Chrysanthemums (or “mums” as we like to call them!) are a total garden classic. While most people think of them as the stars of the fall season, they actually come in so many varieties that you can enjoy them almost all year round. Whether you’re showing them off as bold cut flowers in a vase, planting them as perennials in your garden beds, or keeping them in pots on your patio, they always add a great pop of color. However, if you want your outdoor mums to stay looking their best, you’ve got to stay on top of your pruning game.
Why should you prune your mums?
There are plenty of reasons to give your mums a little trim. Besides cutting those long-stemmed beauties to bring indoors, regular maintenance pruning is key for a few reasons:
- It encourages a nice, bushy shape rather than a leggy look.
- Deadheading (removing spent blooms) keeps the plant flowering longer.
- It helps the plant stay sturdy so it doesn’t flop over.
- Removing thin, weak new growth allows the plant to focus its energy on a few strong, healthy stems.
- Cutting back diseased or pest-infested stems right to the base prevents further spread.
- You can take cuttings to grow even more plants for free!
How and when to prune
First things first: always use a clean, sharp pair of garden shears. You can cut back strong stems to about four or five leaves, and go ahead and remove those thin, spindly shoots entirely. This keeps the plant compact and encourages more buds to form. For faded flowers, you can simply “pinch” them off with your fingers.
Maintenance pruning should happen a few times throughout the season—ideally in May, June, and July. When it comes to the final cut of the year, you have two choices: late fall or late winter. Both have their perks! If you cut the plant down to the ground in late fall, just make sure to give it a thick layer of mulch for winter protection. If you leave the stems standing until late winter, they actually act as a natural barrier against the cold, especially when combined with some evergreen branches or brush.
Taking chrysanthemum cuttings
During your summer pruning—before any buds have started to form—you can take tip cuttings to propagate new plants. Here’s how to do it:
- Snip off stem tips that are about 4 to 6 inches long.
- Make sure you do this before the plant starts budding.
- Dip the ends in rooting hormone or simply place them in a glass of water to develop roots.
- Once you see roots forming, transplant the cuttings into some good seed-starting soil.
- Keep the pots in a bright, warm spot.
- Avoid direct, harsh sunlight; they’re happiest right around 68°F (20°C).
