CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- A few fall gardening questions from readers:      Becky Nichols writes: "I have tried to grow chrysanthemums several times, with no luck. If I am using them in the pots for the fall harvest, when is the best time to transplant them? Do I wait until they have died or can they be planted while still in bloom? Should they be covered in the winter after they are transplanted? Will they bloom the next year or is it the next year? Also, I have always heard, since they are a fall flower, you should remove any blooms that appear in the spring so they will bloom in the fall. Is this true?"

Becky, you're not alone. It's fall, and those beautiful mums are appearing at every garden center, grocery store and roadside stand.

I spoke with Bob Gritt at Gritt's Farm, who grows chrysanthemums to sell at the family's Buffalo farm and at the Capitol Market. Here's his advice:

"Time's almost passed to put them in the ground to ensure they will come back another year - they need to be rooted in pretty well to survive," Gritt said.

The cooler weather and shorter days will hinder that -- so that makes it hard to enjoy them in their pots by the front door and then plant them for future use. Next year, try getting a few for the pots and putting a few in the ground early, so they have time to establish themselves.

As for those plants that you've put in the ground, Gritt said to cover them sometime in late December, with something light, like some straw. "Nothing that compacts too much," he added. Covering them will keep them from sprouting too early.

"It's best, once they get cold, to leave them cold, so they don't try to sprout back up in a warm spell. It that happens, then they freeze and die," Gritt said.

For fall blooms, pinch your plants a couple of times, up until July 15, Gritt said.

Linda Smith asks two fall garden questions.

First, Linda wants to know when to plant tulip bulbs for spring. According to the Netherlands Flower Bulb Information Center/North America, fall is the time to plant tulips, daffodils, crocus, hyacinths and other bulbs that bloom in spring.

Here are some tips from the Bulb Information Center (www.bulb.com):

Choose bulbs suited to your area. Most hardy spring bulbs will do well in cooler climate areas. Most daffodils and other narcissi thrive and naturalize in USDA Zones 3 to 8. (Note: we're in Zone 5-7) Also consider pests, especially deer. If deer are a big problem in your area, then you might want to avoid snackable tulips and crocus.

Plant when soil cools down. For optimal results, bulbs should be planted at least six weeks before hard frosts sock in, to give bulbs time to root and establish themselves before winter. While it's best not to plant too late and hamper rooting, it's no better to plant too early, as too-warm soil can lead to disease problems for bulbs. Rule of thumb: Plant bulbs when the average fall nighttime temperatures reach and stay in the range of 40 to 50 degrees.

Oops happens. If you forget to plant, or miss getting your bulbs into the ground on schedule, plant them as soon as you can. Don't save them to plant in spring or the following autumn. Bulbs aren't dormant like seeds. Even if you find an unplanted sack of tulips or daffodils in January or February, plant them then (in garden or in pots) and take your chances.

Plant in preferred sites. You can plant bulbs anywhere in your yard or garden - so long as the soil drains well and there will be enough sunshine. Avoid areas where water collects or puddles. Remember, in early spring, most trees have not leafed out yet, so sunny spots are generally easier to come by.

Plant the pointy end up. In most cases, even if you don't get it right, the bulb flower will still find its way topside. If you're really unsure, plant the bulb on its side. It will right itself.

Forget fertilizer. No fertilizer is necessary for a bulb's first-year bloom, so don't waste your money.

Add water, wait. After planting, it's a good idea to water bulb plantings well, so their roots start growing. This is an essential part of their life cycle.

Linda's second question: I have two offshoots of a butterfly bush coming up beside another mature bush. I would like to transplant these offshoots. Do I do this now or wait until next spring?

Handle transplanting a butterfly bush just like any other shrub -- prepare the site where you will place the bushes, dig up as much root system as possible, and make sure you water water water water! Since it blooms on new growth, prune it back to the ground during its dormancy in winter or very early in the spring.

Finally, wonderful gardener Sue Zaldivar asks about Calla lilies.

"For the first time in three years, my calla lilies bloomed and I have a zillion seeds from the pods. I got them from the Master Gardener's sale, and I forget when to plant the seeds. Fall or spring?"

I've been looking for an answer for this one, and most of the gardeners out there say that callas can indeed be grown from seed -- and if you're not careful, you could end up with hundreds of these little darlings. I'm hearing "spring" as the answer for planting time, but many people germinate them indoors in pots and then transplant.

When you're ready, plant the seeds no more than 1/4 inch deep and, if you can, space them about 1/2 inch apart. Don't worry if you can't separate all these sticky seeds. Just spread a bunch of them in the pot, cover with dirt, and keep them warm, sunny and moist. The resultant seedlings are pretty tough and can be separated later, after they've grown two or three leaves.

Germination time can vary quite a bit. I've had some pots of seeds come up within four or five days, and other pots seemed to take a month or more. These seeds are quite viable, though, and they will come up eventually. Treat the seedlings mostly the way you would adults. Just keep the warm, moist - not soggy - with lots of sun, avoiding the hottest midday sun, if possible. Repot as needed for size and space.

Under optimum growing conditions, you might get a bloom in their second year; otherwise, expect something in their third year.

Reach Sara Busse at sara.bu...@wvgazette.com or 304-348-1249.