7 Simple Ways to Revive Wilting and Dying Mums in Pots

Why Do Mums Turn Brown?

While there can be many reasons for chrysanthemums turning brown, it’s usually down to one of three categories. These are environmental concerns, diseases, and simple natural causes. In this section, we will cover these categories and the specific problems that could be plaguing your plant. We’ll also give you solutions on how to fix the problems.

Environmental concerns have to do with the environment in which your mums are planted, including the care that you give them. While they are a fairly low-maintenance plant, it’s still important that you do your best to find a good place for them and work to fulfill their needs. Happier mum plants produce more mum flowers, after all!

Chrysanthemums love the sun and thrive best when given full sun. The brightest and best blooms will happen when they get a lot of sunlight. They can handle some shade as well. Too little sun can mean the plant isn’t getting enough nutrients.

Photosynthesis is the process by which plants make their food, and this process requires sunlight. In this case, not getting enough sun can mean a lack of nutrition. Thus, the flowers will wilt and eventually turn brown. Take care that they get at least 6 hours of sun every day.

Also, keep in mind that mums will do better with some shade in the afternoon if you live somewhere warmer. It’s also not good for flowers to get too much sun because it can burn them and make them dry out and turn brown. The important thing is to find a good balance so that your moms get enough sun without too much.

Chrysanthemums can thrive in different types of soil. However, it’s important that the soil has good drainage. Poor drainage in the soil can end up rotting the roots of your plants. This will turn your flowers brown, as well as spell the death of the whole plant. This is something you will want to avoid at all costs, so do something to make the plant’s soil better. Mixing in sand and small gravel into the soil can help make for better drainage.

While we’re talking about making the soil better, mums can also have trouble and turn brown if the soil doesn’t have enough nutrients. Mums enjoy rich, fertile soils. They will be very happy to receive plant food or compost to enrich the soil they’re in. You can use a test kit to determine what nutrients your soil needs more of. Then, purchase a fertilizer that prioritizes those nutrients.

Bear in mind that using any fertilizer must be done with caution. Follow the instructions thoroughly and use only the recommended amount. Any less can mean little to no effect, which is a waste of effort. Any more, and you run the risk of burning your plant, which can also turn mums brown!.

Chrysanthemums need a good amount of water, and not fulfilling their watering needs can easily turn them brown. For reference, during the growing period, mums will need around an inch of water per week. Once they’re established and the buds begin to open, you will need to give them this amount two to three times a week! They’re certainly quite thirsty, so take care that they’re getting the water they need.

However, over-watering can also be an issue. If you give your plant too much water, it can suffocate and lose nutrients, which will make the flowers wilt and turn brown. If you can’t tell when your mums need water, try touching the soil.

Good watering will have the soil still be moist after a few days, but never wet or soggy. Soil that is too dry is definitely in need of refreshment. To get the color back in your mums, try to be moderate with the watering. Make sure the plant doesn’t get too wet.

Garden chrysanthemums can handle most types of weather, but they will turn brown in very hot or very cold circumstances. This is especially true when it’s cold outside, which mums may face more often since they grow best in the fall. Early hard frosts can cause your mums to wilt and turn brown.

You should try to cover your mums if you know it will be below 28 degrees Fahrenheit for more than 4 hours. This will keep them warm. The same can be said for any forecasted heavy rain, or even hail.

Drought will also be detrimental to your chrysanthemums’ health. If you live in a dry area or think the weather will get warmer and dry out the soil, you should water your flowers more often. Chrysanthemums enjoy a little bit of humidity, but too much can discolor the flowers as well. Plants will stay the same color as long as there is good air flow in the soil and the humidity doesn’t cause rot and other diseases.

Disease can certainly be devastating to your chrysanthemum plants, very easily turning their blooms brown. Chrysanthemums can get sick for a number of reasons. In this article, we’ll talk about the three most common ones. These are fungal diseases, bacterial diseases, and pest infestations that cause disease. Getting these under control can mean saving all your mums and getting them back to their gorgeous color.

It’s important to get rid of fungal diseases from your plants as soon as possible because they can be very bad for mums. The infection must be treated and kept under control in order to fix the problem. This must be done carefully and quickly. One common fungal disease plaguing chrysanthemums is fusarium wilt. Let’s take a closer look at this disease.

Fusarium wilt is caused by the fungus Fusarium oxysporum. This spreads via your mums’ roots and into their vascular tissues. The plant will wilt and the leaves will turn yellow or brown. Flowers may not bloom, in some cases not growing at all. Overall growth is stunted, too.

It’s simple to mix up this fungal infection with root rot because the main signs are the same. However, there are a few differences that can help you identify the issue. Sometimes, fusarium wilt will only make one part of the plant wilt, but root rot will make the whole plant wilt. One surefire way to tell is by looking at the roots. Fusarium wilt does not really affect the roots of the plant, so they will look healthy. Root rot, as the name implies, will rot the roots and darken their color.

You should get rid of this fungal infection right away because letting it spread could kill your chrysanthemums, which would be much worse than the plant turning brown. You can do this by cutting down any infected plants. Clear the area of contaminated debris to prevent further spread. Be sure to clean your tools thoroughly before using them again on healthy plants; this includes pots, too.

Using a fungicide can also help control the infection. Apply fungicide after you have cut off all diseased parts of the plant. Changing the soil pH to something more alkaline (6. 5 to 7. 0) creates an unfavorable environment that will deter fungus growth. Once the infection has cleared, new growth from your plant should be back to its normal color.

Ultimately, prevention is better than cure. Take care to purchase chrysanthemum plants that are certified disease-free. The fusarium fungus can live in your soil for years without being seen, so making sure your plants are free of it from the start will save you a lot of trouble.

Bacterial diseases are another common problem that can turn your chrysanthemum plants brown. They can be difficult to control, so acting fast is imperative. One common bacterial infection that affects chrysanthemums is chrysanthemum leaf spot. This is caused by the bacteria Pseudomonas cichorii.

This disease is sometimes spread through the leaves of the plant. The bacteria can be on leaves that look healthy, so it can be hard to tell if it’s there or not. Identification is key to mitigating the spread of the bacteria. Diseased plants will have irregular spots on the leaves, dark brown in color.

These will eventually dry out into a lighter color, and then crack. This starts at the plant’s base and slowly works its way up, curling the leaves and destroying both new and old flowers. The spots on the leaves will be damp; this is where the bacteria thrives. Be careful when handling these plants. Try to avoid touching them while they are wet, as this can spread the bacteria to healthy plants.

You can control the disease by using a copper hydroxide spray. Regular antibacterial sprays won’t cut it, unfortunately; these have been studied to be ineffective against this bacteria. Use the spray on the plant immediately after noticing the symptoms; spray thoroughly, ensuring the plant is covered. If there are any plants that are too badly diseased, remove these and destroy them. As always, deep clean your tools before using them on healthy plants.

Preventing this bacterial disease can be done by purchasing plants from a good source. Many chrysanthemum varieties will be more resistant to this type of disease. When planting, space the plants far enough apart to allow proper air circulation.

This will help mitigate the spread of bacteria, as they thrive in warm, damp conditions. Do not overfeed your chrysanthemums, as this can promote further bacterial growth. Lastly, water your plants from the bottom up instead of the top down. Wet leaves can let bacteria infect the plant.

Chrysanthemums can turn brown as a result of diseases spread by pests. All plants are susceptible to pest infestations, after all, even the hardy mum. Many pests can bring problems to the plant that will cause it to discolor and turn brown.

Many pests that plague chrysanthemums tend to be quite small. Thrips and mites are some of them; they’re certainly pretty difficult to spot. If you suspect an infestation, try placing a piece of white paper, cloth, or canvas under the leaves. Gently shake the plant, then check for black or red dots. You’ll know they’re pests if they move.

Other pests to watch out for are aphids, earwigs, slugs, and snails. These can all bear diseases that will harm your plant, as well as damage the foliage. To treat the problem, you can spray insecticide or insecticidal soap onto the plant. Monocrotophos (0. 04%) can be particularly useful for thrip infestations. The plant should stop turning brown once you get rid of the pests. It will then get better.

Lastly, your chrysanthemums may be turning brown from simple natural causes. If you’ve ruled out all other possibilities, it’s likely that the browning is something natural that happens. As long as you take good care of the plant, this will fix itself in due time, so don’t worry about it.

Acclimation may be the reason for your mums turning brown. Simply put, when you buy plants from nurseries, you will have to move them from where they are now to where they will be comfortable. This can be a stressful process for the plant. Because of this, it might show warning signs like wilting, drooping, lower leaves dying, and changes in color.

No matter how dramatic your moms are, you should be patient with them and help them as much as you can while they get used to their new home. With some extra care for a few weeks, they should be back to their best, with bright flowers and new leaves that stay green.

The final reason your mums could be turning brown is because of their natural life cycle. While they are fall flowers, the winter will also put them into dormancy. They will eventually turn brown and fall away when they have finished flowering for the year.

In this case, if you took good care of them, it’s time to say goodbye for the year and thank them for the beautiful flowers they brought to your garden. As long as you’ve been diligent about meeting their needs, they should come back in time for another amazing show in the fall.

How to Overwinter Potted Mums – SGD 259

FAQ

How do you bring potted mums back to life?

Why are my potted mums dying?

Will dead potted mums come back?

Can you rejuvenate mums?

How do you keep mums blooming?

Bring it inside a shed or garage. Cover the soil and stems with mulch, then top with a blanket. When you reveal the mum the next spring, new growth will have started to appear. All mums should be deadheaded if you want season-long, continuous blooms. Deadhead spent blooms as soon as they start to fade and turn brown.

Can you grow mums in a pot or container again?

If you want to grow your mums in a pot or container again, you will need to re-pot them with new potting soil. This allows for plenty of nutrients for the new season. Unfortunately, if left in the same soil, the plants will struggle to regain their strength.

Should I repot a new mum?

So, the best thing you can do with a new Mum is to repot in a better soil for faster drainage, and in a pot 2-inches bigger than the one the plant is in when you buy it. That ensures the roots have room to grow. For Mums to survive, they need sufficient root growth. As previously mentioned, repotting in a bigger container will fix that.

How do you repot a mum?

Mums need soil that is well-draining, and the soil can’t properly regulate moisture with the roots in this state. Repot your purchased mum as soon as you can once you bring it home. Choose a container that’s a couple of inches bigger to give the roots room to stretch. And, be sure to use potting mix to avoid any drainage issues from the get-go.

Can You transplant mums in a new pot?

Make sure you break up any roots that you can before you put it into the new pot. The surface of the soil should always rest at least an inch below the lip of the new pot when you transplant the mums. Then, once you have carefully put the plant in, it’s best to cover the root ball with potting soil.

Can potted mums survive winter?

You can extend the life of your plants by doing this, but eventually, they will succumb to freezing. You can also overwinter potted mums in a cool dark location, such as an unheated garage. As long as the roots don’t freeze, potted Mums can survive the winter. You can’t just put them in the garage and forget about them for the winter.