BellaOnline Forums Home and Garden Container Gardening Question about Mums

Hi Lestie, This is first time I am trying to grow mums. In June, I bought this 8" pot full of flowers to begin with. I split it into three at the roots and replanted into three 14" pots. They have been growing pretty well, but no flowers. Then I learnt pretty late in the game that we need to 'pinch' mums as they grow. My plants have grown as much 1 to 1.5 feet high and about 1 feet wide. Can I still pinch them? Any other option? I live in Bay area, California - about 30 miles from San Francisco.

Hello Euchrys and all, nice to hear from you in the forum! Welcome.

MesembryantheMUMS are a very varied lot of very beautiful flowering succulents that can be used for ground cover, are very successful falling out of hanging pots and baskets, mixed arrangements, ground covers, rockeries and of course containers.

I do not know of a cultivar that does not flower so will do some research but in general what you have done seems fine other that maybe when you split them and replanted them in their own pots they 'went back' a season as it were and will flower next cycle? That often happens. Also, pinching back is not a specific action for 'Mums only as this action in general gardening just keeps encrouraging a plant to spread out rather than than specifically to encourage flowering.

We call them Vygies here in South Africa (say Fay-ggh-ees; the ghh like the Scottish ch in loch) and they are a firm favourite to be found all over the place, especially in our winter rainfall areas and the Namaqualand. Their beauty is unassuming and continuous and they are really very very popular plants so I can see why you chose them for your patch, those colours!

So, let's do a check list.

Soil and water - not too much watering as they hold a lot ih their fleshy leaves and do not like wet feet at all. Soil should dry out between waterings and for those not growing in pots but rockeries and so on, soil must be quick draining. Loose soils are good, not clay like and sticky (add some sand if you think this could be a possibility)

Light - Mums like light and direct early morning sunshine to say 11am-ish and midafternoon sun and semi shade as well but do not do well at all in shade and dark places or baking desert heat. Are your plants leaning in one direction or another? If so this could be a clue to reaching for light, so move them.

Food - Mums are hardy chaps, adventurous and easy to please with just a little food by way of fertislisers. A bit of a general one like some 2:3:2 or similar will do. Speak to your nurseryman for some advice.

Plants are really good teachers. If they have too much of a good thing all round, they sometimes 'forget' to perform! "Why do I need to?" Cheeky things. They may just be saying I am fit, fat and a tad lazy. Creepers like the golden shower and the Mexican Trumpet do this too, lovely greenery and no flowers.

So, stop feeding, not more anyway for a good while, watch your watering, make them dry out a little and do some stretching, check the light is right then sit back and see. I guess they will produce flowers to make you notice them again. And when that happens you can grin, make them wait another month or two then give the a little fertiliser by way of a pat on the back.

Let me know how you do, do not be too sorry without flowers, greenery of any plant is and can be beautiful too, so appreciate them for who they are right now and keep that picture of the blooms they had in the front of your mind whenever you walk past them.

P.S. Mums are friendly and are not averse to a bit of crowding.

Cheers now

Hi Lestie, Thanks a bunch(of mums?) for so much info. As far as your checklist - soil,water,food,light - I guess it could either be a case of 'too much of a good thing' or maybe the 'next cycle'. I'll try the 'starve' strategy and see what happens. And I agree, just having greenery all around means a lot too ... Chiao