How Does a Daisy Grow?

Starting Growth

• To grow your own daisies, choose a seed variety. Your nursery may stock varieties and cultivars adapted to your area. Weed and clear out a bed or patch of land. Daisies need little more than ordinary garden soil in terms of loam, so no amendments should be necessary. Sprinkle your seed packets, water and wait. Daisies do like a location with full sun, and they do best in well-drained soils, especially during the winter months. Plant daisies any time from early spring to September. You'll see long-lasting blooms between April and July, depending on variety and your climate.

Growth Over Time

• When daisies become invasive, or you have too many seedlings, you can smother them with mulch or remove them with a hoe or spade. Perennial daisies last several years, and vigorous varieties like Shasta and golden marguerites sow their own seeds. Sew another patch every two years, because they tend to wear out after that time. Dividing daisies boosts blooming, but this may not be necessary if they are thriving.

Growth Habits

• Daisy blossoms are actually two flowers. The disk florets sti at the center of the flower, and the ray florets encircle it like a halo. This inflorescence is called capitulum. Daisies typically grow in a vigorous, loose, spreading habit with a wild flower look. You can persuade some to creep or climb, and other varieties have a bunching habit.

Types of Daisies

• Argyranthemum frutescens, or Marguerite, works well as a container plant. It ranges in size, and its blossoms come in hues ranging from yellow to pink and white. Flowers appear quickly and are plentiful, lasting practically the entire season. Marguerites grow well in USDA zone 9 or above, so they're not very cold-hardy. For a cooler climate, painted daisy provides a mix of colors. It does need liberal watering and shade during the hotter months.