Chrysanthemum care: disbuds and spray mums
Chrysanthemums are among the longest-lasting cut flowers. Two common forms turn up in our boxes: disbuds, with one large bloom on each stem, and spray mums, with several smaller blooms. Both need the same simple care.
Start your subscriptionWhen your chrysanthemums arrive
Our flowers are packed in bud and shipped dry, so the stems can look a little tired when you open the box. Chrysanthemums are no different, and the buds may look tight. Once they’re in water they perk up within 24 to 48 hours.
- Recut each stem at a 45 degree angle.
- Trim off every leaf that would sit below the waterline. Chrysanthemum leaves break down quickly in water and make it smell.
- Stand them in a clean vase of fresh water with your flower food.
How chrysanthemums open
Chrysanthemums open gradually from bud. On a spray mum the buds in a cluster open at different times, so one stem can show buds and open flowers together.
Some of our buds open as late as 72 hours after going into water, and our bouquets reach their full beauty around day 3 or 4.
Tight buds that already show colour will usually open. Very small green buds may stay closed.
Keeping chrysanthemums fresh
Chrysanthemums are tough, and dirty water is what is most likely to shorten their life.
- Change the water every couple of days and rinse the vase while it’s empty.
- At day 3 or 4, recut the stems, change the water and add the second pack of flower food.
- Keep the vase away from direct sunlight, heating vents and ripening fruit.
- On spray mums, snip off finished flowers and any tired leaves.
How long chrysanthemums last
Cut chrysanthemums usually last around two weeks, and often longer. Taken as a whole, a Bear’s Blooms bouquet lasts a full week and often up to two weeks with proper care and placement.
Chrysanthemums often outlast the other stems in a bouquet. Some flowers last longer than others, so freshen up the arrangement by pruning the spent stems. Pull the stems that have finished and let the mums carry on.
Common chrysanthemum problems
Most chrysanthemum problems come down to dirty water.
- Smelly water. Leaves or stem ends are breaking down. Strip any leaves below the waterline, rinse the vase, recut the stems and refill with fresh water and flower food.
- Wilting heads. Recut the stems at an angle, refill the vase with fresh water and check the level every day.
- Yellow or brown leaves. Trim them off. Leaves tend to tire before the flowers do.
- Buds that won’t open. Very small green buds may stay closed. For the rest, give them time: some buds open as late as 72 hours after going into water.
If your stems still aren’t responding as expected, email support@bearsblooms.com with a photo of your full bouquet as well as any individual stems.
Chrysanthemums: your questions
Both are chrysanthemums. A disbud has one large bloom on each stem. A spray mum has several smaller blooms on a stem, which open at different times. The care is the same for both.
Chrysanthemum leaves break down quickly in water. Strip every leaf below the waterline, rinse the vase, recut the stems and refill with fresh water and flower food.
Cut chrysanthemums usually last around two weeks, and often longer, which makes them among the longest-lasting cut flowers. They often outlast the other stems in a bouquet. Taken as a whole, a Bear’s Blooms bouquet lasts a full week and often up to two weeks with proper care and placement.
Remove the leaves that would sit below the waterline, and trim any that yellow later. Leaves in the water break down and make it smell.
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