How to Overwinter Hardy Garden Chrysanthemums

12.06.2023 - 01:00 / gardenerspath.com / Kristine Lofgren

Close your eyes and picture the flora of fall. What comes to mind?

There’s probably an overgrown pumpkin vine off in the corner, perhaps some yellow and red leaves on the trees. And some bright chrysanthemums sit near the front door, right?

Hardy mums are an icon of fall. When most of the garden is calling it a day, they’re brighter and bolder than ever.

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You can find them practically everywhere when summer begins to fade, popping up at grocery store entrances and lining the dwindling shelves of nurseries.

But if you’re like me, there’s something gut-wrenching about the thought of enjoying their vibrant blossoms for a month or two, only to toss the perfectly healthy plants out when winter rolls around.

This year, instead of saying goodbye to your mums, I’m going to teach you how to winterize them so you can enjoy them again next year.

Not only will you save a bit of cash and avoid some needless waste, mums can actually grow to be quite large in the ground, with an impressive presence in following years if you are able to nurture them through the winter.

That’s a pretty big payoff for not too much effort. Here’s what we’ll cover so you can make it happen:

Before we jump in, if you want to learn more about general care for these lovely plants, we have an entire guide to help get you started.

Ready to get going? Let’s winterize those mums!

To winterize mums, there are a few things you should know about these plants.

First, you will need to make sure you have the type that can live outdoors as a perennial, even when freezing weather hits.

There are many types of mums, but