By Pat Lea

Q I received a lovely chrysanthemum plant as a gift. How can I keep it healthy indoors? Can I plant it outside?

A Thanks to the beauty and popularity of the chrysanthemum over the generations, there are literally thousands of cultivars of this fall-blooming plant. Your gift plant, a florists’ chrysanthemum, possibly could survive and grow outdoors in our climate. Many florists’ chrysanthemums are grown for large blooms, exotic colors and special flower forms, and they may not be hardy outdoors in our climate. However, with so many variations in mums and climate conditions, it never hurts to try. It is not hard to keep your plant alive indoors over the winter. Then you can plant it early next spring. After your plant has finished blooming, cut all stems down to the leafy base rosette and allow the plant to rest. Watch out for whitefly, spider mite and aphid infestations over the winter, and treat immediately if you see any. Find the sunniest exposure, near a window, and keep the plant evenly moist but not too wet. In spring, whether you choose to plant outdoors or keep the plant in a pot, plan to fertilize with a flower type such as 15-30-15. Apply the fertilizer once a month in May, June and July. Each time you fertilize, pinch the new growth back to 3 or 4 inches in height. This creates a full, dense, well-branched plant with lots of buds. Chrysanthemums set their blooms as the days grow short, so don’t keep your potted plant in a room that can’t be darkened every day at sunset. One light can eliminate bloom. Outdoors, let nature take its course. Whether you keep it indoors or out, you will have new flowers next fall.

E-mail Pat Lea at lea.pat@gmail.com