Mums (chrysanthemums) are vibrant, popular flowers that make a wonderful addition to autumn tablescapes and porch displays. These flowers can last up to two weeks in a bouquet, making them the perfect choice for growing and selling. Our e-commerce platform is home to many plant sellers who run successful online nurseries and flower shops. This is your guide on how to grow mums to sell.
How to grow mums to sell
There are two types of mums: annuals and perennials. When growing mums to sell, you will most likely be growing annual mums, also known as florist mums. Florist mums are grown either indoors or in greenhouses. The perennial variety, garden mums, or outdoor mums, are longer-lasting and grow back year after year, making them well-suited as yard plants.
You can grow florist mums from seeds or cuttings. Cuttings are often more reliable if you want to grow a specific variety. Mums take 16 weeks (4 months) to grow from seeds, so plan to plant them by early spring. It is recommended that you start them 6 to 8 weeks before the date of the last frost. Mum cuttings can be planted from mid-June to July to be ready for fall sales.
How much light do mums need?
It’s best to plant mums in a spot where they receive at least 6 hours of sun a day. However, it’s important to note that mums don’t do well in the heat. Six hours of sunlight in cooler temperatures is ideal. Lots of light is not the same thing as heat.
Watering mums
Mums must be well-drained. During the height of summer, the flowers may require daily watering. In the spring, you can get away with watering them every other day or whenever the soil runs dry.
When to sell mums
If you are growing mums for floral arrangements, there’s a big demand for them starting in late summer and continuing throughout the fall.
Garden mums can be sold for replanting whenever they are in bloom.
Where to sell mums
Once you have a good crop of beautiful mums, you can start selling them online and in person with the help of Airmart.
With Airmart, you can list your mums for sale for pickup, delivery, and/or shipping. If you choose to sell your mums at a local farmers market, the Airmart POS will allow you to handle in-person transactions with the use of custom QR codes.
Grocery stores and local florists make great customers for your mums. Through the Airmart reseller network, you can connect to grocers, florists, and other plant shop owners who may be interested in reselling your mums.
Shipping mums
It is best to deliver cut mums to customers as soon as possible. If you decide to ship them, choose an option with the least amount of travel time, and ensure the mums are kept at 38-40ºF during shipping.
Airmart offers shipping through Shippo.
More resources on how to grow mums to sell:
- Greenhouse & Floriculture: Growing Garden Mums for Fall Sales | Center for Agriculture, Food, and the Environment at UMass Amherst
- Growing Chrysanthemum from Seeds | HGTV
- How to Plant, Grow and Care for Mums | HGTV
- How to Keep Your Gorgeous Fall Mums Alive as Long as Possible (bhg.com)