Popular in folklore for hundreds of years, ox-eye daisies, Chrysanthemum lencanthemum, are also called Marguerite daisies, moon daisies, or field daisies.
They are seen growing in fields through North America, Europe and Russia.
Because they bloom so readily, daisies are a popular flower grown in the home garden today.
They are easy to start from seed and will bloom their second summer after sowing.
They will bloom for several years before they need to be divided.
Daisies bloom in late spring to early summer.
Ox-eye daisies are considered the classic daisy, with their white petals and yellow centers, but other varieties come in a wide range of colors.
Daisies last a long time as a cut flower and are often grown in cutting gardens, as well as the perennial border.
Choose a site for daisies that is in full sun with rich, well-drained soil.
They will tolerate partial shade.
Add a 2-inch layer of peat moss to the surface of the soil in the planting site.
Turn the soil over with a spade, digging down the depth of the spade.
Rake the soil smooth.
Broadcast seed on top of the soil by sprinkling it liberally but not thickly.
Sprinkle a 1/8 inch layer of vermiculite on top of the seeds.
Spray the seedbed with a fine hose-end mister.
Check it daily, misting as needed to keep the seedbed moist, but not saturated.
Seeds will germinate in 14 to 28 days.
After they germinate, water them every few days until the seedlings are 6 to 8 inches high.
Thereafter, provide them with the equivalent of 1-inch of water per week.
Thin the seedlings when they are 2 inches high so they stand 8 to 12 inches apart.
Mulch the growing bed with 2 to 3 inches of shredded leaves or buckwheat hulls.
Replenish mulch as it decomposes, to keep it at least 2 inches deep.
Remove faded flowers by cutting down to just above the next flower bud.
Cut the stems completely down to the ground when the plants finish blooming for the year.
Apply a 8- to 10-inch layer of protective winter mulch of hay or fallen autumn leaves in late fall after you cut them down.
Fertilize daisies in early spring with granulated all-purpose fertilizer applied following the manufacturer's recommended rates of application.
Pull back the mulch, sprinkle fertilizer in a 12-inch circle around the plant and replace the mulch.
Divide daisies every 3 to 4 years.
Dig up the plants with a shovel and separate the root ball.
To do this, place the plant on a flat surface and drive the shovel through the plant and roots, to divide it into 3 or 4 sections.
Replant each piece.
Ox-eye daisies brighten up the late spring garden with their sunny yellow centers and their white ray petals.
They are easy to care for and bloom reliably, along with the roses, iris, and poppies that bloom in May and June.
They are seen growing in fields through North America, Europe and Russia.
Because they bloom so readily, daisies are a popular flower grown in the home garden today.
They are easy to start from seed and will bloom their second summer after sowing.
They will bloom for several years before they need to be divided.
Daisies bloom in late spring to early summer.
Ox-eye daisies are considered the classic daisy, with their white petals and yellow centers, but other varieties come in a wide range of colors.
Daisies last a long time as a cut flower and are often grown in cutting gardens, as well as the perennial border.
Choose a site for daisies that is in full sun with rich, well-drained soil.
They will tolerate partial shade.
Add a 2-inch layer of peat moss to the surface of the soil in the planting site.
Turn the soil over with a spade, digging down the depth of the spade.
Rake the soil smooth.
Broadcast seed on top of the soil by sprinkling it liberally but not thickly.
Sprinkle a 1/8 inch layer of vermiculite on top of the seeds.
Spray the seedbed with a fine hose-end mister.
Check it daily, misting as needed to keep the seedbed moist, but not saturated.
Seeds will germinate in 14 to 28 days.
After they germinate, water them every few days until the seedlings are 6 to 8 inches high.
Thereafter, provide them with the equivalent of 1-inch of water per week.
Thin the seedlings when they are 2 inches high so they stand 8 to 12 inches apart.
Mulch the growing bed with 2 to 3 inches of shredded leaves or buckwheat hulls.
Replenish mulch as it decomposes, to keep it at least 2 inches deep.
Remove faded flowers by cutting down to just above the next flower bud.
Cut the stems completely down to the ground when the plants finish blooming for the year.
Apply a 8- to 10-inch layer of protective winter mulch of hay or fallen autumn leaves in late fall after you cut them down.
Fertilize daisies in early spring with granulated all-purpose fertilizer applied following the manufacturer's recommended rates of application.
Pull back the mulch, sprinkle fertilizer in a 12-inch circle around the plant and replace the mulch.
Divide daisies every 3 to 4 years.
Dig up the plants with a shovel and separate the root ball.
To do this, place the plant on a flat surface and drive the shovel through the plant and roots, to divide it into 3 or 4 sections.
Replant each piece.
Ox-eye daisies brighten up the late spring garden with their sunny yellow centers and their white ray petals.
They are easy to care for and bloom reliably, along with the roses, iris, and poppies that bloom in May and June.
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