Lawn Daisies: Remove Them or Leave for Bees?

Daisies flower in UK lawns from March right through to October. They spread by seed and by short creeping stems, so a few plants can soon become a freckled lawn. Here’s how to clear them, plus the case for leaving a few where they are.

What makes daisies so hard to shift?

Daisies grow as a flat rosette of leaves pressed against the soil, below the mower blades. The mower clips the flowers but never touches the plant, so fresh flowers pop up a few days later.

They also creep. Short stems spread out and root where they touch the soil, so one plant becomes a little colony in a summer. Add seeds landing in bare patches, and it’s easy to see why daisies win in a thin lawn.

The good news is that daisies have shallow roots and lift out easily. Unlike dandelions and other deep-rooted weeds, there’s no long root to snap off and regrow. Get the plant out cleanly and it’s gone.

The flat rosette sits below the mower blades.

How do I get rid of daisies in my lawn by hand?

Push a daisy grubber under the plant and lever it out, roots and all. A grubber is a long, narrow tool with a forked tip, and it’s cheap. An old kitchen knife or hand fork works too, just more slowly.

Do it after rain when the soil is soft. Push the tip in beside the plant, angle it under the middle and lever up. Drop the daisies in a bucket rather than back on the lawn.

Then fill the little hole with soil and a pinch of grass seed. This is the step most people skip. Leave bare soil and a new daisy will sprout in the gap. Seed it and the grass gets there first.

A daisy grubber lifts the whole plant in one go.

Will raising the mowing height help?

Yes. Mowing at about 30mm thickens the grass so it shades out daisies. Cutting too short is the biggest reason lawns fill up with daisies. Scalped grass can’t compete, while flat daisies sit happily below the blades.

Raise your mower to one of its higher settings. Taller grass shades the soil so fewer daisy seeds sprout, and it grows deeper roots too.

Mow often, but never take off more than a third of the grass in one go. Little and often beats the odd hard cut. For a full year’s lawn jobs, see our UK lawn care calendar.

Raising the blades is one of the easiest daisy fixes.

Does feeding the lawn get rid of daisies?

Feeding thickens the grass so it crowds daisies out. Daisies love a hungry lawn. Thick, well-fed grass leaves no bare soil for their seeds.

Give a spring or summer lawn feed between April and August to push leafy growth. Follow it with an autumn feed to strengthen the roots before winter. Our guide on how to feed a UK lawn has the rates and timings.

Overseed thin patches after feeding. Rake out any moss first, then scatter grass seed at 25-35g per square metre and keep it watered. If moss is moving in alongside the daisies, look at drainage and shade too, as both come from the same thin lawn.

Thick grass leaves no room for daisy seeds.

What kills daisies but not grass?

A selective lawn weedkiller kills daisies and other broad-leaved weeds but leaves grass alone.

Use it on a dry, mild day when the grass is growing, ideally in late spring. The daisies need to be growing well to take it in. Check the label for when to mow before and after. Don’t use it before rain, in drought or in frost.

One treatment is often enough, with a second a few weeks later for stubborn plants if the label allows. Ready-to-use sprays suit odd patches, while concentrates are better value for big lawns. “Weed and feed” granules do both jobs at once.

If you’d rather go chemical-free, our guides on organic weedkillers for UK gardens and preventing weeds without chemicals cover the options. For daisies, hand-weeding plus feeding works best.

Weed and feed granules going on with a spreader.

Which method suits your lawn?

Weedkiller is quickest, but feeding is what stops daisies coming back. Most lawns do best with one weedkiller treatment to clear the worst, then feeding and higher mowing to keep them out.

The case for leaving some daisies

Daisies are a lovely food source for bees, hoverflies and other insects from spring to autumn. Their open flowers make nectar and pollen easy to reach. Strip out every daisy and you lose a free wildlife café.

A short-mown lawn offers insects very little. Let the daisies flower and that changes almost overnight. That’s the idea behind No Mow May: leave the mower in the shed for a month and let lawn flowers feed early bumblebees.

A bumblebee stopping off at a lawn daisy.

How a “compromise lawn” works

Mow most of the lawn at about 30mm so it looks neat. Pick one or two spots to leave longer, perhaps a sunny corner or a strip along a border. Cut those just every two or three weeks, so daisies and clover can flower in between.

Year-round daisy calendar

For help telling daisies from clover, plantain and speedwell, see our lawn weeds identification and control guide.

Common mistakes with lawn daisies

Mowing too short to get rid of them

Cutting hard is the most common mistake. Short grass suits flat daisies and weakens the lawn. Keep the mower at about 30mm or higher.

Leaving bare holes after weeding

Pull a daisy and you leave a patch of bare soil, perfect for the next daisy seed. Always fill the hole with soil and grass seed.

Spraying on the wrong day

Weedkiller doesn’t work well in drought, frost or just before rain. Spray on a mild, dry day in late spring or early autumn.

Treating a hungry lawn and stopping there

Weedkiller clears the daisies you can see, but not the thin grass that let them in. Without feeding and overseeding, they’ll be back next spring.

Removing every last flower

A perfect lawn looks smart but feeds no insects. Leaving even a small patch of daisies makes a real difference to bees.

Frequently asked questions

How do I get rid of daisies in my lawn?

Dig out small patches with a daisy grubber, then feed the grass. For a lawn full of them, use a selective lawn weedkiller in late spring. Raise the mower to about 30mm so thicker grass shades out new seedlings. A well-fed, thick lawn keeps them away best.

Will mowing get rid of daisies?

No, mowing alone won’t do it. Daisies grow flat against the soil, below the blades. The mower takes off the flowers but leaves the plant, so more flowers follow. Mowing higher helps the grass fight back, but it’s not a cure on its own.

What kills daisies but not grass?

A selective lawn weedkiller. It’s made to kill broad-leaved weeds like daisies while leaving grass alone. Use it on a dry day when the lawn is growing, in late spring or early autumn, and follow the label.

Are daisies good for bees?

Yes, bees and hoverflies love them. Their open flowers make nectar and pollen easy to reach, and they flower from spring to autumn. Leaving a patch uncut for a couple of weeks gives insects a handy snack bar.

Why does my lawn have so many daisies?

Usually because the grass is thin, hungry or cut too short. Bare patches let seeds in, and short mowing suits flat weeds. Feeding and overseeding to thicken the grass is the long-term fix.

When is the best time to treat lawn daisies?

Late spring is best, with early autumn as a second chance. Daisies are growing strongly then and take up weedkiller quickly. Don’t treat in drought, frost or just before rain.

Can you dig daisies out by hand?

Yes, with a daisy grubber or an old kitchen knife. Push the blade under the plant and lever it up, roots and all. Fill the hole with soil and grass seed. It’s ideal for small patches but slow on a lawn full of them.

Do daisies come back after weeding?

They can, if bits of root are left or new seeds sprout. Seeds already in the lawn can keep popping up for a while. Feed and overseed after weeding so grass fills the gaps first.