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Montauk Daisy

16 years ago

I have a large Montauk Daisy plant.

It's finished blooming and the blossoms are turning ugly. The plant has splayed out so that the middle of the plant shows with the flowers lying on the ground.

Can I cut it back? Should I?

It seems so strong and woody. I don't want to kill it?

How far back?

Thanks

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Comments (5)

gardenscout
16 years ago
You can cut it all you want or leave it as is until spring. Either way, it will still grow strong next year. I am going to be cutting mine back this weekend because they are growing more horizontal than vertical.

And speaking of next year -- when it awakens in the spring and has some new stems (or old ones with new growth) Hack a few off and push them into the soil where you want a new plant. No special rooting process, just stick them in and walk away.
gardenscout
16 years ago
I forgot to add -- I learned this year (too late for me) that we should slow them down by cutting them down to about a foot in June so they won't get so tall and top heavy in October.
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In your zone, I would be concerned that chopping them in half would encourage regrowth, and this is not the time of year you want plants putting out tender new growth. I would most likely take a pair of old style hedge pruners and deadhead in a few big whacks, and then wait until it is colder, or even early spring to prune back by half.
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They're hardy here in Z6 and come back reliably year after year altho' not always robust following a truly arctic winter. They can form into shrub-like clumps if not pruned back hard early in the growing season. Definitely prefer full sun but I have them growing in partial sun on both the western and northern areas of my gardens where they get some hours of shade each day. Really easy to grow from seed via winter sowing BTW. Stems get pretty woody so pruning isn't just the weed-whacker sort--needs lopping or pruning shears. If you want more specific growing info, check out the growing details at White Flower Farms' website or a good perennial guide. Anything flowering here in October is welcome regardless of bloom color. Have you considered toad lily/Tricyrtis for color/form contrast?
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I cut mine down last week. This is only my first full season with them after being planted last August, so I also hope it is not too late. I assumed they are like most chrysanthemums which follow the general rule no later than July 4th. They are already showing signs of new growth at the leaf axils. I have read these are very easy to root from cuttings just shoved into the soil (like sedum) but I am running out of room and didn't try this, LOL! I planted this and many other single-flowered mums (the so-called Korean mums) for fall color and especially as a late food source for pollinators.
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Hi, I'm new to this forum, and saw your question. As much as I love Montauk Daisies, I have no idea what their seeds look like. They are so very easy to propagate from cuttings, I don't know if I'd bother with seeds! I finally learned they should be pruned twice a year: June 1 and December 1 - easy to remember, that's good. When I took those June cuttings, I just couldn't bear to throw them all away, so tried rooting some - 100% success rate! I trimmed off all but the topmost few leaves, dusted with rooting hormone, and stuck them, three to a pot, in small pots filled with a mixture of sand, well-aged compost, potting soil, and a dash of well-aged cow manure. I did not cover them, but placed them in a part of the garden that gets heavily dappled shade. Checked on them frequently to make sure the soil remained moist. When I saw plenty of strong new growth, I figured they'd made their roots and gradually moved them to increased sunlight. By late summer, when I tapped them out of the pots to plant in full sun, there was a great root system there. They bloomed for me this fall. I gave away most of my December cuttings, but kept a few to see how well this works in winter. It's a little early to tell, since the cuttings are out in my greenhouse (new to me this fall, so I'm experimenting a lot), and have been in cooler temperatures than the June cuttings. Actually, I realize seeds are a lot easier to share over long distances than cuttings are. But if you want to increase what you already have, try rooting your June cuttings. Diane
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madtripper
16 years ago
Also called Nippon Daisy. Anyone grow this in z5? They seem to do fine, but flower very late here.
madtripper
16 years ago
Sorry - forgot to answer the original question. I cut mine back in spring.
FlowrPowr
16 years ago
madtripper, I grow them in zone 5. I usually cut mine back in the spring. Unfortunatley they haven't done very well for me. In the spring a late frost will destroy the foliage that has just begun to grow. They don't seem to have much cold tolerance. And once a late frost hits them, it takes them a long time to recover.

The other problem I have with them is that they don't seem to grow very tall. Mine only get about 2" tall. Unfortunately I placed them towards the back of the border thinking they would get much taller. This spring I plan on moving them to the front of the border, they might work better for me there.

I see that most of the posts are from people in zones 6/7. Maybe they do better where it's just a bit warmer than zone 5.

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