HOW TO SAVE MONEY ON FALL MUMS

Chrysanthemums or ‘mums’ are a popular fall flower and are amply available in September and October. I’ve bought and grown different types of mums for several years. To me, it signifies the changing of the seasons and helps welcome fall. Here are tips on ways to save money on fall mums.

Tip 1- Buy garden mums instead of fresh-cut flowers

Mums are on display everywhere in the fall and can be used indoors, rather than cut flowers, as they last much longer. With some basic care, these flowers can last for close to a month. Most garden centers, nurseries, and even grocery stores carry mums. I prefer garden centers or nurseries, rather than grocery stores because they have a larger selection of colors. There are two types of mums. Garden mums and florists mums. Garden mums are hardier and have a much better chance of survival as a perennial while florist mums are meant to only last one season. The difference is in the root structure of the plants. Both types of mums are cheaper than cut flowers and will most likely last longer.

If you buy mums in the fall, in most regions of the country, they should be treated as annuals, meaning that they will typically last for one season only. However, if you live in an area with mild winters, as we have in Arizona, mums could be planted outdoors and could last several years. I have one mum that I planted three years ago and it’s still doing fine!

Buy mums that have buds and not flowers. This will help it to last longer.

Select a mum with buds to help keep the flowers fresh longer.

Tip 2 – Buy smaller mums and re-pot to save money

Buy smaller plants and re-pot it yourself. Plants in fancy containers cost more money. These can range from $15-$20 or even more for each container. You should be able to get smaller mums for $2-$4 at a garden center in plain black containers and you can re-pot it at home. The prices mentioned here are based on what is currently available at the Lowes by me. Prices may vary quite a bit but this is still is a cheaper option.

Buy smaller mums and repot it.

Tip 3 – Take care of your mums

Take care of your potted mums to keep them fresh longer and give you the maximum bang for your buck.

Here are some tips to keep your mum’s looking great.

Keep your mums watered well. Don’t let them dry out and don’t allow them to sit in water either!
Provide adequate light. Mums like sunlight. So make sure to place them in an area with enough natural light. If you are using your mums indoors, they will be fine for a couple of days but be sure to take them out and give them some sun after a few days. They can be brought back indoors after that.
These plants like cooler weather. Warmer climates will cause the flowers to fade sooner. I tend to wait until temps have cooled down atleast at night in AZ before buying mums. We tend to have 100 degree days all the way into October.
Remove faded flowers to keep your mum looking great longer.

Take care of your mums to help them last longer.

Tip 4: Plant mums earlier in the year

If you want to save more money on mums, plant them toward the end of spring so that the mums have the best chance of survival year in and year out. Garden mums are perennial plants and can be grown that way if it’s planted at the right time and has proper care. This helps save money, in the long run, as you won’t have to treat it as an annual and may have flowers year after year. The Old Farmer Almanac has great growing tips and advice for growing mums as a perennial.

Perennial mum growing in my garden

Grow garden mums as perennials.

Tip 5: Grow mums for cut flowers

Mums come in many different shapes sizes and colors. If potted mums aren’t for you that’s ok. There are many amazing cut flower varieties that can be grown to create outstanding arrangements. If you are looking for inspiration or information on how to grow mums as cut flowers you should definitely take a look at King’s mums. They have an outstanding selection of mums. I have ordered and grown several of their mums and have been really happy with the results.

To me, the benefit of growing mums as cut flowers is not to save money but rather to be able to get access to spectacular varieties of mums that are not readily available in the local grocery store or florist shop. You’ll end up saving money too as each plant produces multiple flowers.

Mums in the garden grown as cut flowers

Grow mums at home to enjoy amazing cut flowers while saving money too!

Before you head to the garden center or order mums, determine how many mums you really need, how you plan to use it (annuals, perennials, or cut flowers), and what colors work best for you. It’s often easy to go totally overboard and buy more mums than you need! I’ve been guilty of this on a few occasions! Planning ahead is one of the best money-saving tips!

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