Fall in Kansas brings cooler temperatures and stunning foliage, making it the perfect time for mums to shine in your garden. These cheerful flowers can transform your yard into a colorful autumn display, but they need a little extra care to keep blooming strong throughout the season.
With the right approach, your mums will stay healthy and vibrant from September all the way to the first frost.
1. Water Deeply But Not Too Often
Mums need consistent moisture to keep their blooms looking fresh, but overwatering can quickly lead to root rot and wilted leaves. Check the soil by sticking your finger about an inch deep—if it feels dry, it’s time to water.
In Kansas, where fall weather can swing between warm days and chilly nights, aim to water your mums early in the morning so the foliage dries before evening.
Focus the water at the base of the plant rather than spraying the leaves and flowers, which helps prevent disease and keeps those blooms looking their best.
2. Plant Them In The Ground For Longer Life
Many people treat mums as temporary decorations, keeping them in their plastic nursery pots until they fade. However, planting them directly in the ground gives the roots room to spread and helps them survive much longer.
Kansas gardeners who plant their mums early in fall—ideally by mid-September—give the plants time to establish before winter arrives.
Choose a spot with good drainage and full sun, and your mums will reward you with weeks of color. Some varieties may even come back next spring if they’re well-established.
3. Feed Them With A Balanced Fertilizer
Just like any hardworking plant, mums need nutrients to keep producing those gorgeous blooms throughout the season. A balanced fertilizer with equal parts nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium works wonders for maintaining flower production.
Apply a light feeding every two to three weeks during the blooming period, but be careful not to overdo it—too much nitrogen can lead to leafy growth with fewer flowers.
Kansas soil varies widely depending on where you live, so a soil test can help you understand exactly what your mums need to thrive in your specific yard.
4. Deadhead Spent Blooms Regularly
Removing faded flowers might seem like extra work, but it actually encourages your mums to produce more blooms instead of putting energy into seed production.
Pinch off the spent blossoms just above the next set of leaves, and you’ll see fresh buds appear within days. This simple trick keeps your plants looking tidy and extends the blooming period well into late fall.
In Kansas, where early frosts can sneak up on you, deadheading helps your mums make the most of every warm day. Set aside a few minutes each week to tidy up your plants.
5. Protect Them From Early Frost
Kansas weather can be unpredictable in fall, with surprise cold snaps that threaten to end your mum display too soon. When the forecast calls for frost, cover your plants with lightweight fabric, old bedsheets, or frost blankets in the evening.
Remove the covering in the morning once temperatures rise above freezing so the plants can soak up sunlight.
This extra step can buy you several more weeks of blooms, especially if the frost is followed by a return to warmer weather. Your mums will thank you for the extra protection during those chilly nights.
6. Choose The Right Location With Full Sun
Mums are sun lovers that need at least six hours of direct sunlight daily to produce abundant flowers. Planting them in a shady spot will result in leggy growth and fewer blooms, no matter how well you care for them.
Look for a location in your Kansas yard that gets morning and afternoon sun, with some protection from harsh afternoon winds if possible.
South-facing beds tend to work best, providing the warmth and light that mums crave. If your only option is partial shade, expect smaller flowers and a shorter blooming period compared to plants in full sun.
7. Mulch Around The Base To Retain Moisture
A two to three inch layer of mulch around your mums helps the soil stay moist between waterings and keeps the roots cooler during warm fall days. Shredded bark, wood chips, or even dried leaves work well as mulch materials.
Keep the mulch a few inches away from the plant stems to prevent rot and allow air circulation. Kansas gardeners dealing with clay soil will especially appreciate how mulch improves drainage and prevents water from pooling around the roots.
As an added bonus, mulch also suppresses weeds that might compete with your mums for nutrients and water during their peak blooming season.
8. Buy Plants With Tight Buds, Not Full Blooms
It’s tempting to grab the mum with the most open flowers at the nursery, but plants with tight, colorful buds will actually give you a much longer show at home. Fully bloomed plants have already used much of their energy and will fade faster.
Look for plants that are about one-quarter to one-half open, with plenty of buds still waiting to unfurl. This shopping strategy is especially important for Kansas gardeners who want their mums to last from early September through October.
The buds will open gradually over several weeks, giving you continuous color throughout the entire fall season.