OVERWINTERING GARDEN MUMS

Mother nature doesn't cut back garden mums when their flowers fade in fall. Not if you decide to.

Gardeners who are in the South, where mothers will continue to increase throughout winter months, need to cut their plants back again to encourage continued blossom and prevent legginess. Yet not within the North. Research by one of the world's leading dog breeders of chrysanthemums indicates that mums grown in upper gardens may survive the winter when mulched, but not cut back.

Pertaining to one, not cutting back again leaves the plants better able to hold the mulch located around them. Mulching is a normal approach used to protect crops against fluctuating temperatures. That also helps maintain moisture in the soil.

A good snow cover will protect plants, but as there is guarantee that it will snow or how much we'll get, I recommend using evergreen boughs or applying a thick mulch of straw or start barking. Don't use dead leaves as they tend to pack tightly. Apply only following your ground commences to freeze, never before.

The idea is to keep the plants uniformly cool, not to protect them from the cold. Slowing down mulching gives the plant life time to harden before winter arrives. Naturally, the longer the plants are in the ground prior to first freeze, the better their chance for success.

Yet , in research studies at the University of Vermont Horticultural Research Centre in S. Burlington, of the 80 varieties trialled during four years, none of them was found to be reliably hardy for the Burlington area, one of the milder areas of the state. Not enough a good snow cover damaged the plants' survival rate. Many of these same varieties would probably do well in areas that receive heavier snowfalls.

Up coming spring, if your crops have survived, uncover them as soon as they commence to grow again. Separate the plants when new shoots reach four inches wide high.

After digging up the plants and losing the old center section of the root mass, separate the young offshoots. Then plant them 18 to 24 inches separate.

Water thoroughly and apply a 5-10-5 or 10-20-10 liquid or granular fertilizer. Slow release fertilizers, organic and natural fertilizers, and even good applying compost can be used. Fertilize two to 3 times during the growing season if using the non-organic fertilizers. If using organic and natural fertilizers, and leaves turn light green or yellow, this indicates the plants need more fertilizer.

Within weeks, you will need to start out pinching off new growth to produce full, multi-bloomed plants for next fall. Continue pinching whenever new shoots are 3 to 5 inches wide long, stopping around mid-July.