When To Cut Back Mums For Winter

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When to cut back mums for winter. In the spring once new growth is seen cut back dead foliage to 3 to 4 inches above ground. After the foliage of the plant has died back you will need to cut it back. Mulch the base of the plant with a thick two to three inch covering of straw or leaves. Cut mums back to within a few inches of the soil line before bringing indoors.

Before bringing indoors cut the mum back a few inches above the potted soil line. Red barn farm s mary j shows you how to winter over your potted mums. Add a layer of mulch on top of dead foliage for the winter and then remove it in early spring. To get overwintered mums to bloom evenly and delay the start of blooms to the fall season plants need to be cut back or pinched.

Depending on the size of the plants this work might be done by. Gardeners can increase the odds of their mums surviving the winter by applying a mulch in fall. In the fall of the second year and beyond leave the mums foliage in tact through the winter. From spring until the beginning of july mums can be cut back 2 to 3 inches once they reach 6 to 8 inches tall.

It s best to leave the dead remains of the mums through the winter as it protects the crowns. The best time to cut mums back. In the spring cut back the foliage and repeat with summer cut back care. Some perennials like mums always winter best with tops left in place.

When leaving perennial tops intact during winter cut them back in spring before new growth emerges from ground level. Leaving a little bit of the stems will ensure that next year you have a full plant as the new stems will grow from these trimmed stems. Apply the mulch in late fall typically late november in central iowa. Do not cut back the plants prior to mulching.

Mulching helps eliminate the alternate freezing thawing cycles that can heave plants out of the soil. You can also loosely mulch with straw over the top of the whole thing. Whether you re growing a small and stiff pompom type a quill variety with long and straight petals or any other type of chrysanthemum dendranthema x morifolium.