novice gardener needs help with troubled Montauk Daisies

[D Papa]

Hello, this is my first post to this forum and I need help. We have these matching bunches of Montauk Daisies in our corner flowerbed and this year, the left bunch is only growing a small amount of stems in the back (see photo). They used to be one giant bunch filling the entire flowerbed until about 5 years ago when I thinned them down to two matching round batches. Every year in late summer / early fall I cut the stems down way low, and every spring they always bloom back in identical size and timing. This is the first time they've ever shown any problem. The only thing I can think of that might've affected them is that there was a lot of plowed snow on them for a couple of months this winter, but I know they weren't moved because all the stems are still in place. Any suggestions?

 

[ChanellG]

There are any number of possibilities for why it is that the plants on the right are thriving and the ones on the left are not. The smaller patch is apparently not receiving enough of something needed for optimum growth. Have you tried fertilizing in the area where growth is slower?

 

[LIcenter]

Did the left side get compacted from the heavy snow load, enough for that side to collect a lot water? They don't like wet feet, and could be part of the problem. Also they should be cut back twice a year. The first time around July 4th, and the second after they finish their fall bloom. Have you tried taking some cuttings from the healthy plant and stabbing them in the ground where the unhealthy one is? The cuttings should root readily just by sticking them in the ground, and watering lightly for a few days. If they take, then you can rule out a sour ground or low lying conditions. Sometimes a plant just gives up for no apparent reason at all.

 

[D Papa]

There are any number of possibilities for why it is that the plants on the right are thriving and the ones on the left are not. The smaller patch is apparently not receiving enough of something needed for optimum growth. Have you tried fertilizing in the area where growth is slower?

Thanks, I am going to try some fertilizer on the left batch.

 

[D Papa]

Did the left side get compacted from the heavy snow load, enough for that side to collect a lot water? They don't like wet feet, and could be part of the problem. Also they should be cut back twice a year. The first time around July 4th, and the second after they finish their fall bloom. Have you tried taking some cuttings from the healthy plant and stabbing them in the ground where the unhealthy one is? The cuttings should root readily just by sticking them in the ground, and watering lightly for a few days. If they take, then you can rule out a sour ground or low lying conditions. Sometimes a plant just gives up for no apparent reason at all.

Wow thank you for all that info. Well, there was a huge mound of snow over the entire flowerbed for quite some time, I can't say I noticed more on the left batch but I suppose it's possible. Next, I didn't know about cutting down twice; I usually did it once after the final fall bloom, but I wouldn't mind them being shorter, as they always grow so tall. Now, they (mainly the right batch) are just starting to bloom -- should I cut them down now, or wait until the flowers bloom? It always kills me to have to cut down bloomed flowers, but will do so if the time is right; plus that would give me some cuttings to plug into the left batch. Thanks again.

 

[LIcenter]

They should be going into bloom now, and around the first week of July they should start to fade. That is when you cut them back for the second fall bloom otherwise they get so leggy when the flowers pop the whole plant becomes a flattened mass.

 

[D Papa]

Just an update to anyone still watching this thread -- ALL my Montauk Daisies are now GONE! I don't know if the second cutting down I did last fall was too late or too drastic, so that the winter killed them... or if our lawn guys that have taken to turning the soil in my flowerbeds for the first time this spring just spun them out of existence... but I referred to this post to see where they were at last year, and was blown away to see how much green I had by June, and now there is nothing but dirt... so I am very upset about it!!

 

[D Papa]

bumping for @ChanellG and @LIcenter ... :-(

 

[LIcenter]

Once established it is very hard to kill Montauk Daisies. Too much water is one, or someone thinking they are weeds either sprayed, or pulled them.

 

[ChanellG]

I'm going to go with @LIcenter and assume the guys you had in the garden disturbed/destroyed them. Lawn guys should never mess with garden plants since most of them don't know anything about gardens and can't tell weeds from wanted plants. Turning the soil in an established bed isn't just unnecessary, it releases carbon into the atmosphere, causing harm.

Check out this article: http://michaelpollan.com/articles-archive/a-secret-weapon-to-fight-climate-change-dirt/

 

[D Papa]

@LIcenter @ChanellG Thank you both, yes I'm certain it was the lawn guys, because there was no more water this year than last; less snow too. I guess it was a new crew on our house this year; they don't actually weed (we only get lawn service), they've just been using some kind of power implement to turn the soil in the flowerbeds wherever there isn't something visually present. To their credit they probably thought they were providing additional service. Anyway now I put "PLEASE DON'T TURN SOIL" signs everywhere before they come! And soon I will see Montauk Daisies for sale at nurseries and start anew.