When to plant garden mums
Plant garden mums out from the last frost to 4 weeks after.
Your dates for garden mums
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Garden Mums planting dates by zone
| Zone | Plant out |
|---|---|
| Zone 2a * | May 19 to Jun 16 |
| Zone 3a * | May 26 to Jun 23 |
| Zone 3b * | May 17 to Jun 14 |
| Zone 4a * | May 13 to Jun 10 |
| Zone 4b * | May 8 to Jun 5 |
| Zone 5a | May 3 to 31 |
| Zone 5b | May 1 to 29 |
| Zone 6a | Apr 29 to May 27 |
| Zone 6b | Apr 23 to May 21 |
| Zone 7a | Apr 16 to May 14 |
| Zone 7b | Apr 5 to May 3 |
| Zone 8a | Mar 29 to Apr 26 |
| Zone 8b | Mar 17 to Apr 14 |
| Zone 9a | Mar 2 to 30 |
| Zone 9b | Jan 31 to Feb 28 |
* Outside zones 5 to 9, the hardiness range our sources give for garden mums. Plants there may not survive the winter or get enough winter chill, and are usually grown as annuals or in pots.
Where frost is rare
Mums still grow as perennials in warm areas, but heat changes the schedule: Florida plants bloom whenever days are short (fall through spring) and can be pruned from late spring to mid-August; South Texas extension advises planting rooted cuttings in spring, pinching monthly with the last pinch by August 15, and treating mums mainly as annuals. Partial afternoon shade helps in hot locations.
| Zone | Planting months in Extension guides |
|---|---|
| Zone 9 | spring (South Texas; no specific months given) |
Based on UF/IFAS Gardening Solutions (Chrysanthemum); Texas A&M AgriLife Extension, Bexar County (Fall Garden Mums); Clemson HGIC (coastal pinching to early August). No Arizona, UC ANR or CTAHR mum guide was found. Warm-winter areas are matched to zones approximately, so use the months for your region.
How to grow garden mumsYour full planting calendar
Sources
- Growing Chrysanthemums in Iowa · Iowa State University Extension and Outreach
- HO-77: Chrysanthemums · Purdue University Cooperative Extension Service
- Mums for Fall Beauty: Tips on Growing Chrysanthemums (A1646) · University of Wisconsin-Extension
- Pinch those Mums! · University of Illinois Extension
- Chrysanthemums: How to Grow Garden Mums in South Carolina · Clemson Cooperative Extension, Home & Garden Information Center
- Chrysanthemum x morifolium · North Carolina State University Extension, Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox
- Chrysanthemum · UF/IFAS Extension, Gardening Solutions
- Fall Garden Mums (Chrysanthemums) · Texas A&M AgriLife Extension, Bexar County