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Cottage Gardens

Shasta Daisies (Becky) Stopped Flowering

14 years ago

Hi All

So I planted some Shasta Daisies in my potager to attract pollinators to the veggies. (Plus, I just love daisies!) I bought two plants from a big box store that had flowers all over them, and planted them in a full sun at the end of June.

The looked beautiful for a while, then of course the flowers started to die so I deadheaded them thinking more would grow but none did. The leaves still look fine, healthy and green, but no new flowers.

I thought these were supposed to keep blooming for a while. Is it because they are newly planted? Or maybe do I need to fertilize them? I did spray them with a little Maxicrop while I was doing my veggies but that's it.

I have some liquid bloom booster fertilizer too - with no nitrogen, just phosphorus and potassium that I am using for my peppers. Would this help to encourage blooms in these daisies too or should I use a more balanced fertilizer (if either would even help).

This is just my second year gardening so I'm full of questions. Thanks in advance for any advice!

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Comments (4)

gldno1
14 years ago
My Becky daisies don't bloom nearly as long as the regular old Shasta daisies that you start from seed.

I don't really see their superiority. The Becky bloomed later than the other one, but both are finished for the season in my Zone 6 garden.
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seamommy
14 years ago
Same here, daisies usually are done blooming by early to mid Summer. Interplant them with things that bloom later, like daylilies, garden phlox and verbena bonariensis (the tall one). Daisies will spread and next year you'll have a patch. In the out years you may have to lift and divide the root balls because not only will they spread underground, they will drop tons of seeds and I don't believe that there has ever been a daisy seed that didn't germinate in the entire history of the universe. Cheryl
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I agree. Daisies love sun and the more the better. In fact I just moved a bunch of "Becky" to another part of my garden over the weekend. I always move plants in the summer - if I waited until fall I'd never make room for anything else. That goes against most gardening advice, and it's a little more work, but I have pretty good success as long as it's not going to be obscenely hot or dry for a long period of time. Keep your eye on the weather forecasts and try to time it just before a rainy period. When you dig your new hole and put in the plant, fill it with water before you pile more dirt on top. That helps keep the roots moist. You have to be sure to keep them well watered (that means every day) until they start to perk up. And tie them up if they start to droop. I've got so many daisies I'm willing to take the risk. But if you're not, then wait until the weather cools a bit.
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aubade
Original Author
14 years ago
Oh ok, I didn't know they stopped so early. Thanks. At least it is better than something wrong with them.

I do have some puple echinachea, yellow coneflower (I think that's what they are) and red cockscomb growing nearby them, so hopefully they will last into fall.
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token28001
14 years ago
To extend the bloom life on shastas, cut back 1/3 of the blooms just as they start to bud. Cut the next 1/3 back 1.5 weeks later. And leave one to bloom as normal. The blooms will be smaller, but you'll get a longer bloom time and shorter, stockier plants. You can also do this with echinacea, coreopsis, bee balm, etc and so forth.

The Well Tended Perennial Garden is a great book.
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