Mid-Season Blooming Heirloom Chrysanthemums Part 1
Mid-season blooming mums are ones that start blooming from mid-October to the end of October. For our farm this is perfect timing for a new crop of flowers to start blooming as most of our hot summer annuals are finished for the season, and we have had a killing frost. We grow these mums in an unheated high tunnel as they may need protected from a few cold nights. The plants are usually not affected by the cold night, it’s more the blooms that need protecting. Usually, the high tunnel is enough protection from the cold nights that the flowers aren’t damaged by the cold without any supplemental heat. The following varieties are perfect for our market bouquet work on our farm. By adding mums to our fall line up of cut flowers they have helped us extend our season of fresh bouquets all the way into November. For home gardeners these beautiful mums will bloom well for you. We are in growing zone 6a in Western Pennsylvania with a first frost date usually around October 10th. I think that these mums would do just fine in a garden zone 6b or higher with little to no protection.
Anderton is a cheerful bright yellow mum that has an anemone style bloom. We have grown this variety for years and it always makes the cut. It has nice long branching stems with multiple flowers on each stem making them perfect for bouquets. It does benefit from support while growing. As a professional cut flower grower straight stems are key and netting the mum is crucial to keeping them straight. In a garden setting letting the plants be natural and bend is beautiful.
Moira, this stunning purple mum, is a real showstopper. It is a favorite here on our farm, everyone is always admiring its large two-tone purple flowers. Each year I always say we will grow more of it, and we do, and it never seems to be enough. One plant produces multiple stems with large flowers on top. This variety I can see would benefit from disbudding, however we do not disbud any of the mums we grow. It also benefits from support as it grows because the large flower will make the plant topple over. The bouquets that have this amazing flower in them are special and beautiful and are always the first to sell at the market.
Honey Glow is a lovely warm colored mum perfect for any fall bouquet or arrangement. Each plant produces multiple stems with a nice spray of flowers on top. One stem fills out a bouquet nicely. The plants are strong, and sturdy and they don’t get too tall but they still benefit from support as they grow. This mum would be a great addition to any flower farm or home garden
Lynn Johnson is a beautiful full white mum that is stunning. We don’t grow many white mums, but this one is here to stay. Each plant produces multiple stems with many large blooms on top each steam. I can see this mum benefiting from being disbudded as well. It is a nice change of pace with its creamy white flowers during the fall making our market bouquets more cheerful.
Prom King is a mum that is perfect for the fall with its beautiful orange color. We love this mum for our grocery store bouquets. Each plant produces an abundance of long stems with many blooms that are perfect for the cut flower trade. The plants need support as they grow to keep them upright. Prom King would be a great addition to a home garden or flower farm. This variety would most likely over winter to zone 6.
Derek Bircumshaw can I just say WOW! This large bright yellow heirloom mum is a showstopper in any bouquet, arrangement, or garden. Each plant produces many blooms on long sturdy stems. Due to its long stems, it requires support while growing to keep those stems straight. This variety would benefit from disbudding to get one giant bloom. Its bright cheerful flowers would be great for any garden or flower farm.
Gillette is a nice soft yellow mum perfect for the fall season. Each plant produces many blooms on strong stems, making them perfect for bouquets or arrangements. This variety doesn’t get too tall but still requires support while growing. Gillette would be a great option for a home garden looking cheerful all the way through the fall season.
Maryl is one of my new favorite heirloom mums. We have grown this variety for 2 seasons now and each time it has blown us away with its productivity and hardiness. This mum is a great option for flower farmers looking to extend their season as each plant really does produce an abundance of stems pre plant. The blooms work well in mixed market bouquets as they don’t take over the bouquet. They simply add beautiful color and texture that is needed to offset the strong bright colors of autumn. It would also work in a home garden as well. The plants are strong and sturdy, however they can still benefit from support while growing to keep the plants upright.
Coral Charm, this lovely heirloom mum is one of our favorites here on our farm. Its blend of coral, pink, and salmon color is a nice change from the traditional fall tones. This variety is well branched and produces many blooms per stem. The plants don’t get too tall but still benefits from support while growing. Coral Charm would be a great addition to any flower farmer or home gardener wanting to keep the color going in their garden.
Obsession, just as its name says I’m obsessed with Obsession. Its pink blooms are almost mesmerizing when you look at them. They are perfect market bouquets as each stem has multiple blooms per stem. We love this variety of mum so much that we grow more of it each year and never tire of it. The plants don’t get too tall although they still need support while growing to keep the strong sturdy stems straight. This variety would be great for both the flower farmer and home gardener.
Moonbeam was one of the first heirloom mums I ever grew, and I still grow it because it is that good. Its creamy soft white blooms are perfect for a fall wedding or breaking up the traditional fall color schemes. Each plant produces long strong stems with a nice spray of white flowers on top, making it great for market bouquets. This variety does grow tall and needs support while growing. I would recommend this variety to any flower farmer.
