Chrysanthemum

Stocky mounds of mum glow like bright globes on front process across town. Packed into fall beds, they are the essence of mass color.

The chrysanthemum, a member of the Compositae family, has been in cultivation in Japan and China for more then 3,000 years. Hybridization in the 1980's brought us the shorter, bushier, bloom-covered domes that are so popular today.

Generally, we select florist-mums for indoor decoration. In doing so, look for strong plants with dark green foliage without damaged or broken flowers. Select those with flowers about halfway open (no more than three-quarters open), depending on your needs.

While chrysanthemum means "golden flower" in Greek there are white, lavender, pink, bronze, and red mums, too. Flower forms - 13 in all - vary from tiny buttons to globes 8 inches across. Single, daisy-like mums have two to three rows of petals. The center shows, but it is not dominant. The easy-to-grow pom­pons are small, with fully double flower heads as deep as they are wide. Anemone forms are semi double with open, dome­-shaped centers. Spider mums have hooks at the end of their petals, and spoons fea­ture spoon shaped tubular petals.

Most mum enthusiasts, however, find that hardy chrysanthemums, rather than florist types, perform best in the garden. Garden mums, as they are often called, grow spring and summer, flower in the fall, survive winter and return the following year. Those who garden in coastal areas and experience mild winters may find that plants flower in spring, as well.

With a little care, hardy mums return annually to give us seasonal displays of white, bright yellow, gold, bronze, maroon, even pastels October to December. Mum blossoms are triggered by the shorter days of fall. If you plant mums near outdoor night light, the blooms will be delayed.

Chrysanthemums can be gown from cuttings, root divisions and plants. The ideal planting time is after the first frost.

Plant mums in a location that allows about six hours of sunlight. The less light, the taller the plant will grow.

Good drainage and fertile soil are necessary. Raise the bed several inches to ensure adequate drainage. An ideal mix consists of bark mulch, sand, compost and garden sod. Add trace elements and fertilize with a 20-20 mixture until color starts. Fertilizing too late will result in droopy blooms, experts say. When planting mums in a bed, keep color and mature height and width in mind. Plant the larger types about 18 inches apart, the smaller ones a foot apart. Mums have shallow, hori­zontal root systems, so avoid planting too deep. You're safe if you plant the mums no deeper than they w ere in their nursery containers. Look for the soil lines on the stems to be certain.

Both the number of blooms and the size of the plant are controlled by pinching back the growing tips. Exhibitors of mums go for fewer and larger blooms, while those who grow mums in the yard want many blooms. As plants grow during spring and summer, pinch a half-inch or so from the plant tips to encourage a large, bushy mum with a number of blooms. When a stem is pinched, the axillary buds at the base of each leaf on that stem are stimulated and begin to grow. The theory is that if there are six (or eight) leaves on the stem pinched, six (or eight) new branches should develop.

Discontinue pinching about two months before the anticipated bloom date in fall.

When blooms have faded in late fall or winter, cut mums back to 2 inches above the ground and mulch heavily to protect through the winter. Mum plants may grow during a mild winter, especially in coastal areas, and cutting them back prevents a straggly look. If you wish, root the cuttings.