I Bought Mum Yesterday, They Haven\’t Opened Up, When Do They Open Up. My Balcony Can Only Give Them 3 Hours Of Sun.

Question

I just bought three new mum plants. They were not opened up when bought them. How long will it take for them to open up. The sunny part of my balcony has only sun for 3 – 4 hours. Can they take some shade?

Answer 1

The more sun they receive, the faster the flower buds will open. I have mine planted in full sun conditions (more than 6 hours of direct sun) but the least amount of sun is probably around 4 hours or thereabouts). If brought indoors, place the pot in a southern facing window to maximize the amount of available sun.

In future years: tall and thin mum stems cannot support the heavy blooms in the fall. As a result, the plant may generate less blooms, if any at all (if it gets a lot of shade) and the blooms may appear smaller than normal.