How to Make Football Mums Bloom in Winter

Plant fall and winter Football Mums in August to September for timely blooming. Plant the mums in pots with drainage holes at this time to maintain flexible placement. Use 10- to 12-inch and 3-gallon pots for single plantings and larger containers for multiple plantings. Football Mums require large spaces and good balance for growth.

Fill the pots and containers to within 1 inch of the top with a mixture of organic compost and garden loam, with slow-release 5-10-10 fertilizer. Mums need rich, moist and quick-draining soil for growth and blooming.

Plant Football Mums with 18 inches of space in container situations. Do single plantings in smaller pots and multiple plantings in larger containers, but keep in mind that these plants become large and unwieldy with age, and may be easier to handle in single plantings.

Put the plants in sites with full sunshine and good air movement, and water them with 2 inches of water every week. Never allow the mums to wilt or grow dry.

Move the mums indoors ahead of the first frost to keep them blooming. Put them in sites with full natural or artificial light every day and keep fans on in the room for air movement. Maintain waterings of 2 inches every four to five days, and watch for drying; soil dries more quickly in indoor situations. Maintain temperatures of 60 to 70 degrees F for continued blooming.

Feed the plants every month with water-soluble bloom booster fertilizer to maintain nutrition and encourage continued growth. Use the fertilizer solution as a weekly watering.

Deadhead the Football Mums regularly. Pull or clip wasted blooms from the plants to encourage reblooming.