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Detailed Explanation of Planting Methods and Technical Key Points for Shasta Daisy

Growing Techniques By Emily Carter 0 views
Flowering Plants

The Shasta daisy (Leucanthemum maximum (Ramood) DC.) is a perennial or biennial herbaceous plant in the family Asteraceae, genus Leucanthemum. The plant can reach a height of 70cm, and the entire plant is smooth and hairless. The stem is erect and covered with long hairs; the leaves are alternate, long oblanceolate, with obtuse rounded tips and gradually narrowed bases; the flower heads are solitary at the ends of branches, with white ligulate florets; the involucral bracts are broadly oblong with obtuse tips; it flowers and fruits from July to September.

Propagation Methods

The sowing time is generally determined according to the requirements for plants leaving the nursery.
Temperature and Humidity In winter sowing, greenhouse temperature and humidity must be well controlled. In this region, the greenhouse temperature is controlled between 23-28°C, the nighttime temperature must not fall below 10°C, and humidity is generally controlled at around 40%.
Soil Covering Sowing of Shasta daisy should be done with care: after the growing medium is leveled and thoroughly watered, scatter the seeds evenly onto the seedbed, then sprinkle a thin layer of moist mountain soil that has absorbed a small amount of water over the seeds, and finally cover with a layer of plastic film to maintain the medium's temperature and moisture and promote seed germination. For 3-5d after sowing, the medium must be kept moist.

Cultivation Techniques

It prefers a warm, humid environment with ample sunlight and has relatively strong cold tolerance. In the Yangtze River  basin of China, the basal leaves remain evergreen in winter. It tolerates partial shade. For cultivation, loose, fertile, well-drained sandy loam is preferable, and the pH value can be adjusted between 6.5 and 7.0. It has strong adaptability. During the seedling stage, the temperature should not be too high, otherwise leggy growth is likely to occur, and thinning should be done in time. For open-field cultivation, a well-drained location should be chosen. Before planting, the soil should be deeply plowed and rotted farmyard manure and sufficient potassium fertilizer applied. Especially after division and for newly planted seedlings, water and fertilizer management should be strengthened so that the plants can expand their size as much as possible. During the growing period, apply a diluted liquid fertilizer with balanced nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium once a month, and strictly control the amount of nitrogen and water used, otherwise flowering will be delayed; consider adding 0.2% monopotassium phosphate to diluted cake fertilizer water. Control the dosage, as excess will delay flowering. For plants that flower earlier but have smaller flowers, basal shoot pruning can be carried out to promote more branching and more flowering, thereby achieving the goal of enlarging the plant and increasing tillers. In cold regions, overwintering plants are best given a slight covering to facilitate early sprouting in spring and early cuttings.

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