It looks like we have freezing temperatures, or near freezing temperature in the not too distant future. So, if you, like many of us gardeners, have been lulled into a state of endless summer, there is a rude awakening on the horizon. This means that if we want to save some of our plants that are not rated for our growing zone, now is the time to bring them in.

We’ve talked about growing zones recently, but we are in growing zone 7b. Plants with growing zone numbers higher than 7 are likely going to need to be indoors if you want them to survive the winter. As a quick review, wash them off really well outside, allow them to dry, and they put them in a place where they can survive until spring. Now if you are one of the lucky ones with a sunroom or such thing, your plants have a great place to over-winter. If you don’t have a place like this, you will probably need to provide your plants with extra light from a grow light.

That being said, we had a tropical hibiscus for years and this plant spent the winters in our garage. There was no special lighting, and I just gave it some water every once in a while. It survived for years. Yes, it would lose all its leaves, but come spring, I would put it back outside and all was well. I can’t promise all plants will be so forgiving.

But what about those beautiful fall potted mums you purchased at the nursery to brighten up your patio or front door? Are they doomed for the trash bin? Absolutely not. Most mums after winter hardy in zones 5 through 9 so there’s no reason you can’t plant those for future enjoyment.

One of the great things about mums is that they are available in a wide selection of colors, sizes, and shapes. If you are someone who enjoys a variety of colors in your flowers, you’ll find mums that are yellow, orange, red, burgundy, pink, white, and purple. They also come in a variety of shapes which of course have names. First there are the “cushions” which are a double flowered cultivar. “Decoratives” have double or semi-double flowers on them while “pompoms” have smaller flowers that are ball shaped. While this is interesting, most of us are going to pick a pot of mums based on color and how many flowers the plant has.

While spring planting works best, you can plant them in the fall. As an experiment a few years ago, I took one of those beautiful, bright yellow, fall mums and deposited it into an open spot in our flower garden. Honestly, I didn’t expect much, but giving it a shot at life rather than just throwing it in the trash when the blooms petered out just felt better. But each year that plant came back and each year it pushed out those beautiful yellow flowers. So, the moral of the story is, don’t underestimate those potted mum you purchased.

One thing that might work against the winter survivability of your mum is that mums tend to have shallow root systems. A shallow root system is going to be more susceptible to freezing temperatures during the winter. So, if you plant one of your fall mums, it’s a good idea to give it a healthy layer of mulch. These shallow roots are also more susceptible to drying out in the winter so plan on providing supplemental water as needed during the winter.

As far as picking a spot to place your mum, they like moist, well-drained soil since mums can fall victim to root rot if their roots remain wet for a while. They also need the sun (like most blooming flowers). So, place your mum in a spot that receives at least 6 hours of direct sunlight per day.

Once the plant goes dormant in the winter, try to resist the temptation to cut back those dead stems. Leaving them will help provide some additional insulation during the winter and possibly provide a home for an over-wintering insect or two. You can prune back those dead stems in the spring once new growth begins.

In the spring when the new growth is over 6 inches long, trim the tips of the branches. This will encourage your plant to grow bushier and produce more blooms. You can pinch them back two or three times during the growing season, but you will need to stop doing this around the first of July to encourage more fall blooms.

It’s really pretty simple, and if you already have a potted mum on your porch etc., it’’s an easy experiment that just might pay off with flowers for years to come.

You can get answers to all your gardening questions by calling the Tulsa Master Gardeners Help Line at 918-746-3701, dropping by our Diagnostic Center at 4116 E. 15th Street, or by emailing us at mg@tulsamastergardeners.org. Photo: OSU Ag. Communications