Beginner Gardening: PINK Chrysanthemums??, 1 by Carolyn22

Carolyn22 wrote:
Brit,

The change in color could be due to fertilizing with an acid fertilizer, but there also could have been more than 1 type of mum that was growing in your pot and perhaps that mum did not flower until this year. I do think in the nursery where they mass pot the mums that it would be very easy for a stray seed or two to end up in the wrong pot.

The picture I have attached is a picture of a mum I planted outside 2 years ago. As you can see, it is a red mum - but if you look closely to the side of it, you will see a pink mum growing in amongst the red mum. This pink mum did not show itself last year, however I do think that it was in the pot with the red mum when I planted the whole thing.

From what I have read, mums need a complete fertilizer of either 5-10-10 or 5-10-5 - just wondering why the acid fertilizer? Also, your zone is a tad cooler than mine - I have had about 50-50 luck with planting mums outside. I would definitely give it a try - you may lose half of them like I did, but the half that come back make it well worth the effort as they come back so big and beautiful when little else is blooming in the Fall garden - this picture was taken mid to late October.

Carolyn