By Patty Blackburn, Staff
It’s that time of year for those beautiful Chrysanthemums! But not only are they beautiful, this plant also repels mosquitoes, ticks, ants, roaches, Japanese beetle, and mites. Chrysanthemums contain a natural insecticide called Pyrethrin. They are also mildly toxic to animals so be aware.
Mums, the most popular fall garden flowers, have a short life span. Most that are in stores, starting in September, are not as hardy as they use to be. All of the mum’s energy is devoted to blooming which makes the flowers short lived. In this case, let them flaunt their gorgeous blooms and discard after the cold weather arrives.
Mums are very temperamental. If the hardy mums are planted in the ground in time to root, before cold weather arrives, it is possible for them to survive until spring. Six to eight weeks is the time it takes for the mums to root. Of course, the mums will require proper drainage and fertile soil. If the mums survive the winter, they will become tall and pruning is required if they are to bloom later in the year.
Decorate, decorate, decorate! Take advantage of the beautiful autumn colors by placing pots of mums on the porch along with a variety of sizes of pumpkins. Add a ribbon or two for fun accents.
Have fun with these flowers and enjoy decorating for the fall season.
