My husband and I are in the process of buying a local nursery. They plant mums every year from seed. The last few years, (this year included), they have had an issue of only the orange mums dying. Any idea of what is going on?
I would examine the type of seed they are using. Is the orange seed coming from a different source than the other colors? There could be something different in the way the orange plants are grown. Do they get more water than the others?
I wonder if a certain pest is attracted to the color orange more so than other colors. Do you know what they die of? Is it pests or disease?
I did a little research, and apparently, this is not a common problem. These articles should help:
https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/garden-how-to/propagation/seeds/troubleshooting-seedling-issues.htm
Should I put them in a dark cool place now or wait until they bloom inside and then store them. And what kind of environment will they need to make it until the spring?
Don't you want them to bloom outside? Mums will tolerate a frost. Your hardiness zone is 5, and mums are generally hardy to zones 4 or 5. I would bring them in tho if temperatures hit 32 F or below. If you want them to bloom inside, put them near a sunny window and keep them watered. After they bloom, remove the flowers, but leave 2 to 3 inches of the stems to protect the crown. To overwinter inside, you can store them in a cool, frost-free location till spring. Water about once a month, enough to keep them alive. Too much water will cause them to rot.
It may be a little late to plant them in the garden now, but in the spring, you can plant them in a well-draining area with full sun.
https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/ornamental/flowers/chrysanthemum/wintering-mums.htm
https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/ornamental/flowers/chrysanthemum/annual-vs-perennial-mums.htm
https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/ornamental/flowers/chrysanthemum/growing-chrysanthemum-flowers.htm
And will cuttings from a white mum grow white?
Yes, it should stay white. My white mum has returned for 20 years. There is such a thing as a "sport," which is a mutation that could result in a color change, but that is not the norm. A cutting from the plant should look identical to the parent plant.
https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/ornamental/flowers/chrysanthemum/annual-vs-perennial-mums.htm
It is a purchased plant from a local garden store.
You can if there is more than one main stem under those branches. If not, you can cut off some stems and root those.
https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/ornamental/flowers/chrysanthemum/annual-vs-perennial-mums.htm
https://hortnews.extension.iastate.edu/faq/how-can-i-propagate-garden-mums
I read your article by Bonnie L. Grant regarding propagating mums. One of the methods she mentioned was from cuttings. I was just wondering if the cuttings should be with or without blooms. Can it be either?
Always cut off blooms on cuttings to propagate. You want the plant to concentrate on forming roots, not flowers.
I just bought pots of mums that in full bloom and planted them into the ground, watered them and want to know how to keep them throughout the winter cold months so they can grow back each year. Can you help? Thanks
Water them regularly till they are established. Then, during the winter if you have dry spells, be sure to water them. Many people forget to water them during the winter, so the mums succumb. Also, after a few hard frosts, mulch them well with straw, leaves, or a bark mulch to insulate the roots.
Sometimes, though, despite your best efforts, mums don't return.
Here is more:
https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/ornamental/flowers/chrysanthemum/wintering-mums.htm
My katoi no kaori chrysanthemum is potted. Grew potted outside all summer in Pacific Northwest in at least 4 hours of sunshine daily .Got buds but never bloomed. I have brought it inside for the winter. How should I care for it?
You could leave it outside and it should be fine. The weather maps show your area only gets about 30 degrees F in the winter.
Indoors you can put it in a cool location that is frost free. Water it when the soil dries out but do not keep it overly wet or it will rot. Then you can move it back out after the danger of frost has passed. Try to give it more sun, full sun if you can. Here is more:
https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/ornamental/flowers/chrysanthemum/growing-chrysanthemum-flowers.htm