How to Grow Shasta Daisies: The Complete Shasta Daisy Flower Guide (2024)

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Grow daisies in full sun for the bestblooms.

Soil should be moderately fertile—too rich, and you’ll get more vegetation than flowers. The soil should also bemoist butwell-draining.

To improve soil fertility before planting, loosen the soil to a depth of 12 to 15 inches, then mix in a 2- to 4-inch layer ofcompost.

When to Plant ShastaDaisies

• Sow seeds in containers in a cold frame in autumn orspring.
• If you seed directly, expect blooms after one season’s growth the followingspring.
• If purchasing a plant in a container, plant in spring or earlyfall.

How to Plant ShastaDaisies

• Space plants 1 to 2 feet apart. Dig a hole twice the diameter of thecontainer.
• When placing the plant in the hole, make sure the top of the root ball is level with the soilsurface.
• Fill around the root ball and firm thesoil.
• Waterthoroughly.
• Taller plants may needsupport/staking.

• Water during the summer only if rainfall is less than 1 inch per week. Daisies are generally tolerant of dry spells once they areestablished.
• Every spring, apply some compost and mulch to help controlweeds.
• Asflowersfade, deadhead to extend the bloomingseason.
• After the first killing frost, cut stems back to an inch or two above the soil line. (See local frost dates.)

DividingDaisies

To keep daisies blooming their best, plan to divide them every 2 to 3 years in early spring (before flowers appear) or in late summer or early fall (after flowers fade). Signs that a plant should be dividedinclude:

• Less-vigorous foliagegrowth
• Smaller flowers or fewer flowersoverall
• Parts of the plant appear sparse or dead (especially the center of aclump)

How to DivideDaisies

1. Use a spade or garden fork toloosen the soil around the plant, then gently remove it from the soil, doing your best to leave most rootsintact.
2. Brush or shake off soil from the roots. Then, using a sharp knife or pruning shears, divide the plant into two or more pieces, ensuring that each piece has at least a few stems and healthy-lookingroots. Discard any diseased or damagedpieces.
3. Replant the divisions as desired (spaced about 1-2 feetapart).

• ‘Becky’ is a classic variety with large flowers that grows to about 3 feettall.
• ‘Cobham Gold’ is a popular variety with double flowerheads and a yellow disc carried atop 2-footstems.
• ‘Horace Reed’ is an elegant daisy with double white flowerheads and incurved diskflorets.
• ‘Snow Lady’ is a fast-growing, erect, bushy perennial that blooms the first year from seed and produces single white flowerheads in thesummer.

• Shasta daisies make for a lovely cut flower, lasting a week or more inarrangements.

Catherine Boeckmann