Question
Hi Tom,
I am a professional gardener in Santa Cruz, Ca.  I am wondering about the dieback that always seems to occur in marguerite daisies.  Branches in the center die out completely, even in plants that are only a couple years old.  It doesn't seem to matter if they are growing in poor or amended soil, whether they are fertilized or not, or whether they receive a little or a lot of water.  I am ready to give up on using marguerites unless you can help me out here.
Thanks!

Answer
Hi Leslie,
Thanx for your question.  The marguerite your're talking about is a short-lived perennial.  There could be a number of reasons for the die back in cluding a fungal infection or mineral deficiency.  I think you need to contact your local county extension agent and take a sample in and see if they can help you work through this problem.

Here is contact information.

http://cesantacruz.ucdavis.edu/  This is a service provided by the University of California-Davis throughout the state of California.  Please take advantage of it because it can be a wealth of help.

I hope this helps.
Tom