How to Cut Back Daisies & Keep Them Healthy

Daisies are a popular perennial flower that can be grown in gardens and planters around the world. Daisies don’t generally need much pruning, but cutting them back can encourage growth and keep them looking their best. In this article, we’ll explain how to prune daisies in the spring and summer to encourage growth, as well as how to prune in fall and winter . Plus, we interviewed gardening and plant specialists to give you tips on how to grow and care for daisies .

How to Prune Daisies in the Spring

Use your fingers or hand pruners to pinch off individual dead flowers.
Cut off dead and yellowed foliage with pruning shears.
Cut all the stems back by 4 inches (10 cm).
Leave the tiny flower buds on the plant to encourage new growth.
Repeat the pruning cycle as necessary throughout the growing season.

Section 1 of 4:

Encouraging Growth in Spring and Summer

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Pinch off individual dead flowers with your fingers or hand pruners. Remove the dead flowers before they begin producing seeds. This will make the daisy plant invest energy in creating new flowers, rather than producing seeds in the spent flowers. ^{[1]
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Research source} Use your fingers or a pair of hand pruners to easily tear off the stem which connects the dead flower to the soil.
- Wear gardening gloves since some tougher stems could irritate your skin.
- On average, perennial flower blooms last for 2–4 weeks. ^{[2]
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- This process is often called “deadheading,” since you’re removing the dead heads of flowers. ^{[3]
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Remove dead and yellowed foliage. Leaves and stems can die at any point during the year, so remove the dead materials as soon as you notice them. Dead stems and leaves will be dark brown or black and brittle. Snip these off in sections with pruning shears , or pull off individual dead leaves and stems with your fingers. ^{[4]
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- Remove yellow and wilting stems and leaves, as well. Yellowing foliage will probably not recover and is usually considered just as unsightly as dead foliage.
- If you don’t have a pair of pruning shears, purchase one at your local hardware store or home and garden supply store.
- Make sure your shears are sharp , and sanitize them between uses. Plant specialist Ryan Glynn explains, “Using isopropyl alcohol to wipe them down before doing any pruning is going to make sure that you’re not spreading any potential disease from one plant to another.”
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Using a sharp pair of pruning shears, cut the tops off of your entire bed of daisies. This will ensure that, as the stems continue to grow and when the flowers re-emerge, they’ll all grow at the same height. Cut the spent flower stems below the foliage to prevent unsightly stems from sticking out of your plant.
If you look closely at your bed of daisies, you’ll be able to see many small flower buds—each only about ¹ ⁄ ₄ inch (0.64 cm) in size—growing about 5 inches (13 cm) beneath the large flowers. When you prune the daisies, do not cut off these buds. If you do, you’ll wind up waiting over a month for new flowers to emerge after you’ve pruned the daisy bed. Pruning the larger blooms encourages the plant to grow from these buds. ^{[5]
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Daisies are fast-growing flowers. Once pruned, they will typically grow back within 14–20 days. ^{[6]
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Repeat the pruning cycle throughout the growing season as needed. Maintain the pruning cycle during the daisies’ spring and summer growing seasons. As soon as you notice that a majority of the daisies have died and are beginning to produce seeds, prune the daisy plant. ^{[7]
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- By pruning, you’re essentially forcing the daisy plant to repeat a specific part of its reproductive cycle, rather than allowing it to finish the cycle as it would in nature.

Section 2 of 4:

Preparing Daisies for Fall and Winter

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Prune green daisy plants in fall by cutting the top half of the stems off. Daisy plants can grow 3–4 feet (0.91–1.22 m) tall during the peak of summer. 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. Usually, plan to cut your plants down in mid-September to stimulate growth. ^{[8]
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- At this point, the daisy plants will put their energy into maintaining the leaves rather than producing seeds.
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Remove any blackened, dead daisies. If your garden has daisies that are completely dead, it’s best to prune them out entirely. The stems of dead daisies are often brittle, so you can bend and snap the stems near the ground. Then, take a pair of pruning shears and cut the daisy stems off about 3–4 inches (7.6–10.2 cm) from the ground. ^{[9]
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- Dead daisies in winter will have no greenery on the stems or stalks, and they can start to look slimy and unsightly.
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Cut daisy stems to 1–2 in (2.5–5.1 cm) above the soil line in winter. Give your daisies a drastic pruning every year after the first frost. Use a sharp pair of gardening shears to trim each daisy stem so that no more than 1–2 inches (2.5–5.1 cm) protrudes up above the soil. ^{[10]
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- If you’re not sure when the first killing frost occurs in your region, look up your local frost date on the Old Farmer’s Almanac website .

Section 3 of 4:

Tackling Overgrowth

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Thin out your daisies to keep them healthy. Overgrown daisies can suffocate themselves because there is a lack of airflow. Keeping your daisies trimmed back can also help prevent other issues, like fungal growth and insects. Start by snipping away the weak, spindly stems so your plant will focus its energy toward more robust blooms. ^{[11]
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Remove up to 1/3 of growth for rejuvenation pruning. Just like with seasonal pruning, an overgrown daisy sometimes needs a big chop in order to grow and flower properly. Strategically cut away branches from the inside and outside of the plant to create balance. Never remove more than 1/3 of the plant at a given time, as this can lead to shock and stunt the plant’s development. ^{[12]
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- If you’re removing diseased branches, make sure to discard them as soon as possible and don’t leave them in your garden’s ecosystem.

Section 4 of 4:

How to Grow and Care for Daisies

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Plant daisies somewhere they can receive 6+ hours of direct sunlight. Whether you’re growing flowers from seed or planting fully-grown blooms, daisies love sunlight. While some types will grow in shaded areas, they grow the best blooms when they receive at least 6 hours of direct sunlight. ^{[13]
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- If you’re planting daisy seeds, wait until early spring when temperatures reach 70°F (21° C).
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Plant them in well-draining soil and be careful not to overwater. Daisies don’t like soil that’s too wet, so plant them in soil that allows the roots to dry thoroughly between waterings. ^{[14]
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Research source} During the growing season, give your daisies 1–2 inches (2.5–5.1 cm) of water at the base of the plant each week. Then, switch to every other week during winter.
- If you water your daisies too much, they will wilt and start to yellow. Too much moisture can also cause fungal leaf spots, like Alternaria or Septoria, which can be treated with fungicide. ^{[15]
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- If you’re planting daisy seeds, plant them just underneath the dirt, about ¹ ⁄ ₈ inch (0.32 cm) deep. Water the seeds to keep the soil moist until they start to germinate, usually after 10-20 days.
- Gardening expert Erin Hostetler recommends watering your plants, “In the morning or when the sun is starting to go down. Some people are super firm on needing to water first thing in the morning because it gives you the whole day to let your plants dry out.”
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Fertilize your daisies once a month. Fertilizing your daisies once a month can help them bloom better, especially if you fertilize during their active season. Choose a balanced fertilizer and follow the instructions on the package to apply it properly. ^{[16]
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Propagate daisies when they’re finished flowering. If you want to propagate your daisies, wait until they’re finished flowering for the season, usually in July. Cut the flowers back to the crown, dig them out, then transplant or divide them . You can also wait until the fall to divide the plant, or in early spring before flowers appear. ^{[17]
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Repot daisies when the roots touch the sides of the container. According to plant specialist Chai Saechao, “In a potted plant, if the roots are coming out really long, it means that your plant needs to be repotted. So, whatever size pot it’s in currently, you want to go up two pot sizes.” Choose a pot that’s 1–2 inches (2.5–5.1 cm) larger in diameter, and transfer the plant in the spring just before you move it back outside. In general, plan to repot once every 18 months.
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Watch out for pests and diseases. When grown in the right conditions, daisies aren’t usually susceptible to many problems. However, too much moisture can lead to fungal problems, and high heat and humidity may cause powdery mildew. Treat these issues with a fungicide solution. ^{[18]
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- If your plant has mold, Saechao explains, “Mold is generally from over-watering, so that means the soil is too moist. What I typically recommend is to check out the plant and dry it out. Then, we use neem oil, a type of pesticide.”

Community Q&A

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I have mine in a flowerpot due to living in a condo. Do I treat it the same as if in the ground?

Ninox

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Yes, except that you have to keep it watered more thoroughly and to replant it in another pot every 4 to 5 years.

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I did not cut back my daisies in the fall. What should I do?

Ninox

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Don't worry about this; daisies can be left uncut for one year. But do not forget to do it next year.

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In what months should I prune yellow daisy bushes?

Ninox

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Cut the flowers when they wither, and cut the leaves at the end of November or at the beginning of December.

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The Shasta daisy is the most common type of daisy grown in gardens. There are many other varieties of daisy, including the Everlasting daisy, the Federation daisy, the Seaside daisy, and the Australian daisy. ^{[19]
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Some types of daisies are invasive, so check with local gardening resources and extension programs to make sure you choose an appropriate type for your area.

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How to Cut Back Daisies & Keep Them Healthy

How to Prune Daisies in the Spring

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Encouraging Growth in Spring and Summer

Preparing Daisies for Fall and Winter

Tackling Overgrowth

How to Grow and Care for Daisies

Community Q&A

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Tips

Warnings

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