How to Plant Shasta Daisy Seeds

The Shasta daisy is commonly grown for its flowers. The popular bright white flowers with their yellow centers make attractive cut flowers, and will last for days in a vase with water. The Shasta daisy is easy to grow, and can be propagated by either seeds or the division method. This robust perennial will grow into a 3-foot-tall bushy clump, and will bloom from early summer to autumn. Depending on the cultivar, the Shasta daisy's flowers are between 2 and 5 inches wide.

Things You'll Need

• Compost
• Shasta daisy seeds
• All-purpose fertilizer
• High-phosphorus fertilizer

Instructions

1. Prepare a planting area for the Shasta daisy seeds. In Florida, it is best to choose an area in partial shade. In all other areas of its range, the seeds can be planted where the plants will receive full sun. To promote abundant blooms, mix some compost into the planting area. The Shasta daisy prefers moist, rich and well-draining soils. If it is planted in poorly-drained soils, the Shasta daisy will almost always die of crown rot.

2. Plant the seeds 1/8-inch deep in the soil. Plant them in late winter or early spring before the last frost. Space the seeds 12 inches apart. The seeds will germinate in about 10 to 20 days. Water the area regularly to keep the ground moist. Do not over water and cause the soil to become soggy.

3. Fertilize the plants with an all-purpose fertilizer in the early spring--once the seedlings are a few inches tall--to promote vigorous plant growth.

4. Start fertilizing the plants in late spring with a high-phosphorous fertilizer before blooming begins. This will help the plants develop healthier flowers.

5. Cut the flowers--the spent flowers and the fresh blooms--to promote continued flowering.

References

• Leucanthemum X superbum
• Leucanthemum X superbum
• Growing Shasta Daisy