How to Grow Chrysanthemum
Chrysanthemum At a Glance
Difficulty
Moderate
Category
Flower
Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Frost Tolerance
Frost Hardy
Cold Hardiness
Survives to -23°C
Plant Family
Asteraceae
Growing Season
Cool & Warm Season
Plant Lifecycle
Perennial
How to Start It
★ Recommended for beginners
In spring, as new shoots appear, dig up the clump and pull or cut off the young outer pieces, each with roots and a few shoots. Throw away the old woody centre, which flowers poorly, and replant the pieces 30 cm apart. Water well, and they flower that fall.
Garden mums light up the fall, flowering when most else is fading. Many potted mums sold in the fall are not hardy enough to survive our winters, so for plants that come back, buy hardy garden mums and plant them in spring.
When To Start
First chance to plant
30 Days Before Last Frost
Last chance to plant
30 Days Before First Frost
When should you plant Chrysanthemum?
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Your Chrysanthemum Planting Window
Start planting
May 15, 2026
Last chance
Sep 10, 2026
Your Chrysanthemum Calendar
Set your location to turn these into exact dates and reminders.
Plant or divide chrysanthemums in spring
Around your last frost· every year
Pinch mum tips until midsummer for a bushy plant
45 days after your last frost· every year· optional
Cut and enjoy chrysanthemums this fall
30 days before your first frost· every year· optional
Did you water your chrysanthemum seedlings today? Keep the top of the soil damp until they are up and growing.
About 1 days after you plant it
How are your chrysanthemums doing? Pinch off the growing tips to make the plants bushier.
About 61 days after you plant it
Chrysanthemum check! Keep watering at the base as the plants get ready to bloom.
About 101 days after you plant it
Picking time may be here: check your chrysanthemum.
About 120 days after you plant it
The Journey Ahead
Chrysanthemum's Lifecycle
Seedling
Mature Plant
Seed Production
Step 1
Prepare Your Space
0.5 cm
Seeding Depth
30 cm
Plant Spacing
60 cm
Row Spacing
1
Plants / Sq Ft
Vertical Growing
Yes: Trellis.
Method: Trellis.
Succession Planting
Yes.
Good Companions
Bad Companions
Step 2
Planting & Sprouting
Expect sprouts in 10–21 days
Growing Tips
- 1Plant chrysanthemums in full sun, at least 6 hours a day, for a plant covered in flowers.
- 2Mix compost into soil that drains well, since wet soil in winter rots the roots.
- 3Water deeply once a week, more in hot spells, and water at the base to keep the leaves dry.
- 4Feed with compost tea every 3 to 4 weeks until the flower buds form.
- 5Pinch off the top 2 to 3 cm of each shoot every few weeks until midsummer so the plant grows bushy, then stop so it can make buds for fall.
- 6Wash aphids off with a spray of water, and keep cats and dogs away, since chrysanthemums can make pets sick if they chew them.
Seedling Phase
Step 3
Growth & Maturity
~120
Days to Maturity
90 cm
Mature Height
60 cm
Mature Width
Pests to Watch For
Diseases to Watch For
Mature Plant
Step 4
Harvesting
Harvest Window
45 days
When to Pick
Harvest blooms at peak color
How to Harvest
- 1Cut flowers for a vase when they are fully open, since mum buds do not open much after cutting.
- 2Cut in the morning, pull off the leaves that would sit under water, and put the stems in water right away.
- 3Change the water every few days, and the flowers often last 2 weeks or more.
- 4Leave the dead stems standing over winter, which helps the plant survive, and cut them back to a few cm in spring.
- 5Divide crowded clumps every 2 to 3 years to keep them flowering well.
Step 5
Saving Seeds
How to Save Seeds
Garden mums are mostly hybrids, so plants from saved seed rarely look like the parent and often flower poorly. Many also set little or no seed before frost in a short Canadian fall. To keep a mum you love, take cuttings or divide it instead. If you want to try seed anyway, leave a few flowers to dry on the plant, cut the brown heads into a paper bag, and rub out the tiny seeds. Store them in a labelled envelope somewhere cool, dark and dry, and sow them the next spring.
Seed Production
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