cheezgrits
Thought pirate
Our mums have gone crazy and are blooming like crazy and are beautiful, but when should we cut them back so they will bloom in fall?
Cutting back mums
- Thread starter cheezgrits
- Start date
I remember being told Mother's Day, Father's Day and the Fourth of July to promote vigorous fall growth and blooming.
OldHillcrestGuy
Well-Known Member
Think its too late now, proably around the first of May would have been good time, this year I didnt get to mine and they are about to bloom.
Baja28
Obama destroyed America
Garden mums-late or otherwise come back year after year. The key to keeping them looking good is cutting them back. If you're too softhearted to prune, your mums will bloom twice; in spring and autumn. However, they'll have long, floppy stems with pitiful little flowers. In late winter, cut dead stems to the ground. New leaves will sprout from underground roots. In midspring, when mums fill out with leaves and flowerbuds, shear plants down to 8 inches tall. Around the Fourth of July, prune and shape them by pinching off soft green stem tips. Test to make sure you're tipping only soft tissue by pinching the stems with your fingernails, and take off only that pliable part of the stem. Then, let the mums grow. They'll develop flowerbuds for brilliant bloom when you want it-in late autumn.
Read more: When do you prune mums
bulldog
New Member
See, now I'm screwed. Trying to do the right thing...after reading the FD, MD and 7/4 response I went and cut ours back this weekend. Seems I should have just pinched them off and been done with it. 
Someone is NOT going to be happy when she gets home from "down the ocean hon". And she is bringing Mom with her. Two hours and counting down.
Someone is NOT going to be happy when she gets home from "down the ocean hon". And she is bringing Mom with her. Two hours and counting down.
