According to the USDA, the lowest minimum temperature that planted mums can generally survive is right around 20 degrees Fahrenheit because the roots themselves are insulated by the earth. Potted mums, however, won't tolerate cold temperatures very well. “Mums can tolerate a little bit of light frost.
If your mums are in pots, make plans to overwinter the pots in your garage. After the first frost (not hard freeze), cut back plants as indicated above. Cover the mums with 3” of mulch, cover the pot with an old sheet and move into a cool garage.
Still, these wilted blooms might help protect your mums once the weather temperatures decrease. According to outdoor water maintenance specialists, Gilmour suggests using mulch to cover the base of your mums when the temperatures reach 20°F—this can help get the soil at an even temperature through insulation.
Mums and Frost: How to Care for Mums When It's Cold
In general, potted perennials are two hardiness zones more tender than their stated rating for in-ground plants. This would make potted garden mums hardy only down to USDA zone 9, where the minimum average temperature is from 20 to 30 F.
If you want to keep a mum as a houseplant, deadhead it and bring it in before freezing temperatures arrive. Monitoring soil moisture levels is critical in keeping mums alive over winter.
Mums grow best in full sun.
They're at their best when they get six to eight hours of direct light. Give them too little sunlight, and you'll get a weak plant that produces few flowers. So choose your mum-planting place wisely.
Mums planted in the ground won't dry out as quickly and may only need watering once a week. Plants in containers may need watering every other day or daily. In either case, work your finger into the soil under the mum. If the soil feels dry below the surface, it's time to water.
Three Ways to Overwinter Mums in Pots
Keep in mind that the ultimate goal in overwintering your mums in containers is to keep each plants' roots and stems from feeling harsh freezing temperatures. Nice and cozy, is the plan. Also, winter care includes deadheading them back BEFORE storing them for winter.
Mums, especially early season varieties, are sensitive to high temperatures during flower initiation. This phenomenon is known as “heat delay.” When short days are provided to initiate flowers, heat delay occurs when temperatures exceed approximately 85 degrees Fahrenheit.
Mums love temperatures in the 60s and 70s. If temperatures rise into the 90s and beyond, place them in a spot where they get some shade during the heat of the day. On the other end of the spectrum, bring plants inside your home or garage if you see freezing temperatures in the forecast.
When temperatures fall below 32 degrees Fahrenheit, it is considered freezing. Typically, short periods of freezing temperatures do not result in damage to pipes or facilities. However, when temperatures fall below 30 degrees Fahrenheit for more than eight hours, it is classified as a hard freeze.
Yes, watering can protect plants from frost damage. As strange as it may seem, as the water freezes, it gives off energy or heat that can warm the plant up enough to prevent cold injury. Amy Grant has been gardening for 30 years and writing for 15.
In the heat, all the flowers will fade in only a few weeks, so you'll have to replace them faster to keep up a colorful show through the season. If you wait until things cool off before setting out your mums, you'll be treated to blooms for up to 8 weeks once the plants are in place.
Violas are surprisingly hardy plants, and they can tolerate temperatures as low as 0°F with little to no damage.
For potted plants this means cutting off the brown foliage and stems about 3–4 inches long above the soil, wrapping the pot, and bringing it inside to an unheated garage or shed. This area should stay between 32 and 50 degrees Fahrenheit so that the plant can stay dormant.
2 If you left your mums in their pots, bring the pots inside into an unheated, dim building (like a shed or garage). Leave the foliage and don't forget to water! Bring them back outside when the weather warms up in spring, cut back the foliage and place in a sunny location.
Q: Can frost occur at temperatures above 32°F? A1: No, frost is defined as a layer of ice that forms on surfaces that are at or below 32°F.
Water Potted Mums Well. Mums in pots need a consistent supply of water, so whenever the soil feels dry on the surface, add water until it drains out the bottom. Never let your mums wilt, which can damage the flowers. If you notice that the bottom leaves look limp or start to turn brown, water more often.
But, if you want the show to last its longest, select that still have lots of closed buds. The more flowers there are yet to bloom, the longer the color show will last on your deck, patio, porch, or in your yard. Choosing a plant that has more buds than blooms may extend bloom time by a couple of weeks or more.
Don't let your mums get too dry or wilt between waterings. Water your potted mums at least every other day. They like to get about 1 inch of water per week. Water at the soil level (the base of the plant) and not on top of the foliage.
Since mums are shallow-rooted, they are also prone to drying out. Drought-stressed plants are less likely to survive the winter than well-watered plants. Therefore, they may need to be watered if conditions become dry. Mulching your plants will also help retain soil moisture.