Fall is here and it's officially the beginning of mum season here on the southeast coast. However, I have noticed a decline in the demand for mums these past few years. It seems to me that lately that only a few people are interested in fall planting. Usually, the people interested in mums in the fall are those whose homes are featured on the fall garden tours. Perhaps this is because the newer varieties of spring and summer plants have a longer bloom time (or are more likely to survive out summer heat!) Or it's possible that mums are perceived to be a short season plant. In actuality, mums are a perennial shrub in our neck of the woods. Not only will they bloom this fall but they will also bloom next spring and fall.
Mums are a very easy plant to grow and come in a wide variety of sizes and colors. Therefore mums can make great fall plants. They aren't very picky about the ph levels in their soil. They have minimum food requirements and when properly pruned will provide you with almost continual blooms from April through October.
