"zinnia green"

wrote in
ooglegroups.com...

My mums areflowering already. It's June and I was wondering if it would be
okay if I pinch them back and move them from a shady location to a sunny
area. My main concern is that they will not flower in the fall.

"zinnia green"

My mums are bulking up with buds too. Cut them half back now and they'll
double the amount of stems and double or triple flowers. Just keep watered
while they're recovering. I sometimes cut mine back once more in the middle
to end of July to get a late late blooming. But they do just fine with one
good whacking. Mine are in huge pots, the stems droop nicely around the pot
despite that it's their second growth and bloom by the end of August into
September, October and even early November.

You can even fertilize with time release Osmocote pellets or top dress your
mums with compost after you cut them back. they'll love you for it and it
will make a healthier root structure, which is important for good display
and more plants as it matures outwards from the center. If you'd like to
divide those mums if you think they're too huge, just slice thru the center
of the main plant if it's at least two years old and leave the severed part
alone but top dress it. The plant will divide it's growing energy to the two
halves and you'll have a separate plant in a few weeks to move to another
location. The severed part won't miss the other half as it's been healing
and growing replacement roots.

What color are your mums and what type of flower do they have? Pom Pom,
daisy or composite petal shape or a little of both? Clara Curtis or just a
good old mum? Upright growing? Or drooping with "arms" wide and lifting
upwards like? You might as well whack back the asters too, if you have
them. Some of mine are already blooming, and I see there are some
varieties of Crape myrtles that are already blooming, which spoils it for me
as it's too early, and being old fashioned and expriencing 52 Summer's, they
were always the herald of the end of summer's days when I first noticed
them.

Good luck with them, they'll do fine.
madgardener