Deb Brown, here, on the greenhouse mum:
The problem with greenhouse mums is 1) they may not be as hardy as some
developed specifically for our climate, and 2) even if they are hardy
enough, they usually don't set buds early enough in fall to avoid hard frost.
I'd say if you've had good luck growing one indoors, keep doing what you're
doing. The snag is that mums develop flower buds in response to days
growing shorter, and by January and February they will be growing longer,
not shorter. You may have to cut the plant back when you put it on the
patio again, then hope it makes flower buds as the days grow shorter in
late summer/early fall, before you bring it indoors as you have this year.
>Date: Sat, 29 Nov 2003 15:08:41 -0600
>
> Last spring a friend gave me her Mother’s Day chrysanthemum
>that had finished blooming. Not expecting much, I repotted it, gave it
>water and fertilizer, and put it in a sunny spot on the deck where I
>thought it might last for a few weeks. It continued to grow, and about the
>middle of October I noticed what appeared to be flower buds. When the cold
>arrived, I brought the plant inside, placed it in a sunny window, and
>amazingly, the buds turned into blooms. For the last three to four weeks
>the plant has been covered with the large white daisy-like flowers. The
>plant is large and quite eye-catching. New growth is now appearing from
>the roots. If I cut the plant down when it’s finished blooming
>and keep it in a sunny window until next spring, is it likely to grow and
>bloom again? It was my understanding that green house mums seldom grow or
>bloom again. Thanks for your suggestions. Betsy Halden Washington
>
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