Properly deadheading shastas

by Joie
(Warrenton, VA)

How far down do I trim to properly deadhead shasta daisies? I planted these in the spring. They are fairly tall (2.5'). After the first blossoms, the leaves got brown and tired looking on the stalks where the flowers were dying. There are new stalks coming up. I noticed that after cutting off the dead flowers (but not cutting almost to the ground) the stalk usually did not produce a second blossom. So, seeing that nothing new was coming up on the stalks and seeing that new stalks were coming up from the ground (and thinking that they need air and sun), I cut the old stalks almost to the ground. Was this the right thing to do? I am so confused.

Doug says - cut off the flower stem and a bit of leaf (but not all the way to the ground - about an inch from the top). The bit of leaf you cut away will encourage the plant to produce new shoots and new growth and new plants.