Which is NOT a production method for pot mums?

• A. Shipped to grower or rooted to be shipped later
• B. Cuttings from mother blocks
• C. Plants are potted
• D. Seeds sown directly in pots

Answer: (D)

Pot mums are typically propagated vegetatively to keep uniform traits like color, plant size, and flowering time. Seeds would introduce genetic variation, leading to plants that differ in these characteristics, which is not desirable for commercial pot mums. Seed-grown plants also take longer to reach saleable size and can have unpredictable bloom timing, making it hard to market a consistent product. Therefore sowing seeds directly in pots is not used as a production method for pot mums. The other methods—using cuttings from a mother block, rooted stock, or simply potting established plants—are all geared toward producing uniform, predictable plants.