wintering potted mums

Question

I have several pots of mums but no flower beds. Can I winter them inside in pots or do they need the sun, and do I water them?

Answer 1

The answer depends on the type of mums you have. If they are the popular florist mums, that are sold by the millions in stores all over the country from late summer through early winter, they are more like annuals, and don’t winter over. If they are garden mums, often called hardy mums, they normally die back in the garden, so if you want to overwinter them in the garage, treat them like potted perennials, which involves waiting till they start to die back then cutting the stems to a height of 2 – 3″, keeping them cool, dark, and water very little or none, only enough to keep the soil from getting scratchy dry. Or you can try keeping them as a houseplant; cut back by about 1/2, keep in a sunny window, and water enough to keep them slightly damp.