MUMs!

[Phaedra]

I don't mean it, but the fact is, I am kind of enchanted by this MUMs I bought last year and harvested close to twenty plants this year.

They are about to blossom, sooner or later.

The one in the greenhouse is the quickest one.

So, I decided to go to local discounters and gardening centers for some treasure hunts. First, I got this warm orange one from Lidl, and it cost less than two Euros.

Also two other different varieties - as they were sold as cut flowers, I am not sure if they can successfully root. Anyway, nothing to lose.

Let's do it! After the last practices, I know these are not too different from what I have propagated. I removed the leaves at the lower and center parts.

It's clear that there are three cuttings - just separate the root ball and don't worry too much about hurting them. Whatever I am going to do will be nicer for them than staying in this small pot.

It's an interesting thing to see how commercial nurseries handle such cuttings - they removed the central stem. I guess it's for a little bit better ventilation and a better final presentation.

For me, they are "teenager" plants, and I don't plan to use their cuttings now. They will enjoy their new apartments and re-stabilize their growth. I will use their cuttings next spring.

 

[Phaedra]

For these two varieties used as cut-flower products, I guess they are not hardy ones. I cut and discarded the lowest stems (about 10cm), kept the upper flowers for their original purpose, and then used the 6-7cm in between for trying the propagation.

It contributes to a lovely scene at the dining table.

Also, for my working table.

The cuttings are now in the module trays, together with some lavender (this year's growth), and I hope some of them can root successfully.

Then, DH and I went to the local garden center in the morning. Most MUMs are already on 50%-off sales, so now is the best time to buy (for propagation). They are frost-hardy varieties.

My booties today! Most of them are discounted items.

Besides these two cuties - they are more like love at first sight.

With these new varieties, I will have some lovely things to expect in the coming darker winter.

 

[flowerbug]

in my experience Mums are pretty easy to root from cuttings. surviving being planted out in mostly clay, not so much... but it was fun to do.

very nice plants, kudoes!

 

[ducks4you]

I have been growing mums in my front flower beds for years, now. None of them are "hardy", but, it planted in the Spring they will usually survive our winters and they live for about 3 years.
I have had portions break off and I have replanted them successfully, too.
Now that I have new rooting hormone I will be trying some of Your techniquest in the future!

 

[Phaedra]

They are just adorable. Although they were propagated from the same plant, in the end, the colors are still a bit different.

Single color display - not bad for the first year trial! After the flowering time, I will cut the back and store them under the hoop tunnel. Next spring, they will be transplanted when the soil is warm enough.

The other variety with a bit more orange tone is also cute. So, next year, I will try to combine pinkish-cherry-peach-salmon MUMs into individual pots. The display effect must be even more attractive.

Another variety I got last weekend for making multiple-color MUMs in 2023. The shape of petal reminds me about Japanese cherry blossom.

In short, MUMs are cost-effective, robust, easy-to-propagate, and colorful choices. I am happy that I did the experiment. It's a galaxy in the gardening universe and a lot of fun.

 

[Phaedra]

These MUMs belong to the florist's Daisy (Chrysanthemum × morifolium) I propagated this spring. However, as I didn't pay attention to "disbud" in the early stage, the flowers are much smaller than what I bought from the discount last autumn.

However, they are still pretty and elegant.

This year, I learned a lot about chrysanthemums from the hands-on practices. Before I read anything further today, I already learned how to properly potting-on, observed so-called "basal shoots", and am more confident now to do better next spring.

After doing some research and study from the internet, the florist's daisies on the market always need certain treatments/procedures like dwarfing, disbud, control on the feeds/light hours...and etc. Although those procedures aren't practical for home gardeners like me, it's still interesting to know.

Anyway, in short, my 2023 MUM-targets are (1) 10-Liter pot display with multi-color selection (2) much larger flowers from those Florist's Daisy varieties.

 

[digitS']

I have some potted mums in the front yard now; they are from the nursery. The plan is to cut them back and see if they can overwinter in the greenhouse. Yes I know, some varieties can overwinter in the outdoors but not every one from the nursery.

Disbudding isn't too much bother, if you want to do it.

Think of it this way: If you don't disbud the lateral buds, you will want to deadhead them off after they bloom and begin to die. Do job early or do it later. So, it is 6 to one, a half-dozen to the other.

(That's some English nonsense for you, Phaedra )

 

[ducks4you]

It's all about how good the root structure is. Most people buy small mums from a box store in the Fall. The roots freeze and the mums die.
Buy them in the spring and plant immediately and they will live about 3 years.
I am interested to see if they greenhouse well.

 

[baymule]

I am enjoying your mums so much. The potted mums are popular here in the fall. The colors you have are so pretty.

 

[Pulsegleaner]

We actually had a pretty poor haul with finding mums this year, same as the corn. We saw plenty, but most were quite boring. We only managed to actually buy ONE new plant (a sort of daisy like mum, with yellow petals and a sort of bronzy disc in the center).

There WERE two others that might have made the cut, but both ultimately didn't. There was a REALLY nice red-centered yellow I saw at one place, but, as it was in a hanging basket, it was about $20, which Dad said was too expensive for a mum. And when I convinced him otherwise and we went back, it was already sold.

The other one (which I saw on the trip we made to buy the yellow and red one) was an INCREDIBLY deep shade of purple. Unfortunately, it was also the scraggliest looking mum I have ever seen, both in terms of the plant (it looked more like a thicket of sticks than a healthy plant) and in the flowers (which, besides being button sized, were almost completely made up of closed disc flowers, with only a few odd rays here and there along the edges. It looked more like a New England aster of some sort than a chrysanthemum.) So we passed on it.