- 1). Fill a seedling tray with a moist, soilless potting mixture. Set the tray into a second solid tray to catch any irrigation overflow, as seedlings trays have drainage holes on the bottom.
- 2). Set the tray on top of a propagation heat mat, available from garden centers. Adjust the temperature of the mat so it maintains a range of 70 to 75 degrees Fahrenheit.
- 3). Sprinkle the mum seeds on the surface of the potting mix so there is approximately two seeds per square inch. Cover the seeds with a thin, 1/8-inch layer of vermiculite.
- 4). Mist the soil surface with water until it is moist but not soggy. Cover the top of the tray with plastic sheeting to help retain the moisture in the tray. Seeds germinate in one to two weeks.
- 5). Remove the plastic once the sprouts appear. Provide the mums with six hours of direct sunlight daily or place them under a fluorescent grow light for 12 to 14 hours a day.
- 6). Water the mums when the soil surface feels dry. Empty the excess water from the drainage tray after each irrigation.
- 7). Add a balanced soluble fertilizer to the irrigation water every two weeks. Use one-fourth the label recommended rate of fertilizer for the seedlings to avoid overfertilization or fertilizer burn.
- 8). Thin the seedlings in the tray so the plants sit 3 inches apart in all directions. Alternatively, transplant each plant to its own 3-inch-diameter pot.
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