Where I live, the likelihood of 90 degree days has passed. I checked the long-range forecasts and we'll hit the low to mid-80s two days this week, and then next week and beyond our high temperatures will vary from low 60s to the upper 70s for the following 6 weeks.
Hardy mums prefer daytime high temperatures between 60 and 75, right where we'll be in my area after this coming weekend. Mums can tolerate temperatures that go above those marks for a couple of days, but heat stress beyond a day or two or three can cause wilting and impair flowering.
I bought small pots of yellow mums ($2.98 ea) while at Home Depot the other day and repotted them 3 to a large pot to use on our front patio. If the temperature is expected to go above 83 or 84 this weekend, I'll move the planted pots to the shade on the north side of the house for those days.
Most parts of the US have many more hot days to come than my area. Although it's tempting to buy mums for fall decor now, it may be better to wait until your forecasted daytime highs fall in the mid-70s, which for many parts of the US doesn't happen until at least mid-September.
If you do happen to buy your mums before the danger of extreme heat has passed, if your plants are in pots, you can move them to the shade in the afternoons on hot days and keep them well-watered.
When choosing plants, look for tight buds, in order to enjoy the most bloom time. To prolong blooms, deadhead regularly, water consistently and at the base of the plant and not overhead (to prevent fungus), and choose a sunny location for your plant that doesn't experience extreme temperature fluctuations.
When your overnight temperatures begin to regularly dip below about 45 degrees, you can bring potted mums indoors to enjoy the blooms just a little longer.
For right now, mid to late-summer, the cheery yellow will be a bright spot of sunny color on the patio. When mid-September rolls around, I'll mass out some orange and white pumpkins next to the pot of yellow flowers for an autumnal vibe for the remainder of the harvest season.
We have a big patch of hardy mums that has been dying out the last couple of years. I'm not sure why. In another bed, I have planted other mums that others are getting rid of at the end of the season. Sometimes, they come back and sometimes they don't. I think I have three different ones that are growing from those. I actually pulled one out of the trash a couple of years ago that is doing well.
ReplyDeleteSeptember and October are prime mum months here, although lately we've been having cooler August weather. However, I won't be getting mums anytime soon.