With effort, mums will last more than a season

Every month I respond to several questions posed by readers. If you would like to send your question, please do so by writing to the address or e-mail address below. I am happy to respond to as many questions as possible, either through question-and-answer columns or the regular columns. Please do not send a self-addressed stamped envelope, as I am unable to respond to questions individually.

Q: We planted eight potted mums about the first of September. If we want to winter them over, do we just give them a heavy mulch until spring? When should we cut the flowering stems back? – L.C., Bangor.

A: To try your hand at overwintering chrysanthemums, simply cut back the foliage of each plant when it appears thoroughly desiccated by frost. The leaves will look wilted but may still retain some green coloration. Cut stems back to within 2 inches of the soil line.

Many mums will overwinter without the additional protection of mulch. However, mulching with a layer of evergreen boughs, fallen leaves from deciduous trees or any other appropriate cover is acceptable, as long as it is removed in a timely manner in spring. The gardener’s goal should be to protect the plants from potential repeated freezing and thawing of autumn and spring weather. Therefore, a sound technique is to apply mulch after a good solid freezing in fall or early winter and to remove the mulch after the danger of solid freezing in spring.

Mums will emerge early in spring, produce gorgeous foliage throughout summer and naturally will begin to develop flower buds in mid-summer. Some gardeners like to encourage a greater production of buds by pinching the tips of mums sometime in the month of July. Removing the top inch or so from each stem physically removes the growth regulators that produce more terminal growth. This encourages bushier growth of the plant and a greater number of flowers.

You may experience some mortality among your plants, but homegrown mums are worthy of the attempt.

Q: Every year crab apples fall from several trees in my front yard. I never have raked them away, thinking somehow that the nutrients from the composting apples might provide future fertility to my trees. A neighbor suggested that my assumption may be incorrect – that they may be doing more harm then good. What do you think? Should the apples be raked away or left? – M.R., Bath.

A: Leaving crab apples on the ground may pose several drawbacks. First, if simply left on the ground, the fruit are not composting, really, they are rotting. This process is different from composting in that it may encourage detrimental fungi and other organisms that may negatively affect the health of the tree over time. Another drawback to leaving the fruit beneath the tree is that it may attract mice and other wildlife and could girdle or physically damage the tree in some way.

If you’d like to harness the nutrient power of the crab apples, consider starting a compost pile, heap or bin. Rake away the apples and cart them off to the service area in your yard or garden. Begin the composting process by adding to the apples fallen foliage from the trees, lawn clippings, organic (nonanimal-based) household waste and other organic material appropriate for composting. Layer in some soil and fresh manure and turn the pile regularly. Next spring apply the finished compost beneath the canopy area of your trees.

Diana George Chapin is the NEWS garden columnist. Send horticulture questions to Gardening Questions, 512 North Ridge Road, Montville 04941, or e-mail them to dianagc@midcoast.com. Selected questions will be answered in future columns. Include name, address and telephone number.