A WVU Extension specialist is offering tips on how to care for mums to prolong their blooms through the fall season. (WVU Photo)
A West Virginia University plant expert says mums, the traditional flowers of fall, can easily dry out and fade long before the end of the season without proper care and attention.
Mira Danilovich, a WVU Extension consumer horticulture specialist, is offering advice on ways to make the most of mums and prolong their blooms.
Quotes:
“Mums are cool-season flowers, so hot temperatures will cause them to fade. Because of this, it is best to purchase mums when daily temperatures are consistently around 60 degrees Fahrenheit.
“If properly cared for, mums should last around six to eight weeks, but their lifespan may be significantly shorter if they are overwatered or underwatered. When watering, it is important not to get the leaves and buds wet, as this increases the risk of disease and injury. Plants are best watered at soil level, right at their base.
“Mums love full sun. Insufficient nutrient supply is a frequent problem in mums, so to extend the blooms, add a fertilizer with a higher potassium content every two to three weeks.
“Mums require deadheading, which is the removal of the spent flowers. After they are finished blooming, spent flowers must be cut off to ensure the plant’s energy will not be spent on forming seeds but on forming new flower buds and extending the bloom season.
“If you would like to plant them, look for hardy mums, and put them in the ground around late October.” — Mira Danilovich, consumer horticulture specialist, WVU Extension
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sk/10/21/25
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