Keep Mums Alive Through Winter

I never grew garden mums before. How can I keep them alive through our harsh winter?

Proper planting and care is the first step in winter protection. Healthy mums growing in well-drained soils have a greater chance of winter survival. Many gardeners leave the plants stand over winter. The dead stems help catch the snow and insulate the plants. Or after the ground lightly freezes cover the plants with straw, marsh hay or evergreen branches. I usually wait until after Christmas to do this. By then the ground is usually frozen plus I have a convenient source for mulch. I scour the neighborhood collecting all the discarded Christmas trees to use as winter mulch. It is a great way to recycle this natural resource.