have fewer flowers. Soil: Asters grow best on well-drained, loamy soil.
How do you winterize asters?
Water the ground around the asters well before it freezes. Make sure the ground is moist but not soaked.
Cut the asters down to the ground after
the ground freezes. Cover the asters with 2 to 3 inches of mulch to protect the roots during the winter.
Chrysanthemums, or mums, include
over 200 species of the aster family
. So all mums are asters, but not all asters are mums. The garden mums that are so popular today were derived from species and hybrids originating and first developed in the Far East.
Can you plant fall mums in the ground?
Technically, however, they can be planted in your garden
any time before the first frost of fall
. This means you can try removing the mums from your pot and planting them in the ground in the fall. … Plant them at the same depth as they were in the pot and water them thoroughly after planting.
Can mums survive the winter in pots?
With potted mums, the first key is to
never let them endure a freeze
in their pot or container. Mums can survive light frosts and cold fairly easy, but a hard freeze can kill roots in pots permanently. Once potted mums have endured a hard freeze, their chances for surviving winter are slim.
Where Should mums be planted?
Mums should be planted in
partial to full sun
. If you’re trying to decide between the two light exposures, always choose full sun for mums. This helps the plant maintain its energy during the blooming cycle as well as produce new buds, which is important if you want to see color up until the first hard frost.
