Mums budding early?

Anyone else's mums seem to be budding up earlier than usual this year? I have pinched back mine 'till the 4th of July as usual, some have been trying to set buds all summer and most all of them have buds now and one even has a small bloom. Its not even August yet. What's the deal? The dry weather pushing them? Is it just here or a regional thing?

I don't have any mums. I do have many fall asters and Alma Potschke has some pinkish buds already. That plant has usually puts out a few flowers way early then sits and the rest come out at the normal time.

mine are not budding yet.... got eaten by something

:(

glad I took some cuttings when I pinched them back earlier

Can I still take cuttings of mums?

I read if you pinch back after the middle of july you might take the risk of not having flowers in fall

Mine are actually blooming on a couple right now....hope it doesn't mean an early winter.....

I hope not either.. did you pinch them earlier in the summer three?

Yup...did so...still they are going to bloom way too early....It's depressing to think it might mean an early winter, like it doesn't come early enough as it is.......

man that is depressing.... THANKS... just kidding

;)

the one towards the bottom i actually bought at the A&P for easter... pinched them back and they seem to be doing good so far... the little yellow one is the $2.00 one from walmart I picked up a few weeks ago... might have to click on the picture to see the yellow one

Oh, such information abounds on these forums!

I had no idea that the mums should have been pinched back. I have a yellow on that has prolific buds on it and a few blooms. Then, there are two more - one has buds and the other does not.

And I haven't pinched any of them.

If the showers let up, I'll try to get photos.

It's not like a major crime, Candyce. So yours will bloom early and if they flop you'll cut them back and know better for next year. It's the kind of learning experience most of us learn by having gone through it. I don't pinch my mum, if that makes you feel better. I like to see it bloom and in the fall we like to go away so I'd never see it if I didn't allow it to bloom early.

My amaryllis bloomed in February. More welcome than in December.

Beautiful amaryllis!
Thanks for helping me to feel better. There are days when I feel as though I know absolutely nothing about gardening - but that's why I am a subscriber here - LOL!

I learn so much evey day. And my poor little plants will do all the better for the knowledge I gain. Until this year I've been pretty much a 'plant it here and see what happens' kind of gardener.

I've had roses in December, too, and I just enjoy them instead of following the rules as set down by my neighbors who insist I shouldn't have the blossoms then. Too bad!

*chuckle*

I am so in agreement with you. As far as I know there are very few rules that Mother Nature follows anyway, so why should we?

Well that's the truth isn't it, we can push or shove this way or that but its the old saying isn't it..."Don't fool with Mother Nature". :) I try to pinch mine whenever I think of it until the 4th so they will not flop so much and bloom a bit later in the season when not much else is lighting up the garden. I don't think it means an early Fall, more that it is a reflection of the weird weather of this past year. What will be will be no matter what we try to do, when they are ready they will do their thing and be delightful.

Of course, for those of us with early blooming mums we could cut them back when their blooms are done and plant plastic daffodils to really rush out this year and rush in next year. The gal down the block does it every spring because she can't bear the dying daffodil foliage. To each her own.

pretty funny pirl

I have three mums, all have buds and one has started blooming as of yesterday. I pinched (actually, pruned) them twice this year but that doesn't seem to have phased them.
Plastic flowers in the yard.. hee hee hee

For a few years I thought it was silly and gardening cheating of a sort. Now I really do look forward to Anne's daffodils happily "blooming" in her little wheelbarrow, which are replaced almost instantly by lush red geraniums that never die.

Ths yellow one is just covered with buds and a few blossoms. Should I have pinched it back, or will it be OK?

And these two hardly have any buds at all. All three of these are planted in the same place, in the same soil, and in the same amount of sunlight and water. They are all part of the 'bath tub garden' out in front of the house.

So, why would one mum be blooming and the others not?

The mum that's blooming now is going to be fine! He just wanted to get started with the show ;-) Not all your mums will bloom at the same time. I'm just learning, but just like with daylilies and irises there are so many different types, and there are early, mid, and late bloomers.
I pruned my mums this year because I didn't do it last year and I ended up with tall, leggy plants that just did not look nice. I don't think my pruning them delayed the bloom at all, but it certainly helped control their height and shape.

aspen is right: there are different times for each cultivar to bloom.

Whew!

I was a bit worried - but only a bit. Now I feel better about them all.

They are looking very healthy and I am looking forward to lots of blooms when the other plants begin to die down.

I guess mums don't come back in zone 4 eh?

Many places have that problem, not just zone 4. It depends on the type of mum, when it's planted, etc. I must have had at least 100, here, but only one survives and I won't be trying again.

We are certainly going to try to do everything we can to help these mums survive the winter. I'll let you know if we are successful.

One thing that's great about being a newbie gardener is that we will be trying things we think of, rather than things we should! LOL!!!! There's no pressure to be right!!

I like your thinking Candyce LOL

some of mine come back... lost a few over the past few years... mulch helps

Planting them late in the fall is a death sentence out here: not enough time to get rooted in properly.

I like your freedom from pressure, too, Candyce.

pirl is correct I think, if you get some nice young plants in the spring, not an easy task locally, they have all summer to put down good strong roots and will do much better getting through the winter. Once established as long as there is decent drainage they are pretty hard to kill off. Bluestone Perennials is the only place I know that really pushes the spring planting thing and they have a nice selection.

Excellent. I didn't know there was anyplace online to even buy them in the spring. For mums it's a great time to plant them.

I used to pinch my Mum but my shrink told me to stop.
Heather had 2 Mums but people complained to the Board of Education.

Dave - is Victor your other name? Has he infected you with the VV (Victor Virus)?

I'm sorry, but I was incredibly corny around here before Victor!

Ah yes, I remember it well.

And nothing has changed Dave.

Touche'

Pardon your French, s'il vous plait!

My mum that's in mostly shade blooms early and I keep forgetting it does I'll have to remember for next year . The other one I have I don't pinch but cut it back with hedge shears once, the week of July 4th, seems to work.