Separating Your Flowers
Prepare your work area. Fill a large bucket with water and bleach mixed at a ratio of 15:1. Fill a second bucket with plain water. Have a container of rooting hormone ready. Have a bag or box on hand to discard extra plant matter. You can find ready-to-use liquid or powder rooting hormones like Take Root or Fast Root at your local gardening store for under $5.00. For a natural alternative, mix 3 teaspoons (15 mL) of apple cider vinegar into 1 gallon (3.8 L) of water.
Use a shovel to dig up the entire plant. Scoop out an area around the plant that is about 4 inches (10 cm) wider than the base. Be sure to dig down deep enough to pull up the entire crown and root system. Shake off all of the excess soil.
Separate the individual sections with your hands. There will be multiple crowns—the section where the stem meets the roots—connected to one another. Gently pull the sections apart from each other; ripping them apart can damage the root system. Each section you pull apart should contain at least 1 stem and the attached roots. If the sections don’t come apart easily, use a sharp knife or garden shears to carefully cut in between each crown.
Remove all flower stems, buds, dead roots, and old or discolored leaves. After you have removed all of these parts, you should be left with only green, healthy leaves and white roots. The new plant section will look thin, but remember that each one will grow into a new plant.
Treating the Roots
Trim the roots of each new section so they're about 3 inches (7.6 cm) long. Use clean shears or a sharp knife, and be careful not to pull too hard on the roots. This helps to ensure that you only replant flowers with young, healthy root systems.
Dip the roots of each new division into the rooting hormone. The technique is the same whether you are using a liquid or powdered hormone, or a natural alternative. Simply dip the roots into the solution to coat them. Shake off any excess powder or liquid.
Dip the roots of each new section into the bleach solution and then rinse. This is especially important if you will be potting the daisies or replanting them in a new location. The solution works to kill fungus and diseases so they don’t transfer to the new space. Gently swish the roots of each new section around in the bleach water. Swish the roots in a bucket of plain water to thoroughly rinse off all of the bleach. You can rinse the roots in tap water, unless you use a water softener. Softened water has salt in it, which may damage the roots. In this case, use distilled water instead.
Replanting Your New Daisies
Dig a small hole in the ground to replant the daisies in your garden. Use a garden trowel to dig a small hole just deep enough to cover the roots. The crown should remain level with the surface of the soil to get enough air and avoid too much moisture. Your daisies should have 8–10 inches (20–25 cm) of space between them to allow for proper growth, so keep this mind when you are replanting them. Place a new daisy section into the hole and recover it with soil. Use your hands to press the soil down firmly around the base of the plant to hold it in place.
Plant the daisies in potted soil if you want to keep it indoors or on a patio. The pot should be at least 5 inches (13 cm) in diameter. Choose a pot that is well-draining to help avoid excessive moisture and root rot. If possible, use a high-quality potting mix to ensure your plant has the proper level of nutrients and encourage growth. Dig a small hole in the pot that is just large enough to cover the roots. Place the new daisy section into the hole and recover it with soil. Press down firmly on the soil to hold the plant in place.
Store potted daisies in a partially shaded area for 2-3 weeks. After the first few weeks, the potted daisies can be moved into the full sun as long as the temperature doesn’t get much higher than 75 °F (24 °C). For hotter temperatures, it’s best to keep the daisies in areas of partial shade and/or indirect sunlight.
Water your plants every 3-5 days until the daisies are reestablished. The soil should remain moist, but not soggy. The best way to know how often to water your daisies is to check your soil and plants regularly. If the soil looks or feels dry, or if the flowers or leaves are beginning to wilt, it’s time to water. If the soil is still moist, check again the following day. Cut back on watering after the plants begin to grow. At this point, allow the soil to dry between waterings to prevent root rot from excessive moisture. A deep watering once per week should be enough.
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