What Is the Germination Period for Mums?

Germination Time

• Mums' flower heads produce a large number of hard-coated, small-sized seeds. Store the seeds that are collected during early spring in a dry place for four months, and then plant in summer. Mums seeds are hybrid in nature and do not breed true to the parent plants. Under optimal growing conditions, the seeds germinate in four to six weeks.

Planting Medium

• Sterilized seed compost helps germination. Mix together 10 lbs. of coarse sand, 10 lbs. of leaf mold, ¼ lb. of superphosphate, ½ lb. of hoof and hornmeal and ¼ lb. of muriate of potash. Heap the material in a mound and leave it for a month. Sieve the material and drench it with a solution of 1-1/3 oz. of formalin mixed with a quart of water. Cover material with a plastic sheet for 48 hours. Remove the material and use it to plant seed after a week.

Planting Method

• Scatter seeds over the prepared seeding compost and cover them lightly with about a ¼ inch of the same compost. Water the seeds once a day to keep the bed moist but not wet. Once the seeds germinate, let seedlings grow to the four- to six-leaf stage before transferring to a permanent spot in the garden or in individual pots filled with potting soil. The sterilized seeding compost is also suitable for rooting chrysanthemum cuttings.

Cultural Conditions

• Plant mums in well-draining, moist soil amended with 2 to 4 inches of organic material, such as rotted manure, compost or peat moss in the top 8 to 12 inches of soil. The best spring planting time is between late April and May. Pruning the plants after blooming ends encourages plants to rebloom in the fall. Plant mums in a full sun site and space plants 1-½ to 2 feet apart. Irrigate the mums well through out the season.