When Can You Split Mums?

General Chrysanthemum Care

• Chrysanthemums thrive in full sun. Placing them in a location that receives at least five hours of direct sunlight -- preferably during the morning -- ensures that your plants are healthy and free of mildew or disease. Water chrysanthemums approximately an inch per week during the early part of the growing season, then increase watering during the warmest part of the season as well as when plants are in full bloom. Planting mums in soil that provides ample drainage is another key to cultivating vibrant blooms. Avoid placing chrysanthemums against walls and solid fences, as this type of plant requires sufficient airflow. Since chrysanthemums are perennials, they'll go dormant through the winter and resume blooming each spring. To give mums an advantage, cut plants to the ground and cover them with mulch at the end of the fall season; in spring, remove the mulch.

Pinching Mums

• When your mums display new spring growth that reaches 4 to 6 inches tall, you can "pinch" this new growth to encourage the plant to develop a denser branching pattern. Every two to three weeks, simply pinch off the top half of each new shoot with your fingers. Continue pinching until early or mid July, and by fall you'll have thick, bushy plants.

Growing Chrysanthemum Cuttings

• Propagating chrysanthemums with cuttings throughout the spring season is fairly easy as long as the plant has new growth at least 6 inches tall. Simply cut or break off approximately the top 4 inches of growth, and push the end approximately 1 inch deep into a pot filled with soil or a mixture of sand and peat moss. If desired, dip the cut end of the stem in rooting hormone prior to planting. For two weeks, or until the cutting develops roots, keep the pot in a warm location that receives plenty of indirect sunlight and maintain moist soil. To avoid shocking fragile cuttings, gradually expose them to brighter sunlight before transplanting outdoors.

Splitting Mum Plants

• If your plants are a few years old and are established in a garden bed, propagating mums is even easier. When you observe new growth in the spring, use a shovel or spade to break a large plant into smaller foot-wide sections. Dig a new hole for each section you need to transplant -- about twice as large as the root ball -- and add fertilizer to give your new plants a healthy start.