Whats going on with my mums?

11 years ago

I take care of a small bed in the middle of a parking lot. The bed is full sun all day. The mums that come up this year are only blooming on 1 side of the plant. All the blooms face the north. Why are the mums not blooming on the other sides? Is this a disease or fungus?

Comments (4)

ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
11 years ago
i am sorry.. but that is funny ...

now to the serious part ... i doubt.. highly.. that it is disease. of either of your options .. you just dont get a half a plant affected by such ...

did you pinch them back.. if so.. when was the last time.. because it was right after the pinching that the bud set occurred .. that the buds.. on the south face.. were somehow destroyed ...

i might guess .. a week of temps over 100 on a blacktop.. a nearby lawn was sprayed... something was sprayed on the parking lot ... or even.. someone is messing with your head ...

i think it is 'cultural' ... can you think of anything.. out of the ordinary.. during bud set???

ken
btalarczyk
Original Author
11 years ago
Thanks for the response Ken....Sorry for my delay in getting back with you.

Ok, so here's what I know. The mums were never pinched, they grew naturally. The grass field by them does not get any fertilizer or herbicide applications and the parking lot has not had any work done to it this year. Really wierd! There are buds all over the non blooming side but they are small.

The mums were planted in the fall of 2011 and we decided to leave them in for this year. I have noticed another bed across town with the same mums planted the same year that are doing the same thing. The pictures of the new mums are below. Could these be "bad mums" from the nursery? Notice how the second set of mums are darker green on the side with the flowers and the side that did not bloom is much lighter green. Soil issue? Iron? Some other nutrient lacking? This is weird!
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calliope
11 years ago
Mums are photosensitive. They bloom in response to daylength. Light will tend to hold the bloom response back. Is there a strong light source on the non-blooming side like landscape lighting?
ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
11 years ago
mums are usually sold.. around em anyway in near pure peat.. a glob of media.. that holds ridiculous amounts of water..

when this peaty mix.. is planted into native soil.. SOMETIMES.. it can cause problems.. due to the divergence of the two things ... either staying too wet.. or too dry.. or whatever ...

when these were planted.. were they simply tipped out of the pot.. and shoved in the ground????

seeing the same issue around town.. leads me to bet.. my one shiny nickle.. the others came from the same source .. and that somehow .. it traces back ...

my bottom line.. get rid of them... or root some new ones.. in small pots with native soil ... and transplant them back ...

this might also answer why half the plant is not as vigorous as the other.. two cuttings were placed in the original pot.. and one is coping better than the other in that gob of potting media .... who knows ... which side of the plant is more vigorous.. the side away from prevailing sun.. [shaded by the struggling side???] ...

and answer the question above ...

most likely.. this will be a mystery left for the ages .... get rid of them ... but when you do.. tell us what you find underground .... which is were most mysteries are..

ken