Mum Plant FAQs
Mum Plant Frequently Asked Questions
We've compiled our most asked questions about our mum plants and answered them all here!
General Questions
What kind of mums do you sell?
We sell heirloom and hybrid rooted mum cuttings. To learn more about the difference between heirloom and hybrid mums, you can read this blog post. We grow a range of varieties, which you can check out in our Mum Directory, although not all of these will be available for purchase this year. You can check the descriptions of our various product listings for our mum boxes to see which varieties are included in each.
Are all of your mums perennials?
Yes and no. The heirloom mums are tender perennials and will return each year with proper winterization. The hybrid mum boxes are pot mums which are intended for a single growing season. That said, we’ve seen great success treating them as a tender perennial with proper overwintering.
How do I order heirloom mum plants?
All mum plant orders must be placed through our website. We do not accept orders via mail, email, or phone. Simply navigate to our Mum Garden Boxes page, select a box, choose your shipping window, add to your cart, and proceed to checkout. Once your order is placed, you will receive a confirmation email.
Can I choose what varieties I want to purchase?
Yes! We have limited single-variety options available in addition to our curated collection boxes. We plan to launch more individual varieties in the future.
When should I plant?
It is best to plant chrysanthemums as soon as the weather and soil are suitable. This typically means waiting until the risk of frost has passed and the soil temperature is rising. If growing chrysanthemums in pots, you can start them a few weeks earlier and move them to a sheltered location if necessary. To learn more about planting, check out our Mum Planting Guide for a basic rundown, or purchase our Complete Guide to Growing Mums for extensive information to help you through your entire mum journey.
What will I receive?
All of our plants are three-plus-week-old and adequately rooted for planting. All of our rooted plants are propagated in Ellepots with our custom blend of soil. Ellepots are 100% biodegradable and can be planted directly into the ground or the container of your choice for low-stress transplanting. While you can remove the Ellepot before planting, we recommend planting your mums while they’re still in the “pots” so that you don’t damage the root system.
Do you guarantee your bare roots or cuttings?
How do I prepare for my plants?
You’ll want to have proper transplant pots ready when your plants arrive. To learn more about what you’ll need, visit our Mum Planting Guide, or take our Complete Guide to Growing Mums Course.
What will the plants be shipped in?
Plants will be shipped in biodegradable Ellepots and packed in bags labeled by variety. Be sure to remain organized when planting your mums so you can ensure you keep them properly labeled.
How do I know what zone I am in?
This website will be able to tell you! https://planthardiness.ars.usda.gov/
The box I want is sold out. Will you have more available?
Possibly! We are mum propagation queens and usually have thousands of plants by early June. That said, we are only pre-selling limited inventory to ensure we’re able to confidently deliver the plants we’ve promised. As we move through out propagations, we hope to The Mum Project Monthly have additional boxes available later in the season and will notify our members of first!
Do you offer wholesale discounts on your Chrysanthemum plants?
We do! We offer discounts to businesses with approved wholesale accounts. You can apply for a wholesale account here: https://www.hhfshop.com/pages/wholesale
Shipping and Delivery
How are my plants shipped?
Plants are shipped either FedEx Ground, FedEx 2-Day or FedEx Overnight depending on your zip code or preference. Use the shipping calculator on the cart page to see available shipping services for your location. Please not we do not ship to PO boxes.
When will my plants ship?
Heirloom mum plants will be shipped between the first week of March and the First week of May. We will ship Heirloom collections depending on your choosen delivery window. Hyrid mum boxes will ship mid June.
What do I do when I receive my order?
First make sure you are at home to receive your order so that you can bring them inside immediately. Take a look at our Mum Planting Guide, which gives a basic overview of how to care for your plants after you receive them. We also recommend purchasing our Complete Guide to Growing Mums, which answers everything you need to know about growing mums and includes written guides and videos that walk you through the entire process from planting to winterizing your precious mums.
Can I request a specific delivery date?
Due to shipping volume, specific delivery dates cannot be accommodated. If you will not be home to accept your plants, we strongly recommend making friends with your neighbors now so they can receive the package for you.
Can I pickup my order at the farm?
Yes! Simply choose “Pickup” at checkout and you’ll receive an email when your order is ready for pickup. Local pickup orders will be ready in April or May depending on your delivery window chosen.
I just placed my order, can I change it or combine it with another order?
Due to our high volume of orders, we cannot change an order once placed or combine it with multiple orders. Please make sure that your order is correct before checking out.
I just placed and order in January, and ordered more boxes in March. Can I combine them?
Unfortunately not. While we hope to be able to comibine orders in the future, due to mixes ship dates we will not be able to combine your orders at this time.
What happens if my package is delayed?
Shipping delays may happen; however, it shouldn’t severely affect the health of the plant.
How do I know if you received my order?
Once we receive your order, you will be sent an automated confirmation email. These occasionally may get caught in your spam or junk folder, so please check those folders if you have not received your confirmation email. If you did not provide an email when checking out, you will receive a text confirmation.
Do you substitute varieties if you have crop issues?
While we’re doing our best to fulfill orders exactly as described, and we understand that you may be extra excited about a specific variety in your order, sometimes our mother mums may not produce or perform as well as we’d hoped. If a variety included in your order is unavailable for any reason, we will determine an appropriate substitute of a different variety based on bloom time (i.e., early bloomers will be substituted with another early bloomer variety).
What happens if my plants are in bad shape upon receiving them?
All plants leave our nursery in peak condition. We take pride in only sending out quality, healthy plants, but because these are living organisms it is sometimes possible they may not thrive as well as they should or could be damaged during shipping despite our best efforts to keep them safe with packaging. Since these are rooted propagations, any issues with the plant will be apparent very quickly upon receiving them. If your plants are damaged or there is a problem with your order, we ask that you notify us within 10 days by emailing us at info@hhfshop.com and include the following:
- Your name and order number (your order number will be in the “HHF-XXXXX” format and is included in your confirmation email)
- A short description of the issue
- A clear photo of the affected plant
- The number of plants affected
If you contact us after 10 days of receiving your order, we will not be able to refund or replace your order. Please note that we are a small business ran by real live humans with the best of intentions. Your happiness is incredibly important to us, so there’s no need to “come in hot” if you’ve experienced and issue. We will take care of you!
Can you ship to California?
Yes! We've worked alongside the Califorinia Department of Agriculture, the Virginia Deparment of Agriculture and Consumer Services, and the USDA to develop a compliance plan that adhere's to state-specefic requirements. To learn more about our certifications, visit our Interstate Plant Shipping Compliance page.
I’m outside of the US, can I order your mum plants?
While we would love to share our mums with our international friends, we’re not quite there yet! Due to the strict regulations on international plant shipment, we are currently unable to ship outside of the US.
I still have questions, who do I talk to?
If you have questions about placing an order, an order that’s already been placed, or the delivery of your plants, email us at info@hhfshop.com. If you have specific questions about the plants themselves, you can email us at grow@hhfshop.com. Please note that we do not have the bandwidth to mentor individuals how to grow heirloom mums, though we try to put as much information as we can in our Mum Planting Guide, our Complete Guide to Growing Mums Course, and on our Instagram page @harmonyhrvst. Please don’t take it personally if we can’t answer all of your questions - out of respect for those who have purchased our course, we may not be able to provide you with information available through our paid growing guides.