Other Names:  Garden Mum, Korean Mum, Dendranthemum

Brand:  Ball

Description:

Rich and unique orange-coral blooms are featured on this mounded variety with strong, flexible stems; uniform growth habit; branches freely; excellent performance in containers, borders and beds; low maintenance and easy to grow; prefers full sun

Features & Attributes

Mumosa Orange Chrysanthemum is covered in stunning double orange daisy flowers with coral-pink overtones at the ends of the stems from late summer to late fall. The flowers are excellent for cutting. Its fragrant ferny leaves remain dark green in color throughout the season. This variety is a type of fall mum, which means that it was bred and grown to give a big impact over the fall season very much as it was purchased at the store. Fall mums are generally rounded and densely bushy plants, with the entire mound more or less covered in flowers. Some of the flower buds may still have to open, but they will do this over the course of the fall season with only basic care and attention on your part.

Planting & Growing

Fall mums are usually grown outdoors as decorative seasonal accent plants to bring vibrant color to the fall landscape. Although they are technically perennials, they are best treated as seasonal annuals. They have been bred for their brilliant fall performance rather than winter survivability, and as such, many are poorly equipped to survive cold winters outdoors. Even if they do, their performance the next year is usually compromised. Furthermore, their stunning fall display is achieved in a carefully controlled greenhouse environment using techniques such as pinching and light regulation. This delivers the bushy rounded plants that are so loved in the autumn scene, but it also makes it very challenging to achieve the same results when grown in an outdoor garden setting. As such, these plants are generally sold as finished plants for the fall season, and then disposed of with the onset of winter rather than being planted out in the garden, even in regions where they are winter-hardy. The flowers will generally bloom throughout fall until a hard freeze; they are surprisingly able to withstand a frost that would take out most other bedding plants.

During its captivating fall performance, you can treat your fall mum like any other annual or perennial that you grow in an outdoor container. It will look its best placed in a location that gets at least 6 hours of direct sunlight each day, and shelter from wind will prolong the flowering period. As with any plant grown in an outdoor container, pay special attention to soil moisture. Keep it evenly moist and don't allow it to dry out. Be prepared to water your plant at least every couple of days to keep the flowers looking their best. Fall mums can also be grown indoors over the fall period; be sure to give them a location with lots of bright light. Water them every second day, and keep the humidity high; if your house is dry, prepare to mist the flowers and foliage every other day. These plants usually come with sufficient soil and/or growing medium in the pots they are sold in, so they shouldn't need to be repotted. Fall mums as sold by the garden center usually don't require supplemental fertilizer. However, you can apply a root booster with the first watering to help ensure optimal performance. Otherwise, these are generally low-maintenance plants that will pack a punch in your autumn mix!