I bought 3 little mums and they are blossoming. I heard that you are suppose to cut the first flowers.?

Answer 1

If they are new to you this year, I wouldn't worry about it. Many mums will bloom 'early' if they aren't pinched. Actually, the pinching causes them to bush out, and bloom later, in the fall, when we are accustomed to seeing them bloom.

You will probably have to pinch once in June, and maybe a second pinch in July (depending on where you live, and how warm the summer is). The second 'pinch' is tricky, because if you pinch too late, you may not get any flowers. It's a trial and error sort of chore.

Good luck

Answer 2

Keep and enjoy your pretty flowers. It's not the flowers that you pinch, it's the new growth. BUT do deadhead the flowers as they begin to die. This will keep the mums blooming.

Pinching Chrysanthemum Flowers:
Pinching chrysanthemums yields compact, bushy plants with more blooms. "Pinching" simply means removing the tips of new growth, thereby stimulating the chrysanthemums to send out side-shoots. Start in the spring when the new growth has reached 4-6" in length. Thereafter, every 2-3 weeks, pinch the center out of any more growth when it reaches 6". But stop pinching chrysanthemums around the beginning of summer, or else bud formation won't occur soon enough to ensure flowering.

Answer 3

Yes, generally you want to cut the first flowers, to allow the leaf buds and flowers along the sides of the main stem to branch better. That way, you have a fuller plant, and you will ultimately get more blossoms.

Answer 4

little mums?.... the kind in little pots or six-packs?.... they are really too young to be blooming, but have been 'forced' by the growers so you'd know what color they are..... if you remove those few flowers before you plant the little thing, and keep pinching off new flower buds until about the end of AUgust,(this means it won't be in full bloom until the end of Sept or so!)... you allow it to concentrate on putting down ROOTS to survive on , rather that bustin' it to produce more flowers already...and by that time, it should have grown to a good sized plant....... it's a common practice among good landscapers....