Why Are My Chrysanthemum Flowers Turning Brown?

When chrysanthemum flowers turn brown before their time, it’s usually a sign of stress, disease, or incorrect care. While some browning is natural as blooms age, premature browning points to water issues, pests, nutrient imbalance, or fungal disease. Identifying the exact cause is the first step to reviving your mums and restoring their display.

Quick Diagnosis

Brown petals can look similar across causes, but their pattern tells the story. Crisp brown edges often mean heat or drought stress, mushy brown petals point to overwatering or fungal infection, and buds that brown before opening usually indicate pests or nutrient problems.

Diagnostic Table

Symptom	Likely Cause	Quick Fix
Petal edges brown & crispy	Heat or drought stress	Deep water, add mulch, give midday shade
Buds brown before opening	Underwatering or thrips	Soak soil, inspect buds, control pests
Petals brown & mushy with grey fuzz	Botrytis (grey mould)	Remove affected blooms, improve airflow
Good foliage but small, brown-tinged blooms	Nutrient imbalance (low P/K)	Switch to bloom fertiliser

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Main Causes Explained

Water stress: Too little water causes buds to shrivel and brown before opening, while soggy soil leads to root stress and mushy petals. Aim for “evenly moist” soil and water deeply 2–3 times a week, always at the base. Mulch 5–8 cm around plants to stabilise moisture.

Fungal disease: Botrytis thrives in cool, damp conditions and shows up as brown petals with fuzzy grey spores. Improve airflow, avoid overhead watering, and remove affected flowers promptly to break the cycle.

Pests: Thrips and aphids feed on buds, leaving streaked, brown flowers. Tap a bloom over white paper — if you see tiny moving specks, you’ve found the culprit. Prune infested buds and keep plants vigorous through proper feeding.

Role of Nutrition

Over-reliance on nitrogen-rich fertilisers leads to leafy growth but weak, browning flowers. Switch feeding as seasons change:

Growth phase (spring–early summer): Feed with NPK 20-20-20 Plant Fertiliser every 3–4 weeks for strong roots and leaves.
Budding & flowering (late summer–autumn): Transition to NPK 4-18-38 + Calcium & Magnesium every 2–3 weeks. High P/K drives larger, more vibrant blooms and prevents brown edges caused by deficiencies.

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Prevention & Long-Term Care

To prevent browning, adopt a proactive care routine: water at the soil level to keep petals dry, stake tall varieties for airflow, deadhead weekly, and avoid overcrowding. During heatwaves, provide light midday shade. For potted chrysanthemums, flush the soil monthly to prevent salt build-up, which can cause browning at petal edges.

FAQs – Chrysanthemum Flowers Turning Brown

Is browning always a disease? Not always — flowers naturally brown after 7–14 days. Premature browning usually signals stress.
Why do buds turn brown before opening? Often due to drought stress or thrips feeding inside the bud.
Can fertiliser stop browning? Yes — switching from nitrogen-heavy feeds to bloom fertilisers like NPK 4-18-38 + CaMg prevents nutrient-related browning.
How do I treat Botrytis? Remove infected blooms, improve airflow, and water only at the base.
Do potted mums brown faster? Yes, because pots dry out quicker and salts build up — water consistently and flush soil monthly.