A Gardeners Forum Forums General Discussion The Banter Hall Gardener's Chat chrysanthemum

i just bought one today and i was wondering when i should plant it in the ground. or can i leave it in the pot on my deck?

Most of them I've seen in stores are root bound so you will probably need to repot it. They do well in pots during the growing season. And as long as you don't have really cold weather you can probably keep them in pots and divide them come late fall or early spring. I think that's when you divide them. It's been awhile since I looked up that information so you might want to check first. Enjoy your mums.

these are known as 'mums' in the hort. trade or just casual gardeners as well. There are two kinds (to keep things simple). One is the annual/greenhouse type which you buy for Easter/mother's day. The other is the perennial kind which can be put in the ground. To plant in the ground, you should loosen the bottom roots. Ripping a few out will not hurt the plant. You should also score the root ball vertically with a knife about and inch deep before planting. You should definitely repot after this flush of flowers fade. If you are diligent in keeping on top of your deadheading (snipping off dead blooms) which I never am XD, and trim appropiately, your mums might give you another flush of blooms if they're the annual kind. I'm not too sure about the perennial kind though.