Winter Care For Daisy Plants

daisies winter care

Daisy seeds are easy to start indoors or in the garden, but germination can take 14 to 28 days. Plant them after the last frost in fertile, well-draining soil. Space them 12 to 15 inches apart. The seeds may be lightly covered, but don’t bury them completely; the daisies need light to germinate. Refer to the cultivator’s growing instructions for specific planting details.

Once established, daisies are relatively low maintenance. Too much moisture can cause fungal leaf spots such as Alternaria or Septoria, which will appear on the leaves as whitish, gray, or black specks, while too little sunlight can result in leggy growth. Both can be treated with fungicide. In addition, mulching daisies properly can prevent root rot and promote drainage, and removing spent blooms encourages repeat flowering.

Depending on the climate, some varieties of daisies are winter hardy while others are not. Some grow as perennials, and some can be grown as annuals. If you want to keep your ‘Francesca’ or ‘Astrid Thomas’ in the ground, cut them back to the base of their green foliage in fall, before the first frost. Doing so will encourage the plants to put out more blooms next spring and discourage weeds from taking over the bed.

If you wish to overwinter your daisies (Leucanthemum), bring the pot inside and acclimate them to a cool, bright room. Then, gradually move them to a warmer location over the course of a month or so as spring approaches.