growing autumn glory mums from seed (long question)

14 years ago

I did this last year, but I had problems.

They say they only get 12 inches tall and 20 inches across. But mine were more like 2 feet tall by 20 inches wide in mum pans! I pinched them to about 2 inches tall when I potted them,early june, then I pinched them again to 2 more inches growth over that,4th july, some of them I even pinched again end of july but I had to stop then and let them bud up. I grew them on and they got huge! has anyone else tried them and did they turn out short or tall?

On the plus side, I didn't sell all of them as straggly as they looked, but they said they were hardy to zone 3. So I planted about 20 of them along the driveway late last fall. Like 1 week before a hard freeze, they all still came back. Those belgium mums don't hardly ever come back here even if you plant them early. So the hardiness is good.

I grow with promix brk, used 1 teaspoon timed release 14-7-12 3 month release from harrell's in each pot and fertilize with 200 ppm 20-20-20 plant marvel.

Was it simply too much fertilizer? I read the ball book and it said they need high fertilizer rates and the plants looked healthy, green, bloomed well, but just way taller then stated. I had never tried to grow mums before, just got them off the amish at the auction, but I wanted to try and grow some that would be more hardy.

would like to try them again but I think I might need growth regulator on them? or what did I do wrong?

Thanks for your help!

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Comments (7)

sandy0225
Original Author
14 years ago
here's a link to the ones I grew:

Here is a link that might be useful: autumn glory mums
myfamilysfarm
14 years ago
Sandy, if your Amish is like mine in Rockville, go to one of the greenhouse growers within the community and ask him. I ask alot of questions of my Amish community greenhouse grower. I know him and respect him and his knowledge, and he knows that, so he answers my questions. The questions he doesn't know, he tells me that he doesn't. We have friendly relationship.
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sandy0225
Original Author
14 years ago
Yeah, I can do that. I was just hoping someone here had been cheap like me and wanted to try that variety from seeds. I ordered them from hazzards greenhouse in michigan, but I've seen the same seeds sold on other sites with exactly the same finished size reported, and actually even one picture, the same one on the internet.
I didn't know if the size problem was cultural from my care, or if the seed company was just making up a size on the actual finished plants. You know sometimes short plants are sometimes stated as taller if it's what customers want, and taller plants are sometimes stated as shorter than they really finish if it's what the consumers want at the time.
All the Amish around here use belgium mums from cuttings. I haven't heard of a one that uses seed-grown--because I kind of asked around this summer when I was there picking up some green beans at an auction.
myfamilysfarm
14 years ago
My Amish get starts for their mums. I know they use hydrocloric acid for something to do with the mums, but I don't know what. I haven't tried mums yet, last year their prices were more than I could afford. Plus it seems like I never bring a big enough vehicle. I'm 50 miles one way away from them, and hate to make an extra trip. Which auction do you attend, Clearspring?
sandy0225
Original Author
14 years ago
Williamsburg, close to the richmond area off of 35 in Wayne county is usually where we go. Or occasionally to Berne to the Adams County produce auction.
myfamilysfarm
14 years ago
For some reason I thought you were up north. You're just on the opposite side of the state.
sunnfarm3
14 years ago
I grew autumn glory 20 years ago and found them to be a total waste of time. Im not surprised they grew tall and spindly. That is why nobody who sells mums grows the seed types. If you want to grow them again you can use a retardant applied up to bud stage. B nine 2 tablespoons per gallon is the standard product we all use to keep plants short... Bob.