Skip to content

How to Grow Chrysanthemum

Chrysanthemum morifolium

Perennial

Hardy chrysanthemums come back year after year when left in the ground. Plant in full sun with well-drained soil — wet winter soil is the main killer. Cut back to ground level after flowering and mulch the crowns in autumn. Divide every 2-3 years in spring to maintain vigour and prevent die-back in the centre.

Yearly Lifecycle

|
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Spring Growth Flowering Growing Leaf Fall

Care Essentials

Balanced feed weekly from late spring. Switch to high-potash feed fortnightly once buds form in late summer.

Watch For

  • Aphids
  • Capsid bug
  • White rust
  • Leaf miner
  • Earwigs

Companions

Asters, Ornamental grasses, Sedum, Rudbeckia

Track your Chrysanthemum care schedule — pruning, feeding, and seasonal tasks

Start planning free

Care Requirements

☀️ Light

Full sun essential

Needs at least 6 hours of direct sun daily. Poor light leads to weak, floppy stems and fewer flowers.

💧 Watering

Regular watering, avoid wetting foliage

Water regularly at soil level during the growing season. Avoid overhead watering which promotes fungal disease. Reduce watering once plants die back in autumn.

🌱 Fertilizing

Weekly balanced feed, switch to high-potash when buds form

Feed weekly with a balanced liquid fertiliser from late spring. Switch to a high-potash feed fortnightly once buds begin to form in late summer.

✂️ Pruning

Pinch tips in late spring; cut back to ground after flowering

Pinch out growing tips when shoots reach 15-20 cm in late spring to encourage bushy growth. Cut back to ground level after flowering in autumn. Divide clumps every 2-3 years in spring.

🍂 Mulching

Mulch crowns in late autumn

Apply a 5-10 cm layer of bark chippings or straw over the crown after cutting back in autumn. This protects against hard frosts and retains moisture. Remove in spring once new growth appears.

Growing Tips

Pinch for a better display

Pinch out the growing tips when shoots reach 15-20 cm in late spring. This encourages multiple branching stems and far more flowers in autumn.

Drainage is non-negotiable

Perennial mums tolerate cold but not wet feet in winter. If your soil is heavy, improve drainage with grit or raise the planting area slightly.

Divide to keep vigour

Lift and divide clumps every 2-3 years in spring, replanting only the young outer sections. The woody centre loses vigour and should be discarded.

Mulch crowns in autumn

After cutting back, cover the crown with a 5-10 cm layer of bark or straw mulch. This insulates against hard frosts and retains moisture through winter.

Pests & Diseases

Pest Aphids

Identification: Clusters of small green, black or pink insects on shoot tips and undersides of leaves, often with sticky honeydew

Organic treatment:
  • Squash by hand or blast off with a water jet
  • Spray with fatty acid or plant oil-based insecticide
  • Encourage ladybirds, lacewings and hoverflies
Chemical treatment:
  • Spray with a contact insecticide containing deltamethrin
Pest Capsid Bug

Identification: Ragged holes and distorted shoot tips; brown-edged puncture marks on young leaves. Bugs are fast-moving and rarely seen

Organic treatment:
  • Remove plant debris where bugs overwinter
  • Encourage ground beetles and spiders as natural predators
Chemical treatment:
  • Spray with a contact insecticide when damage first appears
Pest Earwigs

Identification: Ragged, irregular holes chewed in petals and young leaves, mainly overnight. Earwigs hide in flower heads during the day

Organic treatment:
  • Trap in upturned pots stuffed with straw placed on canes among plants
  • Shake flower heads over a sheet to dislodge and remove
Chemical treatment:
  • No chemical controls currently available for home gardeners
Pest Chrysanthemum Leaf Miner

Identification: Pale, winding tunnels (mines) visible within the leaf tissue, created by larvae feeding between leaf surfaces

Organic treatment:
  • Pick off and destroy affected leaves promptly
  • Squash larvae visible within mines
Chemical treatment:
  • No effective chemical controls available for home gardeners
Disease Chrysanthemum White Rust Puccinia horiana

Symptoms: Pale green or yellow spots on upper leaf surface with buff-white pustules of spores on the underside

Treatment: Remove and destroy affected leaves immediately. Do not compost infected material

Prevention: Ensure good air circulation, avoid overhead watering, and buy plants from reputable sources. Inspect new plants carefully

Disease Powdery Mildew

Symptoms: White powdery coating on leaves and stems, causing yellowing and premature leaf drop

Treatment: Remove badly affected leaves. Spray with a fungicide approved for ornamentals

Prevention: Space plants well for good airflow, water at soil level, and avoid drought stress

Disease Grey Mould (Botrytis) Botrytis cinerea

Symptoms: Fuzzy grey mould on flowers, stems and leaves, often starting on damaged or dying tissue

Treatment: Remove and destroy affected parts promptly. Improve ventilation around plants

Prevention: Avoid overcrowding, remove dead material promptly, and water at soil level rather than overhead

Popular Varieties

Spray, Disbud/Exhibition, Spider

Log Chrysanthemum in your garden — track growth, care, and harvests year after year

Start planning free