You can find those gorgeous chrysanthemum bushes in just about every color and shape at your local garden center. But if you’ve got a bit of a green thumb and some patience, why not try growing them yourself from scratch? It’s super rewarding! You can either buy seeds at the store or, if you’re feeling adventurous, harvest them right from your own plants.
All About Chrysanthemum Seeds
Usually, we’re all told to deadhead our mums to keep the blooms coming. But if you want to collect seeds, you’ve got to leave those spent flower stalks alone. Eventually, some of them will develop little pods filled with oval-shaped seeds.
The Cold Treatment (Stratification)
Here’s the secret to getting those seeds to actually grow: they need a little “winter” wake-up call.
Chrysanthemums are what we call cold-germinating plants. In nature, the seeds drop in the fall and sit through the freezing winter before they’re ready to sprout in the spring. To mimic this at home, you’ll need to “stratify” them. Just mix your seeds with a little bit of sand, seal them up tight, and pop them in the fridge for a few weeks. When spring rolls around, sift the seeds out of the sand and let them soak in warm water for about 12 hours. Once they’re nice and plump, they’re ready for the soil!
Sowing Your Seeds
Once the threat of night frost has passed, you can sow your seeds directly into the garden. Cover them with about ¾ inch (2 cm) of soil and make sure to keep the area consistently moist.
If you want a head start, you can also start them indoors as early as February. Here’s how I do it:
- Fill small starter pots with a low-nutrient seed starting mix.
- Plant your stratified seeds about ¾ inch deep and keep the soil damp.
- Cover the pots with some poked-hole plastic wrap to create a mini greenhouse effect (just remember to vent it daily!).
- Place them in a bright spot that stays cool—avoid harsh, direct sunlight.
Once your little seedlings are big enough to handle, you can move them into their own individual pots.
Caring for Young Plants
Your young chrysanthemums will eventually need a move into some rich, humus-heavy soil. For their first year, it’s best to keep them in pots so you can slowly get them used to being outside. They’ll also need a “hardening off” period, so let them spend their first winter in a frost-free garden shed or an unheated hallway. By the second year, they’ll be tough enough to live in your flower beds or in big containers on the patio.
The Perfect Spot
Mums are happiest in a bright, sheltered spot where they’re protected from the wind and intense midday sun. They love nutrient-rich soil that has a bit of clay and lime mixed in. Happy planting!
