Chrysanthemum Indicum
Gardening With Chrysanthemum Indicum Flowers
If you are looking to add a bit of variety to your flower garden with chrysanthemum indicum, then you’ve come to the right article! Gardening is a terrific hobby that enhances the landscape around one’s home, but it also works as a type of stress-release therapy. What could be better than digging away your troubles in the cool, soft soil? Chrysanthemums are a member of the perennial family, which likely explains why chrysanthemums are so easy to grow.
So, you don’t have to be an expert gardener to plant and maintain chrysanthemum indicum flowers, also known as “chrysanthemums” or simply “mums”. They are native to the Asian and northeastern European regions, however they can grow almost anywhere and are commonly referred to as a hardy flower. In this article, we are going to discuss what time of year is best to plant mums, how to plant them, and how to maintain them.
First, you have to decide which type of flower you want. Mums are fall-bloomers, but ideally they should be planted in the early spring, but after any chance of frost has gone. The following are great early fall bloomers: Clara Curtis (Rubellum), Centennial Sun, Snowscape, and Minnwhite. For midseason to late bloomers, try these: Autumn Fire, Lindy, Minngopher, and Snowsota.
After deciding which chrysanthemums to plant, you need to purchase them. As they are a very popular type of plant, nearly any garden shop will have them. You can plant them as seeds or as “cuttings” from another chrysanthemum plant. Cuttings work just as nicely as seeds and can save you a few dollars if you can obtain them from a friend who already has a successfully growing chrysanthemum.
While mums will grow nearly anywhere, they really flourish in full or partial sun and well-drained soil. They have fairly short roots, so it’s important that you keep them watered without over-doing it. You don’t want to flood them! Also, if you are planting more than one type of mum, you may find the best results by spacing each plant out about two feet apart.
To plant your mums, dig a small hole in an area that gets full sun. If the plant was purchased from a garden store and already has roots, you’ll want the hole to be twice the size (height and width) of the ball of roots. As you pack the soil all around the roots, make sure that the ball of roots is level with the ground. If you are planting seeds, you needn’t dig as large a hole. Again, you want to space different chrysanthemums out about two feet apart.
To maintain your mums, you will need to practice a bit of “pinching”. This simply means that as the plant grows to about six inches tall, “pinch” off three quarters of the tips of each branch. Repeat the “pinching” after the plant has reached 12 inches in height. This is a great way to ensure that your chrysanthemums bloom to be nice and bushy. Be aware that you should not pinch any time after June.
The chrysanthemum indicum is probably the most likely to resist frost than any other perennial; however it’s always a good idea to take extra caution with your mums. When the frost weather moves in, lay some mulch down around your mums. This will give it an extra bit of protection that could save it through the frost, but be sure to remove the mulch in time for spring.
If you don’t have much experience gardening, I definitely recommend any chrysanthemum as a good beginner’s flower. Not only will the mums’ hardiness help you find your green thumb, but they are sure to brighten your garden every autumn. Happy gardening and best of luck with your flowers!