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Sunday, June 22, 2014

Euryops Daisy Can Get Leggy and What to do About it

Q. I have a daisy bush that during winter lost all the lower greenery. Should I cut this way back to make the bush look full again, & when etc.  All help appreciated !
 
A. Looks like it is a Euryops daisy. Those are tough because they get leggy with lots of bare wood. It is best to not get it get leggy by cutting it back in late spring (February or March) and get it to grow from these cut ends. 

Remove about one-third of the growth. It will make a more rounded shrub that way with a tighter, more compact form and lots more flowers. You are growing a flowering shrub so don’t forget to fertilize it every six weeks through the growing season. 

You can also cut it back lightly as the flowers finish blossoming. You would do this by cutting off the spent flowers along with several inches of stem., It will produce two or three flowering stems at the point where each stem was cut.

2 comments:

  1. I have the same problem. I live in a desert climate. They were doing beautifully last spring and summer, but this year they are as leggy as in the posted photo. It is late July now. Is that too late to prune back?

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    Replies
    1. Euryops daisy performs best at temperatures below 100F and 40F. Try moving it to the east side of a building if you can and surrounding it with other plants that require water.
      Scientific: Euryops chrysanthemoides (former names include Euryops pectinatus, Gamolepis chrysanthemoides)
      Common: yellow daisy, African bush daisy, bull's eye
      Family: Asteraceae
      Origin: South Africa's eastern cape region
      Pronounciation: EUR-ee-ops cry-san-the-MOY-deez

      Hardiness zones
      Sunset 8, 9, 12-24 as a herbaceous to semi-woody perennial, otherwise as a summer annual in other zones
      USDA 1-8 (summer annual), 9-11 (herbaceous to semi-woody perennial

      Landscape Use: Strong flowering accent, garden border, poolside, low informal screen or hedge.

      Form & Character: Herbaceous to lightly wooded perennial, rounded, bright, clean, festive, alive, free flowering.

      Growth Habit: Moderately fast, upright and stiffly branched to 6 feet in height with equal spread. Easily maintained with light seasonal pruning to 4 feet tall. Stems and branches are brittle and break easily.

      Foliage/Texture: Leaves range in color from highy tomentose grey in color to glossy green, deeply pinntified to 2 inches long; medium texture.

      Flowers & Fruits: Bright yellow ray flowers to 2 or 3 inches across on 6 inches terminal or axillary peduncles.

      Seasonal Color: Depending on geographical location, yellow daisy can flower most any time of year, and most heavily in fall and spring in the milder locations of the southwest United States.

      Temperature: Best growth range is 35 to 90oF. Damaged by freezing or high temperatures.

      Light: Full sun to partial shade in western shade in Phoenix is best.

      Soil: Foliar chlorosis or yellowing is a very common problem in alkaline soils or when near pools where chlorinated water over splash is a problem. Elemental sulfur, nitrogen and iron-chelated fertilizers will correct this nutritional disorder. Prefers soils with good drainage.

      Watering: Regular

      Pruning: Yellow daisy requires little to no pruning and can easily be maintained at 3 to 4 feet in height by performing light heading cuts (light shearing) during the late fall. In coastal California landscapes, yellow daisy will tolerate severe renewal pruning.

      Propagation: Yellow daisy is easy to propagate by vegetative softwood cutting.

      Disease and pests: Snails and slugs, thrips.

      Additional comments: The cultivar 'Viridis' is a very clean looking green-leaved variant, especially in the Phoenix area. The cultivar 'Munchkin' is a dwarf, only 3 inches tall.
      From Dr Chris Martins website who is located in Tempe.
      http://www.public.asu.edu/~camartin/plants/Plant%20html%20files/euryopschrysanthemoides.html

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