How to Care for Outdoor Chrysanthemums in Arkansas

Select a site in the garden that receives full sunlight and that has soil that drains well. Look for areas of the garden that aren't shaded by trees or other structures, as these create undesirably shaded areas.

Plant the chrysanthemums 18 to 24 inches apart to give them adequate space to grow. The flowers should be planted to the same depth as the soil in their original containers and watered thoroughly immediately after they are planted to ensure their success.

Fertilize the plants using a complete fertilizer, such as 5-10-5, applying about 2 pounds of fertilizer for every 100 square foot of garden space. Use a dry fertilizer and apply water to the area after it has been fertilized. Arkansas is fortunate in that the soil is rich in nutrients – this means fertilizer might not be necessary for growth. If you notice your plants are flourishing without additional fertilizer, then there is no need to apply it.

Apply 2 inches of organic mulch around the base of the chrysanthemums. This will keep weeds at bay and lock in moisture.

Water the plants only when it is apparent the soil has started to dry. Since Arkansas receives an average of around 3.5 inches of precipitation per month in the summer, this might be adequate to eliminate manual watering. As a general rule of thumb, the soil should be soaked to a depth of 4 to 6 inches.

Pinch off any obviously leggy stems. Pinching is important to the successful growth of chrysanthemums because it helps delay flowering, reduces the plant's height so it is more aesthetically appealing, and induces lateral growth. To pinch off the ends, wait until the plant is about 6 to 10 inches tall. Use your forefinger and thumb to pinch off the soft part of the shoot and two or three open leaves. This is called soft pinching. If you pinch off a longer part of the shoot up to the hard shoot of the plant, it is called hard pinching. Repeat if the plant develops leggy stems later on in the growing season.

Prepare the plants for winter by cutting off the dead top of the plant and covering the plant in a mound of organic mulch. Since Arkansas winters are quite mild, with temperatures that dip only into the teens and rarely below zero, it is possible that chrysanthemums will last more than one season. .