WateringTimesWatering plan, $19
Argyranthemum frutescens & ssp. & cvs. (Chrysanthemum frutescens)(shade in desert), WUCOLS IV

How often to water Marguerite daisy in California

In July in the Central Valley, established Marguerite daisy in loam needs a deep watering about every 5 days: about 1.5 gallons each time for a plant 2 feet across, about 1.9 gallons a week. Marguerite daisy is a bushy, evergreen subshrub from the Canary Islands with bright green, finely divided leaves on woody stems. White, yellow or pink daisies can bloom most of the year in mild California gardens. It is a short-lived perennial that wants full sun, well-drained soil and regular water, and it tolerates sea winds.

PerennialRated for 5 of 6 zones

How often to water Marguerite daisy, month by month

Your city
Plant width
2 ft
Your soil

Type your city above and the days between waterings and the gallons appear here, worked out from your city's climate table. Or read the figures by climate zone further down.

Every month, on your water days. The personal plan prints this for Marguerite daisy and the rest of your yard, on the days your water supplier allows.Get the plan for $19

How this is worked out: established roots fill the top 1 foot of soil, and you water again when that soil has dried halfway. Loam soil holds about 1.5 inches of water per foot. Water the whole area the plant covers, and skip a watering after a good soaking rain.

Which soil do you have?

Dig down a few inches, take a handful of moist soil and squeeze it.

  • Sandy: gritty, falls apart when you open your hand, will not form a ball.
  • Loam: forms a soft ball that crumbles when you poke it.
  • Clay: forms a firm, sticky ball and squeezes out into a ribbon between thumb and finger.

Still not sure? Pick loam. Most garden beds sit between sand and clay.

How to measure plant width

A shrub with its width marked from one side to the other and the circle under it shaded blue

Measure across the plant, from the tips of the leaves on one side to the tips on the other.

Water the whole area the plant covers, shown in blue. The gallons here cover that area.

A wider plant means more gallons each watering, not more waterings. While it is young, measure again each spring.

How to tell it needs water

  • Leaves and flower stems wilting by afternoon while the soil is dry an inch or two down mean it needs water
  • Yellowing leaves and dark, rotted stems at the soil line in soggy ground point to root and crown rot from too much water
  • Winding pale trails inside the leaves come from leaf miners, not from a watering problem
  • Fewer flowers on a leggy, woody plant call for pruning rather than more water
  • Blackened shoots after a cold night are frost damage, which this plant suffers in very cold winters

How to water it

  • Water at the base with drip or a soaker, wetting the root zone 6 to 8 inches deep
  • Water again once the top inch or two of soil dries, keeping moisture regular but never soggy
  • Plant in full sun in well-drained, moderately fertile soil, and give it shade in the low desert
  • Shear or deadhead often through the year to keep it compact and blooming
  • Widen the watered area as the mound fills out toward 2 to 3 feet across

Through the seasons

Keep a new plant evenly moist for its first few weeks while roots spread. Established plants want regular water from spring through fall and less in winter, and in mild areas they can flower almost all year. Plants are short-lived, so replace them as they decline, and frost can damage them in very cold winters. WUCOLS rates Marguerite daisy moderate water on the north-central coast, in the Central Valley, on the south coast and in South Inland. Shaded plants in the low desert also rate moderate water. WUCOLS marks it as not suited to the high desert.

In pots

Marguerite daisy is a classic pot plant and blooms for months in a sunny container. Use a well-drained potting mix and a pot with drainage holes. On hot days, look at the mix each morning and water once the top inch has dried, letting the excess run out. Tip out any water left in the saucer. Deadhead and trim often. Before a hard frost, move the pot to shelter or take cuttings to start new plants.

1 Your climate zone six WUCOLS zones, each from its own reference city
2.67gal per sq ft in JulyModerate water use in the Central Valley zone
A year
17.11 gal per sq ft
Reference
Sacramento climate table
Counts
Plant need, before sprinkler losses
0.711.42.12.90.4JAN0.65FEB1.09MAR1.52APR2.08MAY2.48JUN2.67JUL2.39AUG1.8SEP1.18OCT0.56NOV0.34DEC0.711.42.12.90.4JFM1.52AMJ2.67JAS1.18OND
Gallons per square foot per month, Central Valley. Peak 2.67 in Jul, 17.11 a year.

Monthly water need by climate zone

Marguerite Daisy: gallons per square foot per month, by WUCOLS climate zone

MonthN. CoastC. ValleyS. CoastS. InlandHi DesertLo Desert
Jan0.370.40.780.78–0.78
Feb0.530.650.810.87–0.93
Mar0.871.091.151.3–1.52
Apr1.181.521.41.61–1.95
May1.462.081.611.95–2.45
Jun1.612.481.742.29–2.79
Jul1.612.671.982.51–2.85
Aug1.492.391.862.33–2.6
Sep1.241.81.491.86–2.08
Oct0.871.181.151.33–1.49
Nov0.470.560.840.9–0.96
Dec0.310.340.650.68–0.68
Year1217.1115.518.41–21.08

How this is worked out: the WUCOLS water rating for each zone times that zone’s climate for the month. A dash means WUCOLS does not rate the plant there. The figures are what the plant uses, before sprinkler losses.

Plants with the same water needs 16

Rated moderate water in the Central Valley, like Marguerite daisy. Plants that drink alike can share one valve and one schedule.

DahliasDahlia spp.moderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in JulyFernsNephrolepis cordifolia (SHADE IN DESERT)moderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in JulyDayliliesHemerocallis spp. & cvs.moderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in JulyBegoniasBegonia & ssp. & cvs. (shade in the desert)moderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in JulyCalla LiliesZantedeschia aethiopica SHADE IN DESERTmoderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in JulySageSalvia officinalis and cvs.moderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in JulyBicolor MonkshoodAconitum cammarummoderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in JulyGarden MonkshoodAconitum napellusmoderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in JulyCarpet BugleAjuga reptans (shade)moderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in JulySnowdrop WindflowerAnemone sylvestrismoderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in JulyMountain SandwortArenaria montanamoderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in JulySwamp MilkweedAsclepias incarnatamoderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in JulyOrange MilkweedAsclepias tuberosamoderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in JulyGreater MasterwortAstrantia majormoderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in JulyHardy BegoniaBegonia grandismoderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in JulyWax BegoniaBegonia semperflorensmoderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in July

Similar plants that need less water 16

Rated lower than Marguerite daisy in the Central Valley. Worth a look for a new bed or a lawn replacement.

AgapanthusAgapanthus orientalislow water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulyGeraniumsPelargonium x hortorum and cvs.low water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulySalviaSalvia greggii ssp., cvs. & hybridslow water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulyIrisesIris germanicalow water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulySucculentsEcheveria spp. & cvs.low water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulyRussian SagePerovskia spp. & cvs.low water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulyYarrowAchillea millefolium (non-native hybrids)low water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulyMountain AlyssumAlyssum montanumlow water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulySilver SageSalvia argentealow water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulyPurple MulleinVerbascum phoeniceumlow water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulySilvery YarrowAchillea clavennaelow water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulyFern Leaf YarrowAchillea filipendulinalow water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulyCalifornia Native YarrowAchillea millefolium (CA native cultivars)low water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulyWoolly YarrowAchillea tomentosalow water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulyPerennial HollyhockAlcea rosea cvs.low water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulyMountain Lady's MantleAlchemilla alpinalow water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in July
Minutes for your sprinklers

Turn this into minutes on your water days

Every city page has a calculator that takes Marguerite daisy, your sprinkler type and the month, and gives the minutes per water day for that supplier's schedule. Or put it in a zone of the personal watering plan and get all twelve months printed.

Questions people ask

How often should I water Marguerite daisy in summer?

In July, established Marguerite daisy in loam needs a deep watering about every 5 days in the Central Valley, about every 7 days on the south coast and about every 6 days in the South Inland zone. Sandy soil holds less water, so waterings come closer together. Clay stretches them. Check the soil before each watering and skip one after a soaking rain.

How much water does Marguerite daisy need per day?

In July in the Central Valley, established Marguerite daisy needs about 0.3 gallons a day for a plant 2 feet across and about 1.1 gallons a day for a plant 4 feet across. Give it in deep waterings spread days apart rather than a little every day, so the whole root zone gets wet.

Does watering for Marguerite daisy change across California?

Yes. WUCOLS rates Marguerite daisy separately for each of the six California climate zones: moderate water in the North-Central Coastal zone, moderate water in the Central Valley zone, moderate water in the South Coastal zone, moderate water in the South Inland zone, not suited to this region in the High and Intermediate Desert zone, moderate water in the Low Desert zone. The monthly table above shows how the same rating translates into different gallon amounts as reference evapotranspiration changes.

How do I keep Marguerite daisy blooming?

Prune it often and deadhead regularly. Frequent trimming keeps plants compact and producing new buds through most of the year in mild areas.

Why is my Marguerite daisy dying?

These are short-lived perennials, so old plants decline naturally. Soggy soil also leads to root and crown rot, so let the surface dry between waterings. Replace worn-out plants with rooted cuttings.

Can Marguerite daisy grow by the ocean?

Yes. It tolerates sea winds and suits coastal gardens. Give it full sun and soil that drains.

Is Marguerite daisy frost hardy?

Not fully. Frost damages it in very cold winters, so where temperatures drop below freezing, take cuttings in summer as insurance.

What colors do Marguerite daisies come in?

White, yellow and pink. The species itself has white flowers with yellow centers.

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Sources