Growing Shasta Daisies From Seed

Shasta Daisies are an excellent perennial flower.  They are super easy to grow from seed, great for bouquets, and they multiply like crazy.  So, basically, all you have to do is set it and forget it to reap the reward for years to come.

To start Shasta Daisies from seed, you have two options:  start them indoors or direct sow outdoors.  They both have pros and cons.  If you start them indoors, you need to start them 6-8 weeks before planting.  On the upside, though, when you do plant them, you’ll be able to see where you are placing them a heck of a lot better.  Starting them outdoors means you don’t have to use potentially precious grow light space and grow medium, and since they are pretty easy to direct sow, you’ll probably have a pretty good success rate.

Either way, to start them from seed, you need light.  They require good quality sunlight {or a grow light} to germinate.  Gently lay 3-5 seeds on the top of the dirt and lightly press them into the dirt.  Resist the urge to cover them with soil, they do not need dirt over the top of them.  It will take about 2 weeks for seedlings to emerge {sometimes less, especially indoors}.  When they are about 1″ tall, thin them to every 1′-2′ {I know that seems like a lot, but really they will spread and have a clumping appearance quickly enough}.  If you decide to direct sow them, you can do so about 2-4 weeks before the average last frost.   You can direct sow them anytime throughout the summer, so long as you do it about 2 months before the first predicted frost of fall.

The best part about daisies is that they have continual blooms–which means flowers all summer long.  So you can pick them with reckless abandon for vases, and rest assure you will still have plenty blooming in the garden.

Do YOU grow daisies?  Which are your favorite variety?

~Mavis