How To Propagate Mums For A Breathtaking Fall Garden On A Budget

Beautiful chrysanthemums (genus Chrysanthemum) mark the changing of the season, as pops of orange, purple, white, red, pink, and yellow begin to cover people's porches beginning in early fall. But adding these pretty perennial flowers to your autumnal decor can cost a lot. And it's especially true if you're on a budget and looking for affordable ways to transition your outdoor area from summer to fall. Thankfully, mums are one of the easiest plants to propagate from cuttings. Or, if you have large mums growing in your garden already, you can take advantage of the best time of the year to divide your garden mums.

If you've decided to propagate your mums via cuttings to create a big garden for fall, you'll need a few supplies. Grab shears, containers to keep your cuttings in while they grow roots, and rooting hormone. Try the Garden Safe TakeRoot Rooting Hormone from Amazon for $16.35, which encourages root growth and offers a great value. It's also good to prepare small pots and potting soil for when your cuttings develop roots.

You can start to propagate your mums as soon as there is new growth. Usually aim for spring and early summer so you establish your new plants before winter. But some gardeners take cuttings from their mums any time of the year with decent results. Depending on your climate, you might have a longer warm season moving into autumn. The more time your new mums have to develop robust root systems before it gets too cold, the more likely they will survive if you want to plant them in the ground.

You want to cut about 4 to 6 inches off of the top of a healthy stem. Take off any lower leaves that will be submerged in water, but keep the leaves above the node. Lightly coat the end of the stem in rooting hormone, then place it in a small container filled with water. You can also try propagating your plants in sand or a different rooting medium. About four to five weeks later, you can expect the cuttings to have developed roots. Take those rooted cuttings, plant them in potting soil, and continue to tend to them.

You'll have the most success if you take cuttings from your mums by spring or early summer. But you don't need to worry if you missed the opportunity. There are gardeners who successfully overwinter their propagated mum cuttings. If you plan to propagate mums and keep them alive through the winter, make sure they remain warm. It's vital that they not freeze. Consider how chilly it gets where you live. At night, if temperatures are mild where you live, you can keep them insulated outdoors or in a greenhouse.

If necessary, you might need to take your cuttings inside for the best protection against the cold. You can also overwinter entire plants and take cuttings when the mums begin putting out new growth come the spring. All you have left to do is tend to your baby plants and plan your next beautiful fall porch setup, complete with dozens of pretty mums.