How to Grow Pyrethrum

Pyrethrum is a natural insect repellent and is therefore a beneficial companion plant for your vegetables. These beautifully colored daisy-like flowers bring an added touch of beauty and elegance to your vegetable garden and landscape while they keep insects away.

Things You'll Need

• Tools to prepare soil
• Fertilizer

Instructions

1. Make certain that you are in zone 3 to 7. The warmer the climate, the more insect repellent the plant contains. Even in cold regions, however, it's a beautiful plant.

2. Prepare an area that receives full sun. Loosen the soil well. Pyrethrum can tolerate some shade, such as that provided by growing garden plants.

3. Choose how you will get your plants. Division in the spring or late fall is the easiest, but if you have no other plants available, sowing the seed is a viable possibility. Once a plant has grown, you can use division to increase your plant stock.

4. Sow seeds outdoors after there is no more danger of frost. The seeds should be at least 3" apart and a thin layer of fine soil covering them. Tamp the soil down firmly. Always remember the rule of thumb for planting--cover the seed with twice as much soil as its size. The pyrethrum germinates in 7 to 10 days.

5. Keep the area moist and composted. Thin the plants when they are two inches high. Transplant them to 12 to 18 inches apart.

6. Pinch the stem tips when they are about 6 inches tall to prevent legginess.

Tips & Warnings

• Pyrethrum is also known as painted daisy.

• Once you have a pyrethrum, you can continue to divide the roots. The perennial has a relatively short life expectancy, so you also may want to save seeds for the next year.