Transplant Potted Mums Outdoors

From The Fresno Bee, 2 Nov. 2009--by Elinor Teague

The potted chrysanthemums that decorated your table last week for the Thanksgiving holiday needn't be thrown into the green waste bin this week. Florist mums are one of the most easily transplanted indoor flowering plants. Although our temperatures are cooling significantly as winter approaches, daytime temps are still warm enough so that the mums' root systems should have a couple of weeks to begin to become established before we experience a hard frost. Before transplanted directly into a sunny spot in the garden, cut back the stems to about 6 inches. If the root ball is compacted either cut it into two or three sections or use your hands to gently pull apart the roots. Compacted roots will often remain in a ball, stopping growth of the plant.

Mums do very well in our climate. They'll tolerate full sun, but do require consistently moist soil during the summer months. One chrysanthemum plant can slowly spread into a large, 2-foot square flowering clump. Plan on dividing the clumps every two to three years. Cut back the stems to 6 inches a couple of times during the summer, feed lightly after trimming with a low-number flower food, and next fall you'll have free chrysanthemum bouquets to put on the holiday table.

Some of the flowering plants used to provide indoor color during the winter holidays take a little extra care. Azaleas, hydrangeas and miniature roses were never meant to spend much time inside our warm, dry houses. It's best to keep these plants outside on the porch or patio until just before the guests arrive. Again, the root balls of florists' azaleas and hydrangeas are very likely to be compacted; miniature roses may look as though they are a tiny rosebush, but most are groupings of cuttings with very small roots. All these plants may need daily watering during the time they spend indoors.

Miniature roses can be easily transplanted into containers or into the soil after the holidays. As you transplant, you'll see just how small the roots are. It may take several months for the roots to become large and strong enough to properly nourish the plant. Water when the top inch of soil is dry and feed lightly once a month from February through September with a low-number rose and flower fertilizer.

Because the hothouse azaleas sold during the winter holidays were forced into bloom out of season, they may not set flowers the first year in the garden.