All Of A Sudden My 5-year-old Mums Are Dying. Can…
Antoinette Asked
All of a sudden my 5-year-old mums are dying. Can you help me? They are all different mums.
The Gardener’s Answer
Hello, Antoinette: Not having any details or a sample I can only speculate, but chrysanthemums are subject to many different insect and disease problems. Aphids and spider mites are the most common problem, but usually these insects are not detrimental to the plant. Excess moisture and lack of winter hardiness is usually the reason for plant failure. The most common chrysanthemums, or mums, are all hybrids, and depending on the cultivar they may or may not be hardy. If these were plants you purchased during the fall when the garden centers are filled with these colorful plants, they are probably not a hardy variety. They can potentially come back for a few years but are not a long-lived, reliable perennial. Since you have many different cultivars it may be more of a moisture issue causing them to decline. These plants require a well-drained soil; if they are growing in a space that does not drain well and you have had as much rainfall as we have had here in Kentucky, this could certainly be a possibility. You can always take a sample to your County Cooperative Extension Service for analysis. You can visit their Web site at http://ag.udel.edu/extension/directory/sussexcounty.htm. The horticulture agent will be able to give you a more definitive answer after looking at your sample.
