Protecting Mums

October 9, 2025

Fall is here and so are cooler temperatures. How are you protecting your cold-sensitive plants?

Chrysanthemums, also known as mums, are popular fall flowers. They come in a variety of bold colors and add gorgeous seasonal interest just as summer blooms begin to fade. Right now, I'm growing some beautiful heirloom mums from Bear Creek Farm in nearby Stanfordville, New York. They're due to bloom soon, but with the coming chance of frost in the area, I wanted to be sure they were well-protected. As a quick and temporary solution, I built a hoop house over the raised beds to shield the plants from wind and low temperatures, helping to extend the growing season.

Here are some photos, enjoy.

: These are the small pots of young chrysanthemums I received last spring. Chrysanthemums are perennial herbaceous flowering plants in the family Asteraceae that bloom in fall.

: My head gardener, Ryan McCallister, placed them in my Urban Cultivator indoor gardening system, where they could develop until they were ready to plant outdoors.

: Here they are in July after they were transplanted into raised beds in my flower cutting garden. The varieties include ‘Fleur de Lis,’ ‘Jefferson Park,’ ‘Apricot Alexis,’ ‘River City,’ ‘Woodman’s Century,’ and ‘Luxor.’

: The leaves of chrysanthemums are small to medium in size, thin, flat, and ovate, averaging up to 10 centimeters in length.

: We’re expecting some low temperatures this week that could bring a little frost so I asked my team to find a way to protect the mums outdoors. Pete came up with a temporary hoop house using old unused plumbing hoses and wooden stakes.

: Pete cuts several pieces of hose to create hoops over the beds and secures the ends to the stakes already pounded into the soil along both sides.

: Pete uses zip ties, or cable ties, to attach the hard hose to a long bamboo cane that runs from one end to the other. Notice, the hose is on top of the bamboo. This is to prevent any damage from the natural bamboo to the cloth that will be draped over the structure.

: Here is a view of the hoop house frame.

: Meanwhile, Ryan goes through ever plant disbudding each stem.

: Disbudding is a technique used primarily on mums to encourage the growth of a single, large flower per stem. By removing side buds, the plant focuses its energy on developing one big bloom.

: The main bud at the top is left to grow.

: Ryan and Pete are glad to get this all done before the temperatures drop.

: Next, Pete drapes a special frost row cover over the frame and secures it. This Agribon cover is from Johnny’s Selected Seeds. Frost covers provide varying degrees of protection depending on the thickness and grade.

: There is plenty of room to develop and the plants are now well-blocked from any cold, strong winds and rain.

: Pete uses the same zip ties to secure the cover all around the frame. These ties are easy to find at hardware shops and easy to use and remove when needed.