Daisies are an instant smile in your garden. These perennial favorites are perfect for bouquets or keeping in your garden, and children and adults alike love them. Find out when to plant daisies and how to best care for them.
When to plant daisies: Daisies love the sun and can survive long periods of time without water. Plant daisy seeds or young daisy plants right into your garden in the spring. Just wait until after the threat of frost is over. You can also start daisy seeds in the fall if you use a cold frame to protect them and your winter temperatures are not too cold.
Planting Daisies in Different Climates
Tropical Climate
Daisies don’t do very well in a tropical climate. They need a chance to become dormant in the winter and if their roots become too wet, they can stop flowering or even die off over winter.
Dry Climate
A dry climate can support daisies as the plant is drought tolerant. However, if it gets too hot in the summer, you will need to supplement with extra water.
Temperate Climate
Daisies do really well in a temperate climate. They like the mild winters but be careful where you plant them as if the soil gets too wet, they may not bounce back and you will have to replace them the next season.
Continental Climate
Daisies should be okay with a continental climate as they can withstand long periods without water. However, if the winter becomes too cold, they may not survive.
Polar Climate
Unfortunately, a polar climate is far too cold and does not offer enough sunshine for daisies.
Choosing Daisies Seeds
Shasta Daisies
Perhaps the most famous of varieties, Shasta daisies have bold yellow centers surrounded by bright white petals. They bloom throughout the summer and are very low-maintenance.
Gerbera Daisies
An ornamental favorite, this variety has larger blooms and comes in a wide array of colors. Gerbera daisies often need their heads supported as their blooms can become quite heavy.
English Daisies
If you want a cute, petite look to your garden, consider this variety. It has small blooms that are 3D in nature and while some think of them as a weed, if controlled properly, they can brighten up any garden.
How to Plant Daisies Seeds
Seeds vs Plants
Daisies are pretty easy to grow from seeds, so this can be a fun project if you have children who are interested in gardening. However, if you are eager to get started, you can also find small daisy plants from most local gardening stores.
Another option is to divide daisies, either from your garden or a friend’s. To do this, simply pull a clump of daisies apart by hand and they should separate easily for you to plant in a new location.
Timing
For those starting with seeds, you can either plant in a container indoors or in a cold frame, or you can sow directly into your garden.
If you want to use a cold frame for your daisy seeds, plant them in either the fall or the spring. However, if you want to plant directly into your garden, do this in the spring, after the threat of the last frost is over.
As for planting already-grown daisies, you can either plant in the fall or the spring. For fall planting, choose a time before the first frost date, usually late September or early October, and for spring planting, after the last frost date, usually early to late April.
Location
Sun, sun, and more sun are ideal for daisies. These flowers love to be under the sun so find a clear location.
Soil
Ironically, if your soil is too good, it will promote more vegetation than it will flowers. While you do want there to be some nutrients in your garden, aim for moderately fertile soil instead of dirt that is packed with nutrients.
You also want soil that drains well to prevent root rot and if possible, have soil that remains moist. This can be tricky in full sun locations but we can help you out in the further sections.
Digging
When planting your daisies, you can give them a head start by loosening the soil. Dig around the area you will be growing in, whether you are starting with seeds or small plants.
Aim to plant your daises from a container so that there are 1 to 2 feet of space between the plants as they will spread out over time.
Place the plant in the ground so that the top of the root structure is at ground height. Too low and the roots can rot.
Add in the soil you removed and tamp it down to secure the roots. After your initial planting, give the area a good watering.
For seed planting, you can sow your seeds and then thin them out once the plants start to take hold. Daisy seeds are quite small and only need a thin layer of dirt over them.
How to Water Daisies
The first few weeks after planting will necessitate plenty of watering for your daisies. Try to aim for moist soil but not pooling water.
However, once your daisies are established, daisies are a great option as they are drought tolerant. They can go long periods of time in between watering.
The only time you really need to focus on watering your daisies is during the hot summer months. If you are in the middle of a heatwave, you will need to add more water to your daisies.
If you aren’t sure if your daisies need water, first check the soil; if it is bone dry, it usually means you need to water. Another sign is if your daisies start to wilt; extra water should perk them up.
How to Grow Daisies
Staking
There are some varieties of daisies that can grow quite tall. In this case, you should add a form of support, such as a stake or a wire cage to keep the plant from falling over, especially once heavier blooms start to grow.
Mulch and Compost
In order to keep your daisies in soil that is moist, apply a layer of mulch around your plants. This should be done every spring and will also help with weed suppression.
You can also add compost to the soil around your daisies in the spring. Do this gently so as to not disrupt the roots but adding compost will increase the nutrient level in your soil.
Deadhead
Daisies can bloom for quite a long while and to help promote these blooms, get in the habit of deadheading. This is when you use either scissors or your fingers to remove the spent blooms in order for the plants to make more blooms.
Winter care
Daisies are easy to care for over the winter. Simply wait until the first heavy frost, which should turn the foliage to a yellow or brown color.
Then, cut off the dead foliage to about 2 inches above the ground. The daisies will become dormant over winter and then will grow new foliage in the spring.
How to divide daisies
Daisies are an excellent plant to grow if you want to be able to divide them. In fact, proper care of daisies includes dividing them so try to make it a regular habit.
You can divide daisies every two or three years and the best time to do so is in the spring. Be sure to divide your daisies in the early spring before they are ready to flower so as to not disrupt the growing process. You can also divide them in late summer or even early fall once the flowers start to fade.
If you aren’t sure if your daisies are ready to be divided, there are a few signs to look for. This includes plants that don’t have a lot of foliage growth, smaller than normal flowers, or even parts of the plant that look dead.
To divide your daisies, start by loosening the soil around the plant and then taking out the entire plant from the ground. Use either a sharp knife or even your own strength to separate the plant in two.
Each part should have a good root structure and healthy stems attached to it. If there are any damaged parts of the plant, you can get rid of them.
Finally, place part of the plant back in the original area and the other part where you would like it to be. Alternatively, you can move both parts of the divided plant.
How long do daisies take to grow?
Daisies grown from seeds take about two months before they are fully grown. However, they probably won’t flower in the first year so you will have to be patient.
Daisies that are grown from a container will already be started and therefore will continue to grow after you plant them.
Conclusion
Daisies are colorful, easy-to-grow plants. They are drought tolerant and make for excellent cut flowers. Plant your seeds or already-grown plants in the spring directly in your garden.
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