Chrysanthemum in Vegetable Gardens

Chrysanthemum Facts

• Chrysanthemums, or mums, are bright annual flowers that stay relatively small and bloom in reds, pinks, yellows, oranges and whites, and varied patterns. The plants grow, thrive and bloom from spring to fall, then die in frost. Gardeners in warm U.S. Department of Agriculture planting zones 10 and 11 may grow mums as garden perennials in the absence of frost, though gardeners in the rest of the country must replant every spring.

Growing Season and Needs

• Mums bloom and bear their flowers in late summer and fall, so will show their colors when spring-planted vegetables bear their fruit. Plant the mums in spring with the new vegetables, in a rich, crumbly mix of organic compost and natural soil. Water mums on the same schedule as the vegetable plants, and feed them once with 5-10-5, 5-10-10 or 5-20-20 granular fertilizer, early in the season.

Spacing

• Mums require full sunshine to grow and bear their blooms, so plant them out of any shade in the garden. Use them as a border of protection for the garden, and plant them in open spaces between low-growing plants. Keep the mums out of deep shade below tall plants like tomatoes and corn.

Protection

• Chrysanthemums serve a triple function in gardens, and provide both beauty and pest control for organic gardeners. The foliage and flowers draw aphids and spider mites to keep them off the tender vegetable plants, while the strong scent of mums drives away Japanese beetles. Some mum cultivars also prevent nematodes in the soil of the garden.