Common daisy(Bellis perennis) is one of the well-known and popular perennials, easily available in many varieties. Planted in the garden or in a pot on the terrace, it will be a colorful decoration attracting beneficial insects. Here are some tips aboutgrowing daisiesin the garden and on the balcony, whatvarieties of daisiesare worth planting, and how toreproduce daisyfrom own cultivation.
Common daisy - Bellis perennis
Fig. pixabay.com
What does a common daisy look like
Common daisyis a perennial from the Asteraceae family. It can be found commonly in meadows and fields throughout the country. Decorative varieties of daisies are often grown in gardens and in public green spaces.
Common daisy grows up to 20 cm tall . The plant forms underground stolons, from which grows a rosette of dark green leaves. In spring, characteristic inflorescence baskets 1.5-2 in diameter appear between them in white, pink or red colors.
The common daisy bloomsfrom early spring to late autumn, while ornamental varieties of daisies, a little shorter - from March to July. Plants often repeat flowering in the fall, and flowers persist until frost.
Garden daisy varietiesare treated as biennial plants - in the first year they form a rosette of leaves, and only in the second year are blooming.
Common daisy - garden variety with multiplied whorls of ligulate flowers
Fig. pixabay.com
Common daisy - application
The daisy has a wide range of uses. , it is both an ornamental plant, as well as medicinal and edible. It can be an excellent element of a flower meadow, border border or a container plant. Some varieties of daisies are also used as cut flowers, often in wedding bouquets. Thanks to the content of digestive compoundsdaisy flowers can be used as an addition to salads and saladsDaisy infusions help with kidney problems, lower blood pressure, and when used externally in difficult-to-heal wounds, they have a soothing effect and antiseptic.
Common daisy - varieties
The garden varieties of thedaisy are derived from the common daisy. They differ in height and color palette, and due to the structure of inflorescences, we divide them into simple, semi-double and full (with multiplied whorls of ligulate flowers).
The most popular garden varieties of daisies are :
Daisy varieties from the 'Rominette' serieswith full flowers concealing a yellow center and a color palette from white to purple. They have a long flowering period. These varieties are suitable for cut flowers, for borders and for growing in containers. They do best in full sun, on evenly moist soils, but will not tolerate stagnant water. They are resistant to pollution and will thrive in urban conditions.
The varieties of daisies from the 'Tasso' seriesare plants of a compact habit and growing up to 15 cm in height, and therefore slightly shorter than the species. They are grown as annual plants, with rosettes with dark leaves and pompom, double inflorescences up to 6 cm in diameter, in shades of red, pink and white.Removing faded flowers regularly will ensure your daisies bloom profusely throughout the summer.Often used for planting with tulips in lawn beds and containers.They grow in well-drained, moderately fertile soil in full sun to partial shade.
A variety of daisy with pink flowers
Fig. pixabay.com
Series of daisy varieties 'Pomponette'are daisies with small, full pompon-shaped flowers and serrated leaves forming rosettes. They grow up to 20 cm and enjoy a long flowering period, from April to July.
Daisy 'Super Enoma'is a profusely flowering variety with large and full flowers in white, pink or red.
Series of daisy varieties 'Speedstar Plus'- plants with semi-double flowers with yellow centers are characterized by a compact habit, short cultivation time and high frost resistance.
Daisy 'Old Strain'is a daisy variety with single, pale pink flowers.
Daisy grown in the garden
Fig. pixabay.com
Common daisy - growing in the garden
The common daisy does not have high cultivation requirements.Prefers sunny positions, but tolerates semi-shade. It requires moist, humus, well-drained soil with a neutral or slightly acidic pH (pH 6.5-7.5). Garden varieties of common daisy are not frost-resistant and require quiet and warm positions.
Daisies in flowerbeds should be planted at a distance of about 20x15 cm . If you want to use the daisy as a ground cover, then plant approximately 60 plants / m2.
Daisy careis not time-consuming, it mainly consists of weeding, watering and fertilizing. Since the root system of the daisies is shallow, watering must be regular, otherwise, due to a lack of moisture, the inflorescences become small and the pompom varieties lose their attractive appearance. After watering, it is a good idea to gently loosen the soil around the plants to improve root aeration.
Daisies are perennial plants , but they bloom most profusely in the second year of cultivation, which is why they are said to be biennial plants. If we want to limit the place of occurrence of the daisy and we do not want to self-seed, we have to remove dried inflorescences immediately after flowering so that seeds do not form.
Common daisy - Bellis perennis
Fig. pixabay.com
Daisies respond well to fertilization, so it can be supplemented with multi-component fertilizer 2-3 times a season. The firstfertilization of the common daisyshould be carried out in early spring to stimulate the flowering of the plants.
In order to protect the daisies against frostand water loss through evaporation for the winter , cover them with a cloth, a thick layer of sawdust, humus or peat. The bedding layer should be at least 8 cm.
Common daisy - growing on the balcony
Early springdaisies can decorate our balcony or terraceWe can plant them in March in the company of plants such as: garden pansy, hyacinth, sapphires or in April with forget-me-nots or fillets.
Grow the daisy as an annual plant on the balconyPlant the seedlings in containers, spaced every 10-15 cm. In warm weather, plants require abundant watering. It is good to feed the daisies with fertilizer for flowering plants every 2 weeks. To extend the flowering period,faded inflorescences of daisies are removed on an ongoing basisPlants planted in autumn are moved to bright, cool rooms for the winter or left in the air, covered with a tux.
Daisy grown on the balcony
Fig. pixabay.com
Common daisy - reproduction
The common daisy can be bred in 3 ways :
- from seeds (only pure species and varieties with simple flowers, as many sophisticated garden varieties sown from seeds do not reproduce the characteristics of the mother plant),
- runners,
- by dividing the developed clumps.
Seeds of daisy varieties with simple flowersare sown in June on the seedbed. We do not cover them, but only slightly cover them with sand, because the seeds need sunlight and a temperature of about 20 ° C to germinate. When the seedlings have 3 - 4 leaves each, pick them into pots to provide better conditions for further development. In September, we can plant seedlings at their destination.Garden daisies grown from seeds will bloom next spring
Common daisy - Bellis perennis
Fig. pixabay.com
Garden daisies can also be propagated by runners For this purpose, take runners from the mother plant in spring or autumn and plant them permanently. In the case of weaker runners, first place them in the inspection at a temperature of 10-12 ° C so that they root better. Remember to water young plants regularly. To create optimal conditions for their development, a foil cover can be used, thus reducing water evaporation.
Older and heavily overgrown daisies should be propagated by dividing rosettesPlants are usually divided in spring, late summer or fall. The clump is dug up and divided into 4-6 parts, after which, after removing all flowers and buds, cutting off the leaves and shortening the roots to 5-8 cm, they are planted for a cold inspection. After rooting, the plants can be planted permanently.
Diseases and pests of daisies
Daisies are not susceptible to diseases and pestsIn special cases they can be attacked by aphids (after the appearance of these pests, you can spray with natural oil preparation Emulpar 940 EC or Karate insecticides Gold or Mospilan 20 SP) and rust.
Daisy rust is a disease of small spots on the leaves.Brownish, yellowish clusters of fungus are visible on the underside of the leaves, causing the leaves to die off. The upper side of the leaf is covered with rusty spots. It is best to fight rust with natural preparations, such as garlic, onion extract or mugwort infusion.
MSc Eng. Anna Błaszczak
