How to Pick the Best Mums at the Store for Blooms That Last All Season Long

Mums are one of autumn's most iconic flowers. They brighten porches and gardens with vibrant colors and make beautiful indoor centerpieces for seasonal décor. To ensure your mums bloom and thrive all season, start by choosing the best plants and giving them extra care along the way. We spoke with a floral expert about how to pick healthy mums at the store so you can make the most of their beauty all season—and avoid wasting time and money on the wrong ones.

Choosing the Right Mums

If you garden often, you likely have a trusted local vendor to source your flowers and plants from. Local growers and floral shops often provide higher-quality plants than big-box retail stores, so if you can, seek out a store near you that you know you can trust for top quality.

While you're shopping, look for mums with healthy and hydrated soil that are in a container with proper drainage, says Kell Denney, plant manager at The Perfect Petal. Ensure that all the foliage is vibrant and not wilting and that the flower stems are still intact, firm, and upright.

It's tempting to choose the prettiest flowers with the biggest blooms at the store, but it's crucial that you select plants that are only 20 percent in bloom, according to Denney. "This will allow you to see the shape and colors of the mums and will leave you with more time to enjoy them," she says.

Warning Signs to Avoid

Even though you trust your local shop, not every plant on display is a good investment. While shopping, keep your eye out for red flags such as powdery mildew, root rot, or any blackened leaves, stems, or petals on the mums.

Plants with poor soil quality, wilted foliage, or containers without any drainage are also signs that the mum may not stay healthy for very long, says Denney. If most of the blooms have already opened or are starting to fade, the plant's peak has most likely passed.

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Helping Mums Thrive at Home

Picking the best mum at the store doesn't mean there is no after-care once you take it home. For long-lasting blooms, you have to provide the right care consistently. If you decide to display your mums indoors, apply a preventative pest treatment right away to protect against any infestations, says Denney.

"However, if the mums are being placed outside, make sure the soil stays hydrated and doesn't dry out more than the top 2 inches of soil base," she recommends. If you live in a region that reaches freezing temperatures at night, make sure you cover your mums with a lightweight fabric or plastic sheet to protect them from the cold.