Fall in Indiana brings crisp air, football weekends, and porches decked out with colorful mums. They’re a seasonal favorite, adding warmth and charm as summer fades.
But choosing the right ones isn’t just about grabbing the brightest pot at the store. A few common missteps can leave you with droopy blooms and plants that barely make it to Halloween.
I’ve found that a little know-how goes a long way—look for tight buds, healthy leaves, and sturdy stems. With the right pick, your mums can stay vibrant all season long.
1. Choosing Mums Already In Full Bloom
Grabbing the showiest plant might feel like a win, but those fully opened flowers won’t last long once you get them home. Mums with tight buds and just a few open blooms will give you weeks more color on your porch.
Indiana’s unpredictable autumn weather can shorten the lifespan of plants already at peak bloom. Look for plants where about a quarter of the buds are showing color but haven’t fully opened yet.
This way, you’ll enjoy a longer display as temperatures drop and the season progresses through October and November.
2. Ignoring The Root System
Most people never check what’s happening below the soil line, but healthy roots are everything. Gently tip the pot and look at the bottom drainage holes—roots should be white or light tan, not brown or mushy.
Root-bound mums with tangled, circling roots struggle to absorb water properly, especially during Indiana’s dry September stretches. If roots are poking out excessively or the plant lifts out too easily, it’s been sitting too long.
A strong root system means your mum can handle transplanting or surviving in its container through the entire fall season.
3. Forgetting To Check For Pests
A quick glance at pretty flowers isn’t enough—you need to inspect the leaves and stems carefully. Aphids, spider mites, and whiteflies love hiding on mums, and bringing them home means trouble for other plants nearby.
Turn over a few leaves and look for tiny bugs, sticky residue, or webbing between stems. Indiana garden centers can have pest issues late in the season when plants have been sitting outside for weeks.
Spotted or yellowing leaves often signal an infestation. Choosing a pest-free plant saves you from dealing with sprays and treatments later on.
4. Picking Plants Based Only On Color
Sure, that bright yellow or deep purple catches your eye immediately, but color shouldn’t be your only deciding factor. Plant health and structure matter just as much as the shade of the petals.
Look for mums with dense, evenly shaped foliage and sturdy stems that aren’t floppy or sparse. In Indiana, wind and rain can batter weak plants quickly.
A well-formed mum with thick growth will hold up better through weather changes. Check that the leaves are green all the way down to the soil, not brown or missing at the base, which indicates stress or poor care.
5. Not Considering Container Size
Bigger isn’t always better, but a mum crammed into a tiny pot will dry out fast and look scraggly within days. The container size should match the plant’s root mass and top growth proportionally.
Small pots require constant watering, which becomes a hassle during busy fall schedules in Indiana. If you’re placing mums on a porch or in a planter, make sure the pot has enough soil volume to retain moisture between waterings.
A good rule: the pot diameter should be at least half the width of the plant’s leafy top for stability and health.
6. Skipping The Hardiness Check
Not all mums sold in stores are meant to survive winter, even though some are labeled as perennials. Many are bred purely for fall color and won’t come back next spring no matter how well you care for them.
If you want mums that return year after year in Indiana’s climate, ask specifically for hardy garden varieties, not florist types. Hardy mums have been grown outdoors and acclimated to temperature swings.
They’re usually a bit less showy but far tougher. Planting them early in fall gives roots time to establish before the ground freezes in November or December.
7. Buying Too Late In The Season
Waiting until mid-October might score you a discount, but those clearance mums are often stressed, root-bound, or past their prime. Earlier purchases mean healthier plants and more weeks of enjoyment.
Indiana’s first frost can arrive anytime from late September through early November depending on where you live. Mums need a few weeks to adjust after you bring them home, especially if you plan to plant them in the ground.
Shopping in early September gives you the best selection and the strongest plants. Late-season bargains might look tempting, but they rarely deliver the same lasting beauty or value.
8. Overlooking Watering Needs Before Purchase
Many shoppers assume the garden center has been watering properly, but that’s not always the case. A dry mum might look okay at first glance, yet its roots are already stressed and damaged.
Lift the pot—if it feels unusually light, the soil is probably bone dry. Check the soil surface by pressing a finger down an inch; it should feel slightly moist, not dusty or hard. Indiana’s late summer heat can dry out mums quickly at outdoor markets and roadside stands.
A plant that’s been neglected before you buy it will struggle to recover, even with perfect care at home. Start with a well-watered specimen for best results.