How to Care for Daisies
Daisies may look delicate, but they actually require very little care and thrive in any almost any soil as long as it is well drained. With a little care, these hardy flowers will return for years, rewarding you with profuse blooms that are dazzling and work well tucked into tight corners Does this Spark an idea?
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Instructions
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Rake the area around your daisies to remove weeds and other debris. Do this in late fall when you are preparing to prune back the plants. Loosen the soil to prepare it for planting new daisy seeds from your existing daisies.
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Remove any seed heads from the daisies. Rub the head between your fingers to loosen the seeds. Scatter the seeds over the raked area. Rake lightly to distribute the seeds.
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Prune back dead foliage, leaving just an inch or two above the soil level. Water thoroughly and cover with several inches of mulch to protect the roots from damage during the winter months.
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Remove the mulch in the spring as soon as it has warmed and grass begins to grow. Be careful not to disturb the area where you scattered seeds in the fall. Pull any weeds that may have grown around the base of the daisies. Watch for the emergence of young daisy plants. Thin or transplant the young plants as necessary.
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Water whenever the soil dries out completely. Daisies will thrive in moist soil, but be sure that it is not soggy. Apply high phosphorus fertilizer to the daisies just prior to blooming to encourage healthy vigorous blooms.
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Deadhead the blooms on a regular basis to promote a longer blooming period. Simply snip off blooms as they begin to fade leaving only the newest blooms. Blooms left on the plant will signal the plant that it is time to cease production and blooming will cease. If you wish to save seeds from your daisies, let the last blooms of the season go to seed on the plant.
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Avoid cutting back the leaves until after the frost in the fall. Even though they are no longer blooming, the plant will build strong roots and increase in size during the late summer and early fall.
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Tips & Warnings
Daisies make beautiful cut flowers. When arranged with roses, daisies are simply stunning.
Plant daisies in an area that receives 6 hours of sunlight a day. Although they prefer rich soil, daisies will grow in sandy or rocky soil. For best results, water regularly.
A clump of daisies can be revived after blooming by cutting the entire plant back several inches and applying water. The second blooming will generally not be as profuse as the first one.
When dried, daisies maintain their color and basic shape and make a wonderful addition to decorative potpourri.
Resources
- Photo Credit bosela/morguefile.com
