Spent blooms should be cut back as soon as they begin to fade to keep reseeding issues to a minimum. But as you progress deeper into the autumn season, the foliage of daisies will begin to fade as well. At this point, it is time to cut the entire plant back near the ground for winter.
In the fall, cutting back the stems to 2 inches (5 cm.) from the ground after the foliage has yellowed is a common practice. You may also choose to leave those dying stems in place to provide winter protection for the plant. In such cases, remove the dead stems in early spring to make way for new growth.
Once they've had their last bloom in early fall, cut off the top half of the plants so that only 1.5–2 feet (0.46–0.61 m) remain. The green, leafy daisy stalks will still look nice in a fall garden. At this point, the daisy plants will put their energy into maintaining the leaves rather than producing seeds.
Deadheading and cutting back in the fall or early spring are the only types of pruning needed for all cultivars of Shasta Daisies.
Deadheading the spent flowers of Shasta daisies will extend their bloom period and prevent plants from going to seed. In the fall, after your plants have finished blooming, cut back the dead stems to basal growth and cover with a layer of mulch to provide winter protection.
Once the plant has finished producing seeds, the blooming period will end and the plant will die back. Deadheading prolongs the blooming season by preventing the plant from putting too much energy into seed production too early.
Many daisies, including Shastas, are perennials, which means they'll come back year after year if cared for properly. Deadheading is an important part of this process, but if you really want to keep your garden consistent, you'll want to keep planting!
Water the plant once a week with at least an inch of water—less if there is rain. Make sure the soil is well-drained and dry between waterings. Daisies are drought-tolerant, so it's better to underwater than to overwater. Deadhead the blooms to promote growth.
Water during the summer only if rainfall is less than 1 inch per week. Daisies are generally tolerant of dry spells once they are established. Every spring, apply some compost and mulch to help control weeds. As flowers fade, deadhead to extend the blooming season.
Spent blooms should be cut back as soon as they begin to fade to keep reseeding issues to a minimum. But as you progress deeper into the autumn season, the foliage of daisies will begin to fade as well. At this point, it is time to cut the entire plant back near the ground for winter.
Deadheading daisies signals the plant to increase production of flowers. This is what you want! If you wish to save seeds from your daisy plants, you may wish to deadhead in the beginning of the growing season and then lay off until it gets later and closer to fall.
There is no perfect time to prune a daisy plant as they always seem to be in bloom or have lots of buds. Trim them when the majority of the flowers are spent, realizing that you'll be sacrificing some of the next flush of flowers. You trim the growth with a pair of hand pruners or use electric hedge shears.
Division will reinvigorate a planting, but I usually don't bother because my daisies replant themselves by self-sowing. Golden marguerites and Shasta daisies, in particular, sow themselves with abandon, but unwanted seedlings are never a problem. You can smother them with mulch or scrape them off with a hoe easily.
Inadequate Sunlight
Shastas require full sun. Without it, they may produce few to no flowers. Daisies are phototropic, meaning they turn toward the sun.
How to Deadhead and Prune Black-Eyed Susans. Black-eyed Susans will bloom longer if you deadhead them, which means cutting off spent, faded, or dried up flowers once they're past their prime. Always cut the stem back to just beyond a leaf so you don't leave dead, dried-up stems poking out.
After the frost, Shasta Daisy foliage will begin to die back and turn brown. You can cut back the spent foliage and add a layer of mulch around the base of the plant. The mulch this will help to insulate the roots and protect them from frost heaves during cold weather.
Once your clump of Shasta daisy plants get to be about 3 years old, like many perennials, the plant will become woody and die out in the center. To divide the plant, dig up the clump and discard the woody center. You will likely have two or three outer sections with more healthy young rhizomes.
Cells plump up with water and weigh down stems, causing toppling. Water sitting on large flower heads can also weigh them down – use drip or hand-water roots. - flopping can be a signal that it's time to divide perennials. If the clump is starting to look intimidating, it's probably time to divide.
To encourage abundant blooming, be sure to deadhead spent blooms throughout the growing season. This will encourage the plant to produce more flowers. Because Shasta daisies are short-lived perennials, it is best to plant additional daisies each year to keep the daisy patch full and blooming.
Overwatering daisies can cause them to wilt or result in yellowing leaves. Experts recommend giving daisies 1 to 2 inches of water at the base of the plant each week during the growing season, and switching to every other week during the winter.