How to Get the Most Out of Your Mums

In Ontario, we know extreme temperature, particularly that sticky summer heat that feels like wading into hot Jello, and it really takes a toll on our plants – who are definitely ready to rest after a summer like this one. Thankfully, mums don’t mind picking up the slack as sweater weather approaches and they’re ready to dive into autumn with a stunning performance.

Picking Perfection

Mums have been a top plant pick across the globe for thousands of years, so that means there’s no shortage of selection when it comes to picking one to star in your autumn garden spectacular (and with so many millennia on trend, you’ve got no shortage of #inspo for the perfect look). We hate that my-closet-is-full-but-I-have-nothing-to-wear feeling, so here at Heeman’s, we have over 36 different varieties with dozens of different colours and blooming times to make picking what you want for when you want it easy!

Tons of tight buds > bountiful blooms. While they look gorgeous with all those amazing colours begging you to take them home, a mum is only meant to bloom for 3 weeks, you’ll be sad to see those flowers you fell in love with disappearing after only a short stay.

Check the pot. We’ve made sure to mark all our mums, so you can see just how #instaworthy your buds will be when they bloom.

Tighter buds = later blooms. Mums with buds that look like they’re ready to pop like a hot popcorn kernel are going to bloom and be gone much quicker than one that’s nice and tight. If you’re not sure how tight it looks, we also put our blooming time on the side of the pot, so you can take the guesswork out of it!

Getting a Hardy Mum

Our mums are stunning and we want them to last longer than a season, but if I’m being honest, mums these days are only bred to give you the best performance while you’ve got them, even if that means sacrificing hardiness. BUT, there are a few things you can do to give them a shot:

Shimmy and shake. Check the flower to see if it’s strong with a little shake (airing more towards a gentle shuffle than Hurricane Godzilla). If it flops and faints, find another dancing partner.

Get it in the ground. Mums need plenty of time to settle into the ground before the frost hits if you want them to make it over winter – and by plenty of time, I mean NOW. Take it home, get it out of the pot and into the ground ASAP (before mid-September) to even give it the slightest chance of weathering the winter.

Caring for Your Mum

You’re already busy enough when fall hits, and your garden shouldn’t be adding to the list of tasks that take away your precious free time. Mums make a fabulous fall garden easy, so you can get back to soccer games and pumpkin pies!

• Quench that thirst. Mums don’t like to be left thirsty and frequent watering is the best way to keep your plant packing a punch. Water when the top inch of soil feels dry (just poke your finger in, the soil won’t bite) all the way into the frosty season for the best blooms.
• Forget the fertilizer. We’ve already done the legwork for your mum in-store, so when you take it home, you don’t need to worry about another mouth to feed.
• Grow it out. Your mum should keep all its foliage into and throughout the winter to keep it blooming until the very last minute possible – so you and your clippers can take a rest with this one.
• Layer up. Deep roots are a must, but mulch is the secret ingredient to keep their roots from shivering in the cold like that one friend who always forgets their jacket.

It’s pretty simple to keep your mums looking amazing with their pretty colours and perfect autumn aesthetic, but we won’t tell anyone else how easy it is for you to achieve this insta-ready look – mum’s the word.