Daisy

October 6, 2018

I planted Shasta daisies from seed last year and they did great.  This year they got very tall and gangly and died.  I did not water much, but they survived drier conditions last year. 

It is possible your plant had a disease or something could have eaten the roots or damaged the crown of the plant.  Shasta daisies are susceptible to a disease called verticillium wilt which is a soil-borne disease.  In many cases, symptoms do not develop until the plant is flowering or after periods of stressful hot, dry weather. Older leaves usually develop symptoms, which include yellowing, wilting, and eventually dying and dropping from the plant. Infected leaves can also develop pale yellow blotches on the lower leaves. It can lead to the death of the plant.  If you still have the plants, cut into the stem at the soil line and see if there is brown streaking inside.  Or take the plant to your local county extension office (roots and stem) and they can send it to our disease diagnostic lab. 

July 2006

I have Shasta daisies that are three years old and close to five feet tall. Is there any way they can be trimmed back and still bloom? I have tied them up but they still fall on the ground.

How much sunlight do they get? If they are in partial shade, sometimes they will grow taller than normal and they may be a little weaker. They could also simply be too crowded. Cutting them back now will reduce the blooms, but they can bounce back with new blooms later in the season. Another option would be to use perennial stakes. These should be used on tall growing perennials annually to help keep them upright. The ring types are easiest to apply as the plants begin growing in the spring, but there are others that can be used around the plants. This fall, or next spring, consider digging and dividing the plants. Hopefully this can help control size. Trimming before blooming can delay flowering, but pruning immediately after the first flush of flowers will slightly delay more blooms, but you should still get some.

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