5 Tips for Buying the Best Chrysanthemums

Fall means that mum season is here, so it is time to head to the gardening center and pick out a pot or two. But how do you know if you are getting the perfect plant? After all, making a poor choice could result in a plant that doesn’t bloom or doesn’t even thrive for that matter. Instead of wondering, take a peek at these 5 Tips for Buying the Best Chrysanthemums. By keeping just a few tips in mind, you can be sure you snag a plant that is healthy and hardy.

5 Tips for Buying the Best Chrysanthemums

1. Pick a plant with closed blooms.
It is tempting to grab the plant that has beautifully opened blooms, but resist. If it is blooming now, it won’t be blooming much later. Instead, pick a plant that has plenty of closed buds. They are certain to put on a show for you in about a week or so.

2. Check the soil.
Reach in and touch the soil that the plant is in. Is it damp? Dark? Do you see where organic matter or fertilizer has been mixed in? It should be all of these things. If it is dry, light in color, and chalky or dusty, you want to stay clear. That indicates poor soil which means a poor start for the plant. Don’t hesitate to ask the gardening center how often the plants are watered or if they are in a nutrient rich soil.

3. Avoid broken stems.
When a mum has broken stems, that means the plant may have been wasting energy and nutrients trying to repair the damage. Since you don’t know how long the stems have been broken, it is best to avoid the plant and choose one that is free from breakage.

4. Look at leaf quality.
The color of the mum’s leaves can indicate if there are any underlying issues with the plant. Avoid mums with pale leaves or yellow leaves. Avoid any that have brown, spotty, speckled, or dry leaves. If you see any signs of holes or chewing, pests might be present. Choose only plants with dark green, soft, pliable, and complete leaves.

5. Remember safety is in numbers.
While the little $1.99 containers of mums are cute and cheap, they are often spindly and don’t have the support of the other mums around them like a full bush would. You are better off spending a little bit more money and buying a fuller, hardier plant. Should you plant this small cluster in your yard it would struggle at survival, while a fuller plant would fare much better.

Before you head off to buy your fall mums, keep these tips for picking the best chrysanthemums in mind! They will no doubt help you pick some winners that will perform for you all year long.