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

Are you ready to start your garden but you’re not sure when you should plant your seeds or set out your transplants? Head on over HERE and you’ll be taken to a handy dandy chart that is broken down into what vegetables should be planted {or transplanted} each month in your area.

Anyone can do this. Dirt + Seeds+ Water = Food!

~Mavis

Gardening books hold kind of a special place in my heart. I wouldn’t be the gardener I am today {or maybe not a gardener at all} if it weren’t for a few gardening books I picked up years ago. I spent almost the entire winter of 2008/2009 reading up on gardening. I found some incredible reads that taught me so much and made me realize how much I didn’t know. So I’ve never stopped reading gardening books.

Here are just a few of my favorites, although if we’re being honest, narrowing this list down was virtually impossible. Gardening books are right up there with the bible {okay, not quite, but you get the idea!}.

My Favorite Garden Books:

• Carrots Love Tomatoes: Secrets of Companion Planting
• The Complete Compost Gardening Guide
• Mini Farming: Self-Sufficiency on 1/4 Acre
• Sugar Snaps and Strawberries 
• The Gardener’s A-Z Guide to Growing Organic Food
• The Kitchen Gardener’s Handbook