Question
I planted some mums back in the fall, some at my  mailbox, and 2 in a large container. Well, its April and the ones in the container are starting to really grow out and look lush. NO BLOOMS OR BUDS, but I wonder, does putting them in a container confuse them? Or, perhaps it is the very mild winter we've had. Should I prune or cut them back? I'm not accustomed to mums looking like this until September or later. I live in zone 7B. Thanks

Answer
Hi Patricia,
Thanx for your question.  I know here in the Kansas City area and all across the nation, the weather has been unusually mild.  I was in Florida visiting my brother in January and even though the weather is fairly nice, there were a few days where it was very, unusually warm, so yes, I think it has been a most mild winter this year all over the USA.

With that said, I would keep pinching my mums back until the end of June or at least by the 4th of July which is a common practice in the temperate U.S.  I hope this helps.
Tom