My mums are setting buds now. I didn't know they would do that. Should I let them bloom? If I do will that decrease the blooms in the fall? They aren't nearly as large as they were last year so I would like to increase their size.

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I normally top my mums a few times until mid July so they fill out, stay compact, and cover themselves with blooms come late summer. The first year after I overwintered them, I didn't prune them at all. They got really tall, had minimal blooms on long stems that all fell over and looked terrible. Cut or pinch them back to the first set of leaves on each stem.

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John - Zone 6

I went out and pruned all three of the surviving mums I think I have the white daisy shaped one a yellow one and one a lovely bronze color. Then I used the root stimulator on them and planted them in starter pots that I can keep in the shade until they root. Hope it works. That way I would have some flowers for some of my friends. My neighbor especially likes flowers and doesn't have that many that bloom in the fall.

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