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What’s New In Fall Chrysanthemums?
Blooming chrysanthemums enhance the splendor of autumn gardens with their
natural beauty and exciting colors. Mums, as they are commonly called, are a
gardener’s delight as they offer show-stopping color with very little care. Mums look
beautiful in containers and can replace tired annuals which have passed their prime in
landscape beds.
Stadler Garden Centers grows mum varieties from two exceptional series: the Prophets and the Belgian mums. The Prophets series was developed by the Yoder Corporation in the 1980s and is considered the finest and most reliable group of garden mums offered in North America. Dirk Pieters, a long time grower in Europe, recently developed the Belgian mum series. This series of plants have extremely strong stems, are compact growing and produce a spectacular flower display.
There are early, mid and late-season blooming mums. Planting a combination of varieties will insure blooming color from mid-August through late October. Here is a list of mum varieties that we will feature at the Nursery this fall.
Bronze Flowers
- Jennifer: Stunning two-tone bronze; mahogany center petals surrounded by amber outer petals; early blooming; cushion flower; Prophets series
- Shelley: Lively red and golden-bronze bicolor; pompom flower; early blooming; exceptional dark green glossy foliage; Prophets series
- Laurie: Honey-bronze cushion flower; late blooming; rich dark green foliage
- Oriole and Cheyenne: Traditional daisy-like flowers; mid-season blooming
Pink and Lavender Flowers
- Barbara: Showy and prolific pompom flower; bright purple; early blooming; Prophets series
- Debonair: Dark lavender cushion flower; early blooming; Prophets series
- Cheryl: Two-toned lavender flower; dark purple center petals and lavender outer petals; mid-season blooming; Prophets series
- Carpino: Dark purple cushion flower; late blooming
- Siam: New variety; incredible pink multiplex daisy flower; early blooming
- Pink Aurora: New variety; pink spoon daisy flower; early blooming
- Rosepink Debonair: Rosepink cushion flower; early blooming; Prophets series
- Cancun: New variety; unique color – coral pink with yellow center; button flower; mid-season blooming
- Italia: Salmon daisy flower; mid-season blooming
Red Flowers
- Red Temptress: New variety; red multiplex petal daisy flower; early blooming; Belgian series
- Bravo: Bright red cushion flower; early blooming; Prophets series
- Red Tripoli: Red daisy flower with yellow center; late blooming; Belgian series
- Raquel: Dark maroon cushion flower; mid-season blooming; Prophets series
- Red Crown Jewel: Large red daisy flower; mid-season blooming
White Flowers
- Marilyn: Early blooming; cushion flower; Prophets series
- Illusion: Early blooming; quilled daisy flower; flower size ranges to 4"
- Candice: Late blooming; daisy flower
- Roxanne: A rare tricolor flower color – lavender, cream and white – unique; daisy flower; late blooming; Prophets series
- Celino: New variety; mid-season blooming; cushion flower; Belgian series
- Linda: Mid-season blooming, cushion flower; Prophets series
Yellow Flowers
- Anna: Outstanding bright yellow; early blooming; daisy flower; Prophets series
- Target: Two-toned golden yellow; early blooming; cushion flower; Prophets series
- Sunny Robin: Small bright yellow flowers; early blooming; button flower; Prophets series
- Erica: Large, exceptionally bright color; late blooming; cushion flower; Prophets series
- Vesta: Late blooming; spider flower
- Lisa: Outstanding bright yellow; mid-season blooming; cushion flower; Prophets series
- Sunny Denise: Clear yellow; mid-season blooming; cushion flower; Prophets series
- Sunny Linda: Light yellow; mid-season blooming; cushion flower; Prophets series
- Pagoda: New variety; buds have golden blush color which opens to bright yellow; mid-season blooming
Planting
Plant mums in a sunny location (one that gets 6 or more hours of sunshine) that has good drainage. Keep the plants moist; do not allow them to dry out. Space the plants 18-24" apart. Dig the hole a little larger than the container. Mix the soil with Leafgro. Place the plant in the hole so that the soil ball is 1" above the ground level. Water thoroughly. Spread mulch around the base of the plant to a depth of 2-3". Do not allow mulch to cover the crown of the plant.
Winter Care
After the foliage turns brown, trim the plant back to 3" and mulch well around the rootball.
Spring Care
This is the time to divide your mums. Make certain that each clump has at least 2-3 shoots. Feed plants every two weeks with a water-soluble fertilizer such as MiracleGro, beginning May 1. To attain full, bushy plants, pinch plants in half when they reach 6" tall in the spring. Every two weeks after that, pinch back half the new growth that has appeared since your last pinch. Continue pinching until July 15. Your mum will bloom approximately 6 weeks after the last pinch.
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