How to Grow Daisies

Daisies are beautiful, make great bouquets and centerpiece flowers. They are also fun to grow. I have some daisies that I enjoy growing in pots on my balcony. Today I want to discuss with you how to grow daisies.

I’ve always enjoyed daisies. They come in so many colors, sizes, and styles, and look great, whether they are bunched together or in a bouquet with a variety of other flowers. You just can’t go wrong with daisies.

History of the Daisy

Daisies have been around for about 4,000 years. That’s a long time! Gerbera daisies are thought to be found by Richard Jameson, a Scotsman.

He found them in South Africa. The daisy was commonly called the Day’s Eye. This name referred to how the flower would open up in the day and close at night.

Daisy means Marguerite in French, hence the Marguerite daisy. Many different cultures in the past as well as today use daisies to cure all kinds of ailments, including eye issues, stomach ulcers, insanity, and to darken grey hair.

Fun Facts

• Daisy leaves can be eaten.
• The only place where daisies are not found is Antarctica.
• Daisies are used to treat a variety of ailments.
• “Vascular plants” which are 10% of all flowering plants, include daisies.
• Daisies are two flowers combined into one.

Types of Daisies

There are many types of daisies, but I want to briefly mention just a few that are common to grow.

Coneflower-Coneflowers can grow up to four feet tall. These flowers can help boost the immune system. They have beautiful purple petals.

Gerbera-Gerbera daisies come in all kinds of colors. They are a very popular plant here in Southern California.

They are great to use in bouquets because of their long stems and large, brightly colored petals. These flowers will also bring in bees and butterflies to your garden.

Oxeye-These daisies are native to Europe and make a great addition to a wildflower garden.

Shasta-Shasta daisies have white petals with yellow centers. It is one of the larger daisy varieties and make great cut flowers for bouquets and centerpieces. Their stems grow from one to three feet tall.

Marguerite-These daisies are a beautiful addition to any garden. They come in pinks and yellows, and the flowers are one to two inches in size.

How to Grow Daisies

Daisies need as much sun as possible to thrive. I sometimes have to move my container with my pink Shasta daisies around our balcony, counting on what time of year it is and where the sun is most of the day.

Place them in good-draining soil. I use Miracle-Gro Potting Soil for most of my plants and it seems to work fine with my daisies.

Plant your daisies in the spring or fall so that you can enjoy them for most of the year. If planting in a pot, keep the crown of the plant above the soil.

If you are growing daisies from seeds, use 1/4 of an ounce for every 100 square feet of space and keep them uncovered. To get more details on how to start plants from seeds, read How to Grow Plants from Seeds.

Some daisies may need staking to keep them steady when they grow tall and to protect them from winds. Water daisies regularly, but not too much.

In general, water plants grown in container plants more due to them losing water quicker than plants grown in the ground. You also want to fertilize and mulch daisies regularly to keep them thriving.

How to Grow Daisies

Do you have anything to add to my post about how to grow daisies? Let me know in the comments section below.

Happy gardening!