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skiingjeff
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Garden mums are budding too early

we were away for a couple weeks in June and just got back so I missed cutting back the garden mums to keep them from budding. :oops:

I understand you normally would cut them back (nip off the top ends) to fill them out and avoid buds until the end of July in order to get the fall bloom.

If I cut the buds off now, will they rebud for the fall? Or is it best to let them just bloom early this year and work at it again next year for a fall bloom?

Thanks :)

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rainbowgardener
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Yes, I'm in the exact same situation. I'm just leaving mine, but keeping them deadheaded to prolong the bloom as much as possible. I don't know that they would re-bloom if you cut the buds off now.


See this thread re early season:

https://www.helpfulgardener.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=263968#263968

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skiingjeff
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That was my first inclination as well but I thought I would ask. :)

Oh well, some additional summer color this year so I'll have to think of supplementing the fall with something else.

Thanks!

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Midwestguy
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I think you'll be fine pinching off the buds up until July 4th.
I have A LOT of mums, and mine are budding early too. The mums this year are growing so fast, that new buds are forming as fast as I pinch them off. You also need to remember that from the time you finish pinching your mums (July 4th) until the time they are supposed to bloom is approximately two months. The mums will keep growing and budding during that time, so I really think you will be fine.
Mums are really tough and designed to bloom. They can recover from a lot of abuse and still look great. Just to give you an example of this, my four year old son accidentaly stepped in one of my mums and tore off a whole section of it. No big deal though. It has already grown back part of the way, and I piched it a little bit to make sure it fills out properly. I believe that by the end of August, I won't even be able to tell something happened to it.
Below are a few photos of my mums from last year. This was the first year I planted mums, so they were not as filled in as they are this year. And all of mine were given to me as cuttings, which is why they are all the same color except for one.

[img]https://i1142.photobucket.com/albums/n616/samnsarah/Mums3.jpg[/img]


[img]https://i1142.photobucket.com/albums/n616/samnsarah/Mums1.jpg[/img]


[img]https://i1142.photobucket.com/albums/n616/samnsarah/Mums2.jpg[/img]

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skiingjeff
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Thanks for the info! :)

It seems that either way, leave them alone to bud early and deadhead or pinch them some more and then let them go....I'll have blooms for quite a few months.

It is funny, the red mums budded but the yellow ones did not yet even though they are in the same locations :?

Again, thanks!

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Midwestguy
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There many, many cultivars of mums. I think the reason why your yellow mums have not budded yet is because they are a different cultivar. I could be wrong, but it would explain why they are later in budding.

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skiingjeff
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Hmmmm...its possible. I got them from the same place but you never know for sure what they are using. I noticed their leave color is different as well but just assumed it was yellow versus red...lol

I'm just happy they survived the winter and are doing so good in their new homes this year.

Thanks again! :D



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