Are Daisies Weeds? How to Control Them in your Lawn

Daisies, also known as English daisies, are familiar plants in most gardens and lawns. Daisy’s blooms are attractive and catch the attention of kids, butterflies, and other pollinators. Let’s find out, are daisies weeds? If yes, how do we control them?

Yes, daisies are perennial weeds that spread through seeds and short underground roots called rhizomes. They normally form a low-growing dense mat resistant to regular and close mowing.

Like dandelions, daises are hard to control when they establish on your turf.  Most species aggressively spread from a few clumps to a mass of plants within a short period of time.

The plant can thrive in poor conditions, taking advantage of your lawn grass. If not controlled, daisies can completely cover your lawn or garden.

What do Daisies Look Like? (Identification)

Leaves: Daisy’s leaves are spoon-shaped or rounded with a smooth surface. Leaves measure 2cm-4 cm in length but can grow larger and longer if the turf is not disturbed.

Flowers: Each daisy produces a distinct of solitary white and yellow flowers, whereby the inner florets are yellow in color, and the outer part is white; it can also be pinkish or red.

Flowers can easily be removed during mowing and grow back again quickly during the growing season. They open in sunlight and close at night or during dull days.

Roots: Daisy has fibrous root systems which supply nutrients and firmly hold the plant. It spreads by seeds and rhizomes, which are short underground roots.

When do Daisies Bloom?

Daisy normally blooms during the late spring and continues until early fall. During the blooming period, they require attention because they tend to droop over in normal conditions. If this happens, you are in for a short blooming season.

Daisies flowers are insect pollinated and can be self-compactible. Its seeds can germinate in all conditions, whereby the seedling emerges from early March to October, with the peak being in June and September.

How to Control Daisies on your Lawn

To control the spread of daisies on your lawn, you can try the following:

  1. Use a daisy grabber: This hand tool has long, thin blades. You need to insert it on the ground and dig out the weed, ensuring you have pulled out the rhizomes and the root system.
  2. Weeding knife: A weeding knife is used to remove daisies in pavements as it has a hook blade designed for weeding weeds between paving slabs.
  3. Hand pulling: You simply identify the daisy weed and pull it with your hand, ensuring you take as much of the root system with flowers as possible, for this will prevent regrowth.
  4. Weed killer: This is normally used in large lawns infested by daisies. Selective weed killers can treat only the affected areas on the lawn.
  5. Systematic weed killer: Using systematic weed killer can help clear daisies accumulated on the pavements. Cover your plants with plastic sheets to prevent the weed killer from killing your plants, then spray the selected daisies on the lawn.

Also read: how to control lawn weeds without killing your grass.

FINAL THOUGHT

Daisy weeds do not tolerate long grass because their leaves have limited power of elongation. Always mow your lawn high, as this will reduce seed production. Always read and follow the manufacturer’s instructions on the rates you are supposed to use when dealing with chemicals to control weeds in your lawn.

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