Mums

Peak bloom time for chrysanthemums is September and October. There’s a grand selection of these autumn favorites at Grandaddy’s Farm in Estill Springs, Tennessee. Tammy Algood gets tips on how to keep the flowers looking good all season long, and how to plant them in the landscape for autumn color every year.

Gardener Extras

Mums need a minimum of 6 hours of bright light per day on average.
If a mum's stems are lanky and floppy, it's due to too much shade. Cut the affected stems back, and move the plant to a brighter spot.
Mums are toxic to dogs, cats and horses if ingested.
Technically, all mums are perennial. Garden mums (hardy) are zones 4-9, while florist mums are zones 7 - 9. Spring planting works best.

Tammy Algood

Tammy Algood — Tammy has loved to garden and cook her whole life. She wanted to spend as much time as possible with her Grandmother who gardened and cooked, so she learned at her knee. Tammy is a marketing specialist with the Tennessee Department of Agriculture. She has written numerous cookbooks, including Farm Fresh Southern Cooking and The Southern Slow Cooker Bible. “Being a host on Volunteer Gardener allows me to meld both of my passions into one activity…cooking from my garden.”