Shasta Daisy Becky may turn your brown thumb green.
Written: May 23 '08 (Updated May 23 '08)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Tolerates abuse and clay soil, very easy to grow, pretty, long lasting.
Cons: Make sure you allow enough space for them to grow.
The Bottom Line: Read the review.
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| laura10801's Full Review: Daisy - Shasta Daisy Becky |
About 4 years ago I got little tiny Shasta Daisy plugs. I was told that Shasta Daisies tolerate full sun to mostly shade, and that they didn't mind clay soil. "How wonderful is that," I thought as I naively planted them in a crowded place where they couldn't possibly have enough room to reach their full height or their full spread. The following year, the plugs had grown into 4 foot giants, crowding out their neighbors. The Becky cultivar of Shasta Daisies needs a lot of space! I have since moved them to a more appropriate place and they are doing very well.
These daisies are BIG. The flowers aren't huge, Wayside Gardens claims they are 4 inches in diameter, but I think mine are a bit smaller than that. My three little plugs have grown into 3 or 4 foot drifts, measuring 4 feet tall! Although Wayside Gardens says they need full sun, other vendors say full sun to mostly shady. Right now they are located in about 1/2 sun and they are flourishing. They may not be quite as floriferous with less sun, but I am very satisfied with what I am getting from them.
One of the drifts has gotten too big and I divided it. I admit that I was not kind in the manner in which I divided it. Normally it is best to dig up the entire plant, roots and all; wash the soil from the roots, and then separate the new divisions without damaging the rest of the root system. I will be darned if I'm going to dig up a huge plant like that and go through all that trouble, so I just plunged my shovel straight down, into the section I wanted to remove, and separated it from its parent as gently as I could (this meant that I was not very gentle with it, sorry Becky Daisy).
Here's the interesting part, I promised the division to my neighbor, so I got a big, black garbage bag, placed the roots of the division inside with the soil still attached, watered it well (this is important, you will kill your divisions if their roots dry out), and left it with my neighbor who didn't plant it for a couple of weeks. Shasta Daisy, Becky appears to be made of cast iron, it survived all this abuse and is now growing nicely in my neighbor's garden! I should mention that she did keep the roots moist the entire time the daisies waited to be planted.
These daisies make a very nice cut flower and will last a good, long time in the vase if you change the water regularly.
I have noticed that critters do not seem to be interested in this plant. Insects damage is almost non-existent. The flowers bloom for a long time in mid summer, but I do deadhead them when they fade and I think that helps them along.
All in all, I would say the Becky cultivar is an excellent choice for almost any garden and novice gardeners are likely to have a good experience with them.
Recommended:
Yes
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laura10801
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Member: Laura
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