How to keep mums blooming during fall, according to gardening pros

Mums are some of the most popular fall flowers, as they're vibrant, colorful, and can withstand cooler temperatures.

If you want to make sure that your mums carry on blooming throughout the season, I've got you covered with a range of different tips and tricks from gardening pros. Clever placement, thorough watering, and mulching are just a few of their favorite ideas.

For those following a month-by-month gardening calendar and wanting to maintain these blooms during fall, expert advice will come in useful.

1. Plant in the right location

Before you do anything else, make sure to locate the best area in your backyard for your marvelous mums.

“Keep mums blooming brightly in fall starts with planting them in a spot with plenty of sunlight and well-drained, fertile soil,” explains Scott McLeod, landscaping expert and owner of McLeod Landscaping Inc.

“You should make sure that they’re in a spot where they get at least six hours of direct light every day,” adds Matthew Wilson, gardening pro and CEO of Handy Gardeners.

You can also add compost to the soil to improve drainage before planting. Learning how to make your compost at home is a great way to ensure you have a never-ending supply of the good stuff.

2. Water properly

Once you’ve got your mums in place, make sure to keep giving them a good drink of water.

“I water the mums thoroughly after planting and during dry spells,” says Scott. “You can also use drip irrigation to provide consistent moisture, which mums need to produce abundant flowers,” Scott says.

He also recommends adding a balanced fertilizer at half the recommended strength every few weeks to give them an extra boost.

3. Add mulching

One of the best ways to protect your mums and ensure they carry on thriving is by adding mulching around them.

“Mulching around the base of the mums with pine needles or shredded bark helps the soil retain moisture and prevents weeds,” explains Scott.

“The mulch should be two to three inches deep, pulled back a few inches from the stems,” he adds.

Matthew agrees, recommending Scotts Nature Scapes Color Enhanced Mulch, available from Amazon. “This helps retain moisture in the soil, as well as insulation roots against low temperatures during the winter period.”

4. Make sure to prune

If you’re reading this at the end of summer, this tip might be a little late for you. But, if you are looking for blooming tips before this (congrats on being organized!), it’s worth pruning in summer.

Scott explains, “In July, I pinch back the mums by about one-third. This helps them grow bushy and compact, which leads to more flowers.”

For those reading this in late summer or fall, don’t stress — once the flowers start opening, you can keep pinching off dead blooms to promote continued blooming.

5. Provide cold weather protection

For those living in colder areas or if you find the weather randomly changes (it often does), make sure to have frost protection in place.

“In colder areas, I provide protection like straw, pine branches, or breathable fabric to help the mums for the following spring,” Scott says.

Properly caring for mums in this way will keep them blooming brightly into fall.

By putting these plans into place, you can ensure that your mums bloom for the whole season.

“I also recommend watching out for common pests like aphids and spider mites, and use gentle insecticidal soap to get rid of them,” Matthew finishes by saying.

Want to carry on caring for your yard this season? It’s worth scoping out the top fall gardening tips for every region in the US.