Updated at: 05-09-2022 - By: Sienna Lewis

Rooting mums entails using seeds, cuttings, or divisions as a means of propagation for the plants. When you start moms in the greenhouse, you’ll have an advantage because you can tailor the environment to their needs. In the same way that you must learn how to start plants in the greenhouse, you must learn how to propagate these blossoms.

One of the easiest perennials to grow, mums or chrysanthemums can be planted in the fall or spring. The environment may be easily manipulated to prevent them from blooming too early. These traits explain why gardeners have devised so many different strategies for getting plants to root.

Take Cuttings

Chrysanthemums, even in USDA zones where they are deemed hardy, typically do not survive winter since they are planted in the autumn and thus have little time to establish themselves. Cuttings from these plants can be rooted indoors and transplanted outdoors in the spring. When chrysanthemums are in full bloom in the spring, you can also take cuttings from them. The point at which a leaf will grow is the leaf node, which can be found on the top 4 inches of the shoots if you wait until they have grown to a height of 6 inches or more. snip off the bottom two leaves from each cutting.

  • Depending on the variety, garden chrysanthemums or garden mums can grow from less than a foot in height to more than six feet in height, making them among the most readily accessible perennials in the fall.
  • Chrysanthemums, even in USDA zones where they are deemed hardy, typically do not survive winter since they are planted in the autumn and thus have little time to establish themselves.

How to Grow Mums From Cuttings | Empress of Dirt

Root the Cuttings

In either water or soil, the cuttings can be rooted. Use a compact, leak-proof container to root your plants if you want to keep them in water for future use. Make sure the remaining leaves are above the water’s surface before adding 1 inch of water to the container.

Rooting cuttings in soil, on the other hand, necessitates filling a pot with a mixture of sand and peat moss. Tamp the mixture around each cutting so that it covers at least one leaf node and ensures the cutting sits erect. It is important to put the cuttings far enough apart so that their leaves do not come into contact.

It is recommended that you place the container that contains your cuttings on a warm windowsill where it will receive bright indirect light. Keep the soil combination damp in the pot for the first two weeks of the cuttings’ germination period, then top off the container with water to keep it at a 1-inch depth.

  • In either water or soil, the cuttings can be rooted.
  • Keep the soil combination damp in the pot for the first two weeks of the cuttings’ germination period, then top off the container with water to keep it at a 1-inch depth.

Make Divisions

If you have a hardy chrysanthemum that has grown to cover a large area, you can easily divide it to create new plants. Using a garden spade, cut the plant into 1-foot-square parts approximately a month after your location’s last average annual spring frost date. Plant each segment at the same depth and at a distance of at least 1 1/2 to 2 feet from the previous planting. To thrive, mums need soil that is somewhat acidic and exposure to full sunlight.

Sow Seeds

If you let your chrysanthemum flower heads grow and dry on the plant before removing the petals, you may find tiny, tan seeds at the base of the petals. If you buy a mum in the fall, it may not have time to produce seeds before the first frosts arrive. As previously stated, hybrid seeds will not produce plants that resemble their parent plants in every way. Plant the seeds in the spring four months prior to when you want the plants to blossom, after drying them on paper towels and storing them in paper envelopes. When beginning seeds indoors, fill a container with seed-starting mix and push the seeds into the mix’s surface without covering them; this will help the seeds germinate. Keep the mixture at 65 to 70 degrees Fahrenheit until the seeds germinate, which normally takes 10 to 15 days after the container has been sealed with plastic wrap.

  • If you have a hardy chrysanthemum that has grown to cover a large area, you can easily divide it to create new plants.
  • Keep the mixture at 65 to 70 degrees Fahrenheit until the seeds germinate, which normally takes 10 to 15 days after the container has been sealed with plastic wrap.

Get the Most Out of Potted Mums | My Garden Life

How To Root Mums Successfully: Propagating Mums The Easy Way

Mums may be propagated from seed, cuttings, or divisions with relative ease. It’s up to you to decide which one is the most comfortable for you. It’s also possible to grow them in a greenhouse for ideal survival conditions.

Propagating mums using seeds

You can start new moms from seed if you’re looking for a simple and low-cost method of propagation. In the first year, they can begin blooming, and the uncertainty even provides gardeners with a sense of excitement. Do keep in mind, however, that chrysanthemum seed propagation requires a longer growing season.

Early spring is the finest time of year to start seedlings of mums indoors. You should also do this eight weeks before the last frost. If you’re unsure about your frost dates, verify your hardiness zone and mark your calendar to avoid unnecessary danger.

Use seed mix in pots or trays and follow the package guidelines to determine the optimal seed depth. You’ll need to saturate the soil and cover the seeds with mulch to keep them from drying out. To germinate the seeds, place the container under a grow lamp and monitor your indoor temperature, which should be 59 degrees Fahrenheit.

Make sure that the mums are ready to go outside before you transplant them. Take them outside a week before to your final frost date to keep them safe. During this time, they will get used to the new environment before being transferred permanently in two to three weeks.

Propagating mums using cuttings

Another method of propagating these plants is by taking cuttings from mature mums. The best time to take cuttings from last year’s mums is in the spring, but make sure you don’t pick any from sick plants. You should also keep in mind that cuttings from outside mums should be moved to the greenhouse in mid-winter, when the temperature is around 45°F, to ensure that the cuttings will thrive.

Maintain the temperatures and hydration of the plants for about a month to allow them to become healthy. After that, you can snap or cut the chrysanthemum stems to get 3-inch stems all the way down. The number of new plants you desire will determine how many cuttings you should take and how many lower leaves you should remove from each stem.

Perlite or any other sterile rooting media can be used in a wooden box or shallow pot once cuttings are taken. To receive each cutting, this should be moist and have an inside diameter of about an inch and a half. Additionally, you can use hormone rooting powder to treat each cutting before planting it.

The best temperature for cuttings, according to Utah State University, is 65°F, and you should keep them from direct sunlight by covering them for at least a day. It is best to keep the cuttings in a cool, well-lit area that isn’t in direct sunlight.

How to Propagate Mums - Mike's Backyard Nursery

Propagating mums using divisions

Divisions are the final way for rooting or propagating mums. After the last killing frost of the season, this method of propagation is ideal. The great thing about mums is that you’ll discover little plants growing around the older one, which you can then utilize to start a seedling.

Remove the old plants from the soil and wash away the dirt to reveal the little plants, each with its own root system. ‘ The ancient plants can still be propagated, even if they are no longer useful. Gardeners can state that rooting by division is the fastest of the three methods of propagation.

Digging up plants when they are about to sprout new growth is another method of propagation through division. Cut the plant’s root mass into quarters by slicing it in half. New plants will be sent to you in the form of portions.

Remember that this strategy works best with already-planted fall mums. As a result, the best plants to divide are those that have been established for two years or more. When the plants reach a height of 6 to 8 inches, it is a good indicator.

Conclusion

Gardeners are always inventing novel ways to start new plants from seeds or cuttings. Mums can be propagated by seed, stem cuttings, or divisions, according on your preference. If you already have fall mums, you can also propagate them by division rather than seeds.

If you follow the instructions provided, all of these ways are simple. Grow your plants in a greenhouse to ensure that they are always in the same conditions.