How to deadhead Shasta daisies – to keep these cheerful perennials blooming for longer

Shasta daises have beautiful, delicate blooms, with full, double quilled white petals and yellow centers, that return every spring and summer, flowering until early fall.

These drought-tolerant plants are relatively low maintenance, resistant to rabbits and deer, and with few insect and disease problems. However, if you grow Shasta daisies you will also know they also love to spread, so deadheading Shasta daisies isn't just to promote a longer blooming season, but also to stop them from self-seeding.

I spoke to gardening experts to learn about the best practices for deadheading these perennials, including the right time of year and exactly how to do it for all the different best Shasta daisy varieties.

Why you should deadhead Shasta daisies

Shasta daisies are the perfect low maintenance garden border idea or front yard flower bed addition for any garden. Deadheading your Shasta daisies regularly will improve not only how long they will continue to bloom for, but also the overall health and looks of the plant.

While your Shasta daisies won't die without deadheading, it is the best way to keep them blooming from summer to fall, improving their appearance and health.

Another benefit of deadheading Shasta daisies is that it will inhibit seed production. 'If left unchecked, Shasta daisies have a tendency to self-seed, leading to dense and overcrowded patches in your garden. Deadheading prevents self-seeding, allowing you to have better control over the plant's growth and distribution.' says Rachel Bull, Head of Gardens on Homes & Gardens.

'As well as giving you a longer season of blooms, deadheading Shasta daisies will also neaten up the plant and keep it looking tidy,' adds Drew Swainston, gardening expert and Content Editor at Homes & Gardens. This will also mean the plant will rebloom healthily the next year.

Drew Swainston

Drew qualified as a journalist and wrote for many websites and publications, before studying for a horticulture qualification. He worked as a professional gardener for several years, specializing in kitchen gardening. He's now bringing his expertise and passion to Homes & Gardens as a member of our team.

When to deadhead Shasta daisies

Since the flowering season for Shasta daisies is usually between summer and fall, this is when you should be on the look out for spent blooms that need to go.

Shasta daisies grow in clumps, so it should be relatively easy to identify which flower heads are ready to be deadheaded, such as those that are turning brown or even have seed heads forming. These will be dragging the rest of the plant down, not only in looks but in consumption of energy and nutrients.

As the gardening season comes to an end, you can perform a more extensive deadheading to prepare the plant for winter. This involves cutting back Shasta daisies to ground level once the flowering has ceased.

How to deadhead Shasta daisies

Drew Swainston advises: 'Select a spent flowerhead to remove and follow it down the stem to make a clean cut above a new bud, or a leaf joint. Make sure to use clean and sharp tools to deadhead (I recommend this Fiskars Bypass Pruner Garden Tool from Walmart). Never rip or pull the flowers as you can damage the plant, and take care when deadheading not to damage any unopened flower heads.'

If all the blooms in a clump are spent, you can cut to the base of the whole plant.

At the end of the season, a more drastic approach is needed. Using sharp pruning shears, cut back the stems of the daisies to ground level. 'This ensures the plant goes dormant during the winter and comes back stronger in the following spring,' adds Rachel.

FAQs

How long should Shasta daisies take to grow new blooms after deadheading?

Daisies are known to be fast-growing flowers, so flowerheads shouldn't take more than 20 days to grow back after deadheading.

Shasta daisies grow to around 2 to 4ft tall, and will make an impact on your garden all season long, and are great plants for pollinators. Their English garden style is a great addition to informal spaces, and beyond deadheading they require little maintenance to bloom in large clusters.

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