Shasta Daisies? Possible to propagate from Cuttings?

Hi, cottage gardeners--

I have Leucanthemums 'Becky' and 'Snow Cap' in the garden and I would like to have a few more plants for next year.

Normally I would divide the clumps in the fall for next year's bloom, but I like the size of the clumps where they are.

Sooo... do you think it is possible to start new clumps using 'cuttings'? I read on plant files that it may be possible-- but does anyone have practical knowledge?

http://davesgarden.com/pf/go/57377/

(I know you can start shastas from seed, but I am not sure that they will be true to the original.)

Any thoughts on shasta daisies? ---Becky's my favorite, but do you have a better one?

Thanks. t.

Tabasco, Who could have a better look for their garden than the one you pictured. Becky is lovely, and I do have it, but it is a tad too much like the ones that have naturalized here so I try to grow some others that are more varied in form like Leucanthemum 'Aglaya' , 'Crazy Daisy', ' Highland White Dream', and 'Wirral Pride'. They all make me happy and we leave many big naturalized clumps coming up in the drive and all along the edges of the property. I do pull them from the beds as they are just so prolific. Patti

tabasco~love the look you've got there, what is the purple plant please (not the liatris)?

Interesting about the variety of shasta daisies on the market. Subtle differences. My neighbor has a very low growing spreader--not more than 8 inches tall--that is very nice with a long bloom time. Do you think I could make a midnight run with a trowel down to her yard? I haven't been able to find it in a catalog....

http://www.bluestoneperennials.com/b/bp/search.html?mv_session_id=jrVMjG7o&co=yes&mv_more_alpha=yes&mv_more_alpha_chars=1&tf=name&to=f&rf=code%2C+name%2C+short_desc%2C+price%2C+qty%2C+new_plant%2Cdisc&sp=results_pics&st=text&mv_value=nametype%3Dscientific&mv_matchlimit=45&mv_value=srchtype%3Dkey&from_search=1&sf=children&su=0&op=ne&nu=0&se=1&sf=disc&su=0&op=ne&nu=0&se=0&sf=%3Acode%3Aname%3Acommon_name%3Ashort_desc%3Adescription1&su=1&op=rm&nu=0&se=shasta+daisy&submit.x=3&submit.y=6

I found several pictures of the different daisies on Bluestone's site. I wonder if there is a multi layered 'rudbeckia' that would companion plant with Wirrel?

Hey there t!
How is your garden dealing with this drought? I fear water restrictions will soon hit my area (cringe!). I've had a lot of newly planted things to baby along and so far so good.

I've found Shastas to benefit greatly from frequent division of clumps. I think if you divided those clumps in half after blooming they would reach the size you want next year. Once you give the area in the middle of the tight clump some room they fill in vigorously. I've been amazed at how the perennial divisions I've moved here to the new garden have grown into mature looking clumps already. I've grown Shastas in years past and neglected to divide the clumps; after a few years the middle of the clump died out and the remaining growth was sparse.

Back to your original question, I think if you get cuttings from close to the base they should root just fine. You can usually see some roots arising from the area where the stem meets the earth, making me think they should root easily.

I started White Knight, Snowlady, and Crazy Daisy from seed from Parks. I've only ended up with a handful of each, but they look good. Hopefully I'll be trying this next year myself :)

Say, Hey! Gem-- was wondering where you were! Thought maybe you were on vacation!

My garden and lawn is OK for now. I have enjoyed watering and watching some of the new perennials grow out a bit. And last night we finally got a nice rain. And I am sorry to hear you may go on water rations. We had that in California from time to time.

I will try to divide the daisies as you suggest. I had pretty good success growing some of the seed varieties from Wintersowing 2 years ago and that was fun, too. I am starting some perennial/biennial seeds--digitalis, campanula, and so on now so that I can get some bloom next spring, too.

Actually, what I was thinking of doing this week was purchasing one each of some of the new hybrid cultivar leucanthemum (Wirrel, Crazy Daisy, etc.) and cutting off the stems and making many plants for next spring. Just an idea. I wanted to do that for some of the new 'designer' coneflowers, too.

I bought a book on propagation from Amazon and can you tell I have just enough information to be dangerous now!

Hope you're enjoying the heat and humidity. LOL t.

Tabasco,

Divide that Becky...the more you divide it, the more it grows and the less it parts in the center. I think the stem cuttings, which I can see you are dying to try, will be easier with Leucanthemum, but have you ever had a vase of daisies take root? I have a feeling it is the same as the coneflower -- each flower is coming up from a separate plant. I know on Becky, that the major root of each individual plant is the horizontal connector root. I was very surprised to see the little root system on my Becky especially for such a lage plant. I was going to offerit for trade last year, but I didn't think there were enough roots for the divisions I was getting rid of to live. Anyway, the stem rooting would be easier on a plant that has leaves on the stem. The roots go out horizontally from the leaf nodes.

The Margurite daisies will definitely root, though they are the ones with the ferny foliage that aren't hardy. Or aren't reliably hardy. Not sure.

Consider this: When you look across at your garden, those flat conflowers and daisies like 'Becky' sort of disappear because they are all on the same plane. Coneflowers with the old-style droopy petals and daisies like Wirral Pride and Crazy Daisy show up a lot better, when you're looking across at them.

If you are looking down on them, then the flat ones show off better.

The combination of Wirral Pride with a doubledecker coneflower sounds revolting! LOL!

Often wrong, but never in doubt,
Suzy

"Often wrong, but never in doubt".....LOL! Suzy, thats a good one, I'll have to use that sometime :)

Here was a 55 cent plug put in last June of 'crazy daisy' It got huge. I love it. Patti

LOL well, Illoquin, you can't come down and look at my garden! I have too many weird combos now--but I will invite Gem up to help me edit out the screw ups! LOL. He has more patience with me, I think.

All right. I will quit with the cuttings idea for now. If I could get 'crazy daisy' plugs for 55 cents I would not be interested at all, either! A little cheating on my 'not allowed to purchase plants this year" rule, but I could over look that one!

Tomorrow we are going to re-arrange what I call the 'butterfly border' and remove all the clashes and mis-planted perennials. And I'm going to do divisional surgery on the 'Becky's' and other rudbeckias and echinaceas. Then dose the whole bed with some compost.

I wish my plants would thrive as well as bbookrd's. You must have some kryptonic sunrays or something shining in your Nantucket garden!

Go to Green Mt transplants. I have gotten great (really) plugs from them for the last two years. They had a bad patch a while back, but I couldn't be happier with them. I ordered a tray of the more expensive ones (1.50/1.85 mostly) and 2 trays of the cheap ones (mostly .55) All seem happy except a few that the rabbits got ( they chew through the deer fence to attack my gardens). I ordered a mess for my containers as they have such a good selection. Cheap. If you see in this picture any Pelargonium, lobelia, petunia, helichrysum, Ipomoea, or verbena it is most likely a .55 /65 plant to 1.85 for a couple of the pelargoniums from them this May. Patti

Gorgeous! All those from the 55 cent GM plugs?! I have looked at their site and heard about the past issues and then never followed through with them....I'll have to take another look for next year! http://www.gmtransplants.com/

Thanks for mentioning the site.

Tabasco, thanks for the hyperlink. I checked out their website, and it looks really good. This year, I got several smaller plants from a nursery on Ebay, that I was very pleased with. These prices are even better. I am marking this for next year. No more purchases this year (fingers crossed).

Did you notice that they had purple fountain grass? You know you love it!

This message was edited Jun 30, 2007 11:09 PM

Tobasco: I am researching info about Campanula propagation. I noticed you said you had WS Campanula. Did this work out well for you?
If you have any pointers as to how to propagate and growing C. I would appreciate it.

I have a Comtesse de Bouchaud clematis at the corner of my garage and the measurements of that area is probably about 5 ft. x 18 " depth. I need some other plants of color in front and beside that clematis. I was thinking about Becky daisies or Bee Balm because they would reseed. I had some snapdragons there last year but they are real short. Any other suggestions? What about Malva Zebrina? Larkspurs?

What about phlox "David's Lavender" It's a perennial and gets anywhere from 3 to 3.6'. Mine grows about 3 1/2 feet. It's fragrant and quite easy to grow.
Some snaps get pretty tall.
Iris ? Asiatic/Oriental Lilies? Daylilies? Silene chalcedonica 'Maltese Cross'

This message was edited May 8, 2011 9:34 PM

What about phlox "David's Lavender" It's a perennial and gets anywhere from 3 to 3.6'. Mine grows about 3 1/2 feet. It's fragrant and quite easy to grow.
Some snaps get pretty tall.
Iris ? Asiatic/Oriental Lilies? Daylilies? Silene chalcedonica 'Maltese Cross'
Lupines? Delphinium? Echinacea? Lots of colors there.

This message was edited May 8, 2011 9:35 PM

Illoquin, I agree with you: divide, do not try rootings. I love daisys and can't wait to get some planted at our current home.

Hi, birder, I just saw your post and know it's probably too late, but I wanted to show you this DG thread on Campanulas: http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/575333/ with lots of good info on them.

I only know to start the seed using the WS method so I can't really give you much inside info. I do love them in the garden, though and have had pretty good success with the tall ones using WS.

t.

I have a large clump of "Becky"Shasta daisies planted in the wrong place; it is blooming now and the rain beat it down the other day. I am assuming that once the sun comes out and stays out for a few days, "BeckY" will pop right back up. It should be in back of border. Can it be cut back and divided and replanted now and what are the chances of it reblooming once it is cut back and replanted elsewhere?

Tat beautiful yellow rudbeckia with green center with those shasta daisies, is that "Irish eyes or Irish Sun?"

Pippi, I wouldn't hesitate to cut it back and divide. I think you have an excellent chance it will rebloom for you in it's new location.

psychw2...Thanks for your advice. Once it stops raining for a couple of days, that task will be done. They will be divided, maybe in several clumps.

Pippi,

That looks like Irish eyes to me. Prarie sun has a darker circle around the center.

Overwinter I noticed that my first year 'Becky' plants were developing what looked like rosettes/new little plants along the upright stems! I posted a thread . . . somewhere asking if it were possible to take those rosettes and start new plants.

No one answered. I did it anyway.

I did it in what must be December or January. I took several and placed them directly in the ground. I cut the stem into sections and each rosette had a couple of inches of stem in the ground with it. I have amended red clay. I planted loosely and kept the soil around them moist through our "winter."

I also put several stem cuttings into pots and left them mostly untended except for nights when I knew the temperature was dropping and I made sure they were well watered.

I only lost a couple of these rosette cuttings. I probably started a dozen plants this way. Each an individual now growing nicely a single plant.

I also have the original (2) 1 gallon pot/plants which look like they could easily be divided into dozens of plants. I will probably go ahead and do it before the temps get much warmer.

I have a couple of clumps of a short daisy which I don't have an ID for, but I was just in awe of the size of the 'Becky' blooms as late as November.

I started a Nippon Daisy last fall also from a growth tip - it looked so much like a mum I thought I'd try it, and it worked! Very easy and growing very nicely right now.

A.

Also Becky will need to be divided in 3 to 4 years, they will begin dying out in the center, this is a tale tell sign. If you don't you could loose the whole plant, lol, just ask. I forgot to divide and.... oops. That reminds me I got that chore to get done this spring , or rather NOW!!!! Don't ya just love Becky, nine got to 48" last season.
Pix: 3 mature clumps.

Amanda -

that is really interesting and good to know. I never would have thought that you could propogate these daisies that way.

The Nippon daisy is not in the same family as the Shasta. Also, the Nippon daisies get huge. I finally took mine out when it was 4x4 and just taking up too much garden space. It was great for being a late bloomer though.....

Carolyn - I have read here how people raved over the Nippon, and I had to try it. You know I used to be in the plant business so I thought I'd just do a little experiment with a cutting.

I guess I have it in the right space - I think it will be just fine where it is and hope it gets bigger than the black pine it is competing with.

Have a fun day - I think I have some seeds or plants or something somewhere with your name on them. ;)

A.

Amanda

I have veronica with your name on it, but right now it is under a couple of inches of snow.... :(

Gee it's crazy, but like some solidago that had gotten waaaay too comfy in its place, I was pulling things out by the root last week.

One of my 'Becky' daisies had expanded to be touching/crowding a very precious iris 'Immortality' and I wanted to give her some space.

So I tugged at the tall spike of foliage closest to the iris and a clump came up with roots on. Viola! I did that 2 or 3 times and so much for worrying about divisions of this plant.

I have other, shorter daisies blooming right now. Mine are in part sun, so they are not prolific, but they sure are pretty. :)

A.

Amanda, you ever decide you got too many, I'll send postage money!

I don't suppose I could possibly have too many, but if you would like a couple of rooted plants send me a Dmail and we'll take care of it. :)