Plus Fall Porch Decor Ideas :

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September 20, 2023

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5 Tips for Keeping Mums Alive: Plus Fall Porch Decor Ideas

How to keep your fall mums alive all season plus simple ideas for decorating your front porch for fall

Knock, knock fall is officially here!

Sometimes this Alabama weather doesn’t cooperate but it is officially fall, which means…

It’s time to get our front porch fall ready with all the good fall things, including mums.

I have come to accept that naturally I am not a great plant mom, some people were born with a green thumb but that’s just not me.

What I am naturally good at is research, what can I say I was one of those weird kids who liked school.

Luckily my nerdy qualities now come in handy because I have researched and perfected the art of how to keep mums alive all season long!

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Fall Decorating Ideas for Outside

How to keep your fall mums alive all season plus simple ideas for decorating your front porch for fall

If you have hung out with us before you probably know two summers ago we completely made over our front porch.

It used to be very dingy, worn, and the old railing gave it a claustrophobic feeling.

Now our front porch is one of our favorite spots to be.

Those updates we made like painting the front door, replacing the lanterns, and staining the deck make it really easy to simply swap decor for the changing seasons.

Fall Front Porch Wreath

Front door wreaths are my weakness and I always like to start there!

While I was sad to see our lavender wreath go, I am in love with the rich burgundy color of our fall wreath.

I have had this fall wreath for 2 seasons now and it has held up incredibly well (here’s a similar fall cedar wreath that is also stunning).

This is one of my favorite ways to add a pop of color to our fall front porch.

Faux Front Porch Plants for Fall

I have come to terms with the fact that I can only really keep one set of plants alive at a time and the rest need to be fake plants.

I am a bit picky with our fake plants though, especially the ones that will be going outside.

One requirement is that they need to look really real and be UV resistant or else they will fade and only last one season.

These boxwood trees are very realistic looking and have held up amazingly to this crazy Alabama weather.

They are also perfect for multiple seasons so I won’t have to ditch them once fall is done.

The black planter boxes are the same ones I made years ago and they are still holding up great.

5 Tips for Keeping Mums Alive

Mums and fall go together like pretzels dipped in chocolate, a very necessary combination.

Outdoor mums can sometimes be tricky to keep alive for the entire season though which is a huge bummer.

That’s why this year I thought I would share 5 tips for keeping mums alive all fall long!

Tip #1: Buy at the Right Time

One common mistake people make when purchasing mums is buying them after they are fully bloomed.

5 Tips for Keeping Mums Alive: Plus Fall Porch Decor Ideas

Yes they look very pretty but their life cycle is already at a downward spiral at this point.

Buying mums that are just starting to bud will help extend their beauty all season.

Tip #2: Deadhead Withered Blooms

I will be honest I use to skip this step because I wasn’t sure when deadheading was really necessary.

Now I know I need to deadhead all mum blooms that look, well dead.

You can deadhead the withered blooms with shears or by simply plucking the dead bloom off with your fingers.

This is the best way to support new mum growth and keep the mum healthy.

Tip #3: Soak the Mums

This has been the game changing tip in my mum game!

Soaking the roots of the mum for 30 minutes when you bring the plant home from the store will rehydrate the mum and set it up for proper continued watering.

Not having well watered roots puts a lot of stress on the mum and can cause the blooms to quickly wither.

Tip #4: Proper Watering

After you initially soak the mum you will still need to keep it watered, especially in climates that are still hot and humid.

Check the soil daily for moisture, if the top is wet you are good for the day, if the soil is dry your mums need a drink!

When it is time to water the mums, water them from the base of the plant not from the foliage.

I have finally learned this after multiple failed mum attempts, but watering mums from the foliage will cause mold and mildew…

Tip #5: The Right Amount of Sun

Mums do love the sun and need about 6 hours of sunlight, however if you live in a hot, humid climate they also need a break.

Bringing them back into a shaded area during the hottest point of the day will keep them blooming longer and they will be less likely to dry out.

A partially shaded porch is a great spot for healthy mums, as long as they are receiving a good amount of sunlight throughout the day.

Realistic Looking Faux Mums and Pumpkins

Those tips will ensure that your mums make it all season long, but maybe you just want the look of mums without the work…

No judgement here, I enjoy my fair share of faux plants and I am not ashamed!

Here are some faux mums I found that look pretty real in case you want your porch to be fall ready without all the watering.

You might also notice our fall front porch is missing pumpkins… that is because it is still too hot and I am not ready to clean orange mush off of our porch.

I did however find some really amazing realistic looking faux pumpkins that I think would be worth the investment!