How to Care for Spider Mums

Plant the mums in a well-drained, full-sun garden bed in spring after frost danger is past. Set the plants in the soil at the same depth they were growing at in their seedling container. Space spider mums approximately 18 inches apart in all directions.

Water spider mums once weekly, providing about 1 inch of water. Keep the soil evenly moist at all times. When watering, supply the water to the base of the plant via a hose or watering can, as opposed to overhead watering that wets the foliage.

Fertilize the plants once monthly, beginning at planting and continuing through the end of July. Apply a soluble fertilizer formulated for flowering garden plants at the rate recommended on the label.

Pinch back the growing tips of the mums to the topmost bud on each stem. Pinching encourages the mum to grow fuller and produce more buds. Begin pinching at planting and repeat every three weeks until late June. The spider mums begin producing flower buds at this time, so continued pinching prevents fall bloom.

Cut off the old flowers after they begin to wilt. Trim these off right above the topmost bud or leaf. Removing the spent blooms encourages the spider mum to produce more blossoms and improves the appearance of the plant.

Cover the mums with a 6-inch layer of straw mulch after a frost causes the spider mums to die back. The mulch protects the plant roots over winter if you desire to grow them as perennials.

Remove the mulch in spring after frost danger passes. Cut back the old, dead plant to within 2 inches of the ground. The spider mum regrows from the root system as the weather begins to warm.