PlantSowGrow
How to plant and care for Michaelmas Daisy
Symphyotrichum novi-belgii 'Marie Ballard'
Clouds of lilac-blue double daisies in September and October, just when butterflies need the nectar most.
When to plant and care for it
Timed for a typical UK garden (last frost mid-April). The app uses your own town's frost dates.
Growing Michaelmas Daisy: what it needs
- Light
- Full sun · 6+ hours a day
- Watering
- Water well until established, then in dry spells
- Soil
- Fertile, well-drained soil
- Spacing
- 45 cm
- Height
- 90 cm
- In pots
- Grows well in containers
- Feeding
- A little general feed in spring
- Hardiness
- USDA zones 4–8
Step by step
- On planting day
Plant
Plant at the same depth as it was in its pot, 45 cm apart, and firm in.
- 0–1 days after “Plant”
Water In Well
Give a full can of water, then keep moist for the first few weeks while roots establish.
- 7–14 days after “Water In Well”
Mulch Around the Base
Spread 5 cm of compost or bark around the plant, keeping it off the stems.
Every year
- MarchCut Back Old Growth
Cut last year's dead stems and leaves to the ground before the new shoots get going.
- MarchDivide Big Clumps
Every 3–4 years, lift big clumps, split them into fist-sized pieces with a spade and replant the young outer parts.
- MayChelsea Chop (Optional)
Cut stems back by a third for shorter, sturdier plants that do not need staking.
- AugustWatch for Mildew
Water at the roots in dry spells — dry soil brings powdery mildew.
- SeptemberIn Flower
Autumn daisies covered in butterflies.
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