How to Care for Mums in Central Florida

Place newly purchased potted mums in partial to full sun. Dappled sunlight or afternoon shade is ideal to protect mums from Florida's hot afternoon sun in fall when mums are most popular.

Water the mums when the soil is dry to the touch about 2 or 3 inches deep. Apply enough water that it drips out the drainage hole. Pinch off the dead blossoms when you water to maintain attractive looking plants.

Amend the soil in a planting area that's twice as wide as the mum's container and just as deep, mixing in 2 inches of compost, peat moss or another organic matter. Choose a spot that receives six hours of sunlight, but again, some afternoon shade is ideal. Space mums 2 feet apart.

Remove the mums from their containers after a watering when the plants are finished flowering and are no longer wanted as potted plants. Loosen the roots with your hands if they are circling the root ball. Dig holes in the amended soil and plant the mums so they are planted at the same depth as they were in the containers. You do not need to store mums indoors or in a protected location for winter in Central Florida as you do in cool climates.

Water the newly planted mums with 1 inch of water and add a 1-inch layer of mulch, such as leaves or pine straw. Cut the plants so they stand 8 inches tall. Continue to keep the soil moist throughout the year.

Pinch or cut off the top 1 or 2 inches just under a set of leaves after the mums put forth 6 inches of new growth in spring. Continue to pinch the stems in the same manner whenever they grow an additional 6 to 8 inches, to create compact, flowering mums rather than tall, leggy ones with few blooms. Stop pinching in early- to mid-August so the mums can grow and bloom for a beautiful fall display.

Fertilize mums two times a year in early spring and in early summer, spreading a 6-1-6 granular fertilizer evenly around the plants at rate of 1/4 pound for every 25 square feet of space. Water the mums after each feeding.

Divide mums every two years in early spring, lifting the plants from the soil with a garden fork and cutting them into two or three sections with a spade. Replant and care for newly divided mums in a similar manner as you did when you first planted them.