Caring for daisies: pruning, fertilizing & Co

With a little care, the marguerite beautifies every garden with its white and yellow flowers. It is considered a very robust plant.

Even if the species of the genus Marguerite (Leucanthemum) contain low-maintenance plants, they need a little attention now and then. Here you can find out what you have to consider when caring for daisies and what to do if the daisy has withered or dried up.

Cut daisies

In order to promote the vitality and vigorous growth of the daisies, you should cut back your daisies in July. Especially daisies, which do not overwinter outdoors but in the winter quarters, should be trimmed about 15 to 30 cm above the root collar before being put away. Leaves can be left on.

If you sow the meadow daisies (Leucanthemum vulgare) want to prevent, it is advisable to regularly cut off the faded flowers. In this way, their seeds cannot be distributed and no new, possibly no longer true-to-type plants will sprout anywhere in the garden. Regularly cutting off the seed heads can prolong the flowering period.

Tip: If you want to sow specially harvested seeds next year, you can leave a few seed heads of the daisies until the seeds are ripe and then collect them. You can find out what other methods there are to propagate the plants in our overview daisies.

Water daisies

Whether in a pot or in a bed - daisies need water regularly in summer. The substrate should not be wet, but always fresh to damp. The meadow daisy that has not been cultivated and also the garden daisy (Leucanthemum maximum), on the other hand, are satisfied with dry to fresh soils. You can tell whether the marguerite is slowly drying up by the fact that the flowers and leaves are hanging. To prevent this, the following applies in summer when it is not raining: you have to water daisies regularly. Naturally, species-appropriate water supply works best if you Planting the Marguerite already use a substrate that is suitable for the respective daisy species.

In winter, it should not be watered at all or less frequently. Usually it rains enough in winter, rather too much for the daisy. If the marguerite overwinters in the winter quarters in the pot, you can let it almost dry out. More to Overwintering the marguerite can be found in our special article.

Fertilize daisies

Daisies are better strengthened with fertilizer only in the period between May and August. How much you have to fertilize the marguerite depends on what type and variety of marguerite it is. As the name suggests, the poor meadow daisy needs a rather lean substrate. It is therefore sufficient here, even with poor soil, to work long-term fertilizer into the soil when planting. more vigorous species of daisies like the plentiful garden daisy, you should fertilize moderately every 2 to 3 weeks. Which fertilizer should be used also depends on whether the marguerite is planted in a pot or bed.

Fertilize the daisies in the pot

A liquid fertilizer is suitable as a daisy fertilizer if the daisy is in a pot or bucket and is occasionally repotted. Our primarily organic Plantura organic flower & balcony fertilizer is suitable for this, for example. It can be easily administered via the irrigation water and primarily supplies the daisies with nitrogen and potassium.

Fertilize daisies in the bed

As a fertilizer for daisies in the bed, it is best to use a granular fertilizer no more than once a year in spring. Here, for example, would be our primarily organic Plantura organic flower fertilizer suitable. Compared to the liquid fertilizer mentioned above, it is lower in nitrogen, since nitrogen is often already present in the bed due to the decomposition of organic material. The fertilizer only needs to be sprinkled onto the substrate and lightly worked into the soil. The subsequent watering softens the fertilizer, makes it accessible to microorganisms and then gradually releases the nutrients it contains as it decomposes.

Caring for daisies in the pot

The smaller available soil volume of a pot plant means that the marguerite has to be supplied with water and nutrients a little more often. It is therefore best to check the humidity daily in summer and look out for signs of nutrient deficiency such as yellow foliage or very sluggish growth. If the pot is completely rooted, you should repot the marguerite. If the plant has lost vitality, it can help to divide the daisy - as long as it is a species that branches laterally. Spring is the best time for repotting and dividing. Since the meadow daisy is a short-lived perennial, it should be divided or replanted every 3 to 5 years before it begins to bloom and grow poorer.

More care tips

Since the daisy is rather easy to care for, there is not much to look out for most of the year. In the event that it has faded, dried up or even been attacked by pests, here are a few tips.

Marguerite has faded: what to do?

Depending on the species, the daisies fade every year around October. However, since nothing withered will fall off on its own with the marguerite, you should cut off the withered flowers. Doing this regularly throughout the year will encourage aftergrowth.

Marguerite dries up: what to do?

If the marguerite is not watered at all or too little, it lets its blossoms and foliage droop and sooner or later dries up. If only the leaves and the tips of the shoots are dry, you can pour plenty of water. Better yet, soak the bale in water until no more bubbles appear. Then the marguerite may sprout again. After dipping the ball, the plant should first be shaded.

Common pests and diseases

aphids (Aphidoidea) and spider mites (Tetranychidae) are the most common daisy pests. In addition, a snail infestation should be checked regularly when the marguerite is planted in the garden.

• Aphids are common in spring and are mostly found on the petiole and underside of leaves. They can be controlled in protected cultivation such as in greenhouses with ladybird and lacewing larvae. Outdoors helps Control of aphids a treatment with ours Plantura Organic Pest Free Neem.
• Spider mites appear mainly in dry conditions and are much less common outdoors than in sheltered places such as greenhouses or balconies. To combat a mild infestation, washing the plant several times with water is often sufficient. Should they then still be available in large numbers, stand by Control of spider mites other effective home remedies and biological pesticides to choose from.
• The leaf-veined fly (Lyriomiza huidobrensis) is insensitive to numerous chemical pesticides, but can with protected cultivation parasitic wasps be fought.
• Powdery and downy mildew often occur when there is too much moisture and especially when there is morning dew. Mildew can be combated by spraying with a mixture of baking soda and water. Only 1 part baking soda should be added to 99 parts water.

Close relatives of Leucanthemum are the chrysanthemums. They have an even longer flowering period than the daisy species and add color to any garden.