FOREST CITY, Pa. — At Blueberry Hill Farm Greenhouses near Forest City, as soon as summer hits, despite those 90 degree days, the focus becomes all about fall mums. And now that Labor Day is over, customers are ready to buy.
Louise Ludwig and her 90-year-old mother Arlene Kovolisky from Carbondale spent Monday morning at the farm. They say it's a family tradition to buy their mums from Blueberry Hill.
"I love the colors. This combination looks so great in front of the house. I just love them," Kovolisky said.
Anthony Mustica's family owns the farm in Lackawanna County. They say they had their best season ever last year because of the pandemic and people's newfound love for growing things.
"We sold out by September 20 last year, which is unheard of."
That's before fall technically even started last year! So Blueberry Hill adjusted, this year growing more mums than ever before.
"Last year, we almost doubled what we usually sell, so we really had to pick it up this year. With fall mums, we did 12,000 in 2020, and in 2021 we picked it up to 15,000," Mustica said.
So the time to buy is now, but if you want your mums to last through the end of the fall season, there are things you should look out for.
"Look for more tight-knit mums because that'll mean they'll last longer through the fall into the winter. So if they're more bloomed, they'll die off earlier," Mustica explained.
If you are buying now, you will want what is called a mid-season mum, a true fall mum. Workers at Blueberry Hill say it should just be starting to show some color, maybe 5 or 6 blooms; that way, it will last through the entire fall season.
"Usually, now is the time to stop fertilizing the mums because that means they'll bloom faster, then die faster. So really, just watering every day and making sure that the pot's not dry."
Blueberry Hill Farm Greenhouses opens 7 days a week at 9 a.m.