Cut off the dead blooms. This is called dead heading. The stem they were on is going to die anyway. This is true of all perrenials (as opposed to shrubs). They die back and send up new growth. Ripening blooms drain energy from the plant by producing seed which won't be true to the parent, when it's a hybrid. Side shoots may produce additional bloom.

So the existing blooming stems on your mum have done their job by producing progeny via flowers. And it's ready for a rest. Put it into the garden now. The roots need to get into new soil to continue the mum's growth/rest cycle. If you don't have a garden, buy a 12-inch deep pot for it with new soil (ie. potting mix). The time to fertilize is spring, when new growth starts. In new soil it may not need any fertilizer. Potting mix comes with built in fertilizer.

In spring the new shoots indicate it's alive and well. To prevent the plant from getting too tall, when new growth is 6-8 inches high cut off half of it. This is top pruning. The plant will be bushier as it forces side growth. Again in June you may pinch off the growing tips to force side growth. Exhibitors don't do this as they want the one perfect large bloom and does not matter if the stem is 4 feet tall. They pinch off side growth so the plant's energy goes into the one bloom. As to whether the root mass is bigger on top pruned versus non top pruned, I don't know.

If the cuttings have turned completly brown they are goners. Cuttings need to have shade and humidity. The growth hormone is called 'auxin' if you want to research. I strip the mum cutting only of its lower leaves and push into firm shady soil about an inch, water thoroughly and put a jar over it to create its own little greenhouse. The soil must be in firm contact. Then leave it alone for weeks. Roots form at buried leaf nodes. Most hobbyists root cuttings from spring growth because the growing tip is full of auxins, hence greater success.

If after 2 weeks your cuttings are all brown, tug gently. They will come out of the soil easily if dead. They will look like dead twigs! If your parent plant is still looking green (now), you may be able to detach a stem with some root on it.

One more thing. Professionals use a chemical spray to keep mums short and uniform. How this affects rooting a cutting I am not sure. About 8 years ago I could not get a cutting to root and the 4-inch (pot) mum would not establish in the garden either. Just died! I read there was a chemical being used to prevent propagation of stems. Maybe someone knows if this was rumor or fact.

ive kept watering it every other day with a rooting hormone

==>> i dont know what this means.. on an intact plant ..

why???

rooting mum.. is about the easiest thing in the world...

you can do a 3 inch cutting in a glass of water ..

google: PROPAGATION OF MUMS ...

ken

You do not need to water an already rooted and potted plant with rooting hormone. And every other day is way too much to water; you will drown it.

Cut off bloom stalks, plant it outside and it will either rest until spring or put out new shoots from below ground. These are the shoots from which you will take your cuttings. Go online for full instructions. Good luck.

The original poster says he's in zone 11, so probably he can put the viable-looking plant outdoors (in filtered light/shade at first).

Whether or not whatever type of mum he has will do well in his climate is another question.

And yes, cuttings that turn brown and look dead are dead about 99,999999999% of the time. Toss 'em.