Gatzania, planting and care in the open field. Gazania: growing from seeds at home, planting and care in the open field Gazania flowers growing

The family of aster flowers has about 40 species. Gazania or gazania stands out for its beauty from all asters. The birthplace of the flower is Mozambique, South African countries. Many people call the flower African daisy. Gatzania can be found on the dune-covered coast of Australia. Gatsania came to Europe in the 17th century.

People dedicated it to one Italian priest - Theodor von Gas. He did a great job, he devoted his life to translating the works of Theophrastus and Aristotle. Gazania blooms in the hot sun at noon, attracting with its golden color. In the west of Europe, it was called "midday gold". At night, the African chamomile closes, sleeps.

Description of glazing

Gatzania is annual and, the stem rarely grows more than 30 centimeters, sometimes it does not grow at all. Root leaves form a rosette. The flower is distinguished by dense leaves, rich green, sometimes they have a gray-green tint. The shape of the leaves may vary, it depends on the variety. On the inside of the leaves there are villi that protect against cold and dehydration. Therefore, gazania will endure drought. Hot homeland makes itself felt, flower pass the test intense heat and lack of water.

The flower basket has a diameter of 5-9 cm. The color range of flowers varies from yellow, orange to red. The base of each plant has contrasting spots. The middle is covered with many tubular flowers of yellow hues. After flowering, the hairy achene makes it possible to breed. Seeds can be replanted.

Growing gazania from seeds at home and in open ground

Many beginner gardeners are interested in growing African chamomile. They are interested in how to achieve marvelous flowering. The secret is simple, let's try to figure it out.

If we sow in the ground

Gazania flower in the ground Photo of shoots from seeds sown before winter

• When sowing gazania seeds in spring climatic conditions are taken into account. Cool climate, late spring prevents early planting. But as soon as the soil ripens, you can safely sow: the plants will sprout only when favorable conditions are created.
• Seeds can be sown before winter with the expectation that they will not have time to ascend. It could be the end of October or the beginning of November. It is better to mulch the bed with fallen leaves, which also protect the seeds from frost. In the spring, the seeds will sprout as soon as the earth warms up.

Before sowing, the bed is carefully leveled, even grooves are made about 5 cm deep and they try to sow as rarely as possible. Later it will be possible to thin out if it still turns out thick. Row spacing is 20-25 cm if you don't repot plants. After thinning the bushes in a row, we also maintain a distance of 20-25 cm.

If the bed is planned as a nursery, you can make grooves every 8-10 cm and leave a distance of 5-6 cm in a row. When the seedlings rise, they are watered and pulled out with a clod of earth. You can use a garden shovel and carefully dig up the plants for transplanting.

If we grow seedlings at home

The optimal time for sowing seeds for seedlings is mid-March or early April. Containers for planting should be deep enough. The roots need to be given space.

• • Gatzania does not tolerate heavy soil. It is necessary to choose a light substrate that passes water well. The acidity index is 5.5-6.5.
  • Seeds are rarely sown (2-4 cm between them), the embedment depth is only 0.5-1 cm, otherwise they will not germinate.
  • To make the task easier, imagine that a piece of land is a chessboard. Arrange the gazania seeds like chess, keeping the distance between them - 2-3 centimeters. Just put the seeds, sprinkle with earth.

• The spray gun will help moisten the crop: there will be no excess moisture, and the water will evenly moisten the entire surface.
• The air temperature should be at least 18-20 degrees.
• It is better to cover the seeds with a film, providing sufficient moisture. But the film must be opened daily. It is necessary to remove the condensate that forms under the film.
• Sprouts appear in 7-14 days.
• We remove the shelter, water it as the earth dries up, excess moisture is not needed.
• Thick seedlings can be pricked into separate cups when 2-3 true leaves appear. You can help yourself with an ordinary fork or a toothpick.
• A week before landing, leaving them outside for a short time at first, and gradually increasing the interval to a full day.

In general, growing seedlings of gazania is not a difficult matter, it is enough just to carry out timely watering. Diligent flower growers can show extra attention and feed the seedlings 1-2 times before planting in the ground, after 10-12 days at least.

How to sow gazania for seedlings, the video will tell:

Perhaps the laziest grower and inexperienced beginner can easily cope with such a simple task as growing gazania. At the same time, you will get an excellent planting material and a stunning perennial that can decorate any corner of the garden, make it bright and fantastically attractive.

Surprisingly, many flower growers cannot part with their favorite flower and grow it on the windowsill, decorate balconies with it in summer. There are also annuals specifically designed for this purpose.

Gazania seedling care

Gazania flower hybrid seedling photo Growing from seeds When to plant gazania in open ground

If the gazania seedlings are in a deep container, picking is not needed. A shallow container will not give freedom to the roots. You need to wait for the fourth leaf to appear, plant the plants in separate disposable containers. Before planting seedlings in the ground, it is necessary to support it for some time at home. Young shoots can be on a closed loggia, at a temperature of 12-16 degrees. Start hardening the plants by opening the window for a few minutes. Avoid drafts. Hardening has a beneficial effect, the plant becomes strong. When you plant a gazania in a garden plot or flower bed, the seedlings will not die from the cold.

Planting gazania in open ground

Wait for warm weather, when you are sure that the last frosts are behind, only then plant with gazane. The optimal planting time is mid-spring. These flowers love the sun's rays, it is better to plant them on open area. The soil must be sufficiently nutritious. Gatzania is not afraid of heat and will feel great even if a drought occurs.

• A peat pot with gazania seedlings is planted immediately in the ground.
• Seedlings in a box must be removed along with the root with a scoop, planted in the ground.
• Try not to damage the root system.
• Observe the distance between the bushes - 20 cm.
• Seedlings need 3 months to grow, and they will delight you with beautiful flowers.

Caring for African Chamomile Gazania

• This flower does not require special care. The soil is nutritious, well-drained, the sun's rays will give the plant vitality.
• A cold snap is not a cause for concern, gazania will withstand a slight frost of -5 ... -7 C.
• The soil where gazania grows needs to be loosened, weeds, dried inflorescences removed.
• To avoid problems with weeds, drought, the soil can be mulched.
• Even the most fertile soil cannot provide the flower with enough nutrients. Therefore, you will have to feed once a month. With poor soil, it is necessary to feed the plant every 2-3 weeks. For top dressing, you need to take a mineral complex fertilizer. 25 grams is enough for 1 square meter.

Bloom

After sowing seeds, after 3 months, wait for flowering. With a timely landing, this will happen in June. The plant will delight with its beautiful flowers until November. The life cycle of one basket is about 3 weeks. At night, when it rains, the gate closes. Gazania will not bloom if there is not enough sunlight. With an excess of moisture, a late transplant of gazania may also not open. By providing optimal conditions, you will enjoy beautiful, numerous flowers. But if the conditions are bad, you won't get flowers.

How to propagate gazania cuttings

Cuttings can be cut in any convenient time: it can be summer, autumn or even winter, when the gazania is in the house for the winter.

• We cut the cuttings 10-12 cm long, remove the leaves at the bottom of the trunk, dip the roots into the powder and “plant” them in a nutrient soil mixture.
• For rooting, we maintain high soil moisture.
• After about a month and a half, the cuttings will give roots and begin to grow. After two or three months they will be ready for landing in the ground.

Diseases and pests

Although gazania is not very susceptible to diseases, they sometimes happen. In poor conditions, the plant becomes weak, can get sick with gray rot. Fitosporin helps to defeat the disease. Healthy parts of the plant are lubricated, the sick are simply removed.

snails, spider mite, aphids harm gazania, the use of certain means will help get rid of misfortunes. You just need to clean the snails with your hands, destroy the aphids with a phyto-farm or acarin. Actellik, Fufanon, Ditoxom preparations will get rid of spider mites.

Seed collection

Gatsania rarely survives to bear fruit, as summer ends quickly in our area. But if the summer is hot and long, then it is quite possible to wait for the seeds. Unfortunately, the seeds of hybrid plants do not retain species characteristics. And on our garden plots predominantly only hybrid varieties.

Ripe seeds can fly away from gusts of wind, like dandelions. If you want to collect seeds from varietal plants, then protect the flower from the wind by wrapping it with gauze. When you see the appearance of a light fluff, tear off the basket and leave to ripen for a couple of weeks in a dark, dry place. It is recommended to store the seeds in a cotton bag or paper bag, always at a temperature not higher than 22-24 ° C. But it is better where it is very cool: 15-18 ° С. high humidity is not allowed.

wintering gazagna

Usually, after flowering, the remains of gazania are simply cut off and thrown away, and on next year and start all over again. There is no need to prepare seeds, sow, wait for good weather. An old plant is able to bloom again, delight with its beauty next year. To do this, it can be dug up and transplanted into a pot.

Then the glazing should be transferred to a cool room, where the temperature does not drop to 8-10. There should be enough light in this room so that the gazania can develop further. A sleeping plant must be watered, the earth should not dry out. In the spring, you can re-plant the gazane in a flower bed. New, newly appeared shoots, while you need to cut off to half.

New plants are obtained from the trimmed gazania, it is enough to simply lower them into the water until the roots appear, or simply plant them immediately in the nutrient mixture, providing abundant watering. In winter, gazania can be cut off and new full-fledged seedlings can be obtained by spring.

Types and varieties of gazania with photos and descriptions

Gazania long-shooter Gazania longiscapa

Able to bloom for only one year. This gazania does not grow more than 15-20 cm. Near the roots are whole-cut leaves of bright green color. They usually go down. In the basket you can find many tubular and reed flowers. The flowers themselves have a bright yellow color, but their base is brown.

Gazania harsh Gazania rigens, or shiny - Gazania splendens

Grows up to 30 centimeters. Baskets of Gazania rigens can be up to 6 centimeters in diameter. The flowers can be tubular, blood-black, and reed, ranging in color from yellow to red. At the base, as expected, there are dark spots. The leaves may be entire or pinnatipartite.

Gazania pottsii Gazania pottsii

It strongly resembles a harsh one, but has a larger size. The diameter of the basket is about 12 centimeters.

Peacock Gazania Gazania pavonia

The leaves of this species are different from those of the other gatzans listed above - they are narrow and long. The diameter of the basket is 8 centimeters. The middle consists of only tubular flowers, the base is dark, and along the edges are reed flowers of yellow hues.

When crossing some plant species, breeders were able to get a snow-white, pinnate, hybrid, single-flowered gazania. can please with its flowering even in bad weather, when there is no sun at all.

Gazania hybrid

Hybrid varieties that are popular with gardeners:
Daybreak Red Stripe - yellow flowers, characterized by stripes of red, blooming full daylight;
Talent - a mixture that gives beautiful flowers, leaves all sunny day;
Ministar - gives flowers of yellow and white color with special beauty.

Bright African colors brighten up any space flower, who managed to easily adapt to our home environment.

Choosing a place for gazing

Gatsania should be placed where it can bathe in sunlight. The result will be large flowers as a result of more intensive growth. African chamomile, as the flower with the name of gazania (gazania) is also called, will “revenge” with small flowers for the lack of lighting.

And you should not be nervous about unopened buds on cloudy days or at dusk - gazania, also called midday gold, reacts in such an amazing way to the absence of the sun. Another point when placing gazania - the chosen place should not be a reservoir for the accumulation of water, because the flower may die due to excess moisture.

Features of planting a flower

How to choose a plant pot

Has small sockets Gatsania does not need a large space around itself, and therefore does not require large dishes. When choosing a pot that is not too deep, you need to proceed from the fact that half a liter volume is sufficient for a rosette of gazania to bloom with one or two flowers.

Soil Requirements

Gazania's dislike for excessive moisture determined the first requirement for the soil for its planting and further care: the land in which the plant is located should always be loose. African chamomile soil can be purchased at the store. In preparation for planting, it is recommended to mix it with sand (3: 1) and preheat it.

Important! An expanded clay layer is laid out under the soil for drainage.

How to properly plant gazania

Gazania sowing

For sowing gazania seeds for seedlings it is good to use soaked peat tablets in terms from the beginning to the middle of February. Seeds can be drowned in a tablet with a simple match. It is more convenient to water the planted seeds and the seedlings that have appeared through a deep pan - in this case it will not disappear and the risk of pest damage will decrease. If the crops are placed in a plastic bag with a lock and placed in a lighted place, then they will be in greenhouse conditions. Seedlings can be expected in 3-5 days.

After that, the greenhouse should be removed so as not to overmoisten the seedlings. About a month after sowing, the sprout tablets can be moved into separate deep cups as an external protection against awkward movements of the grower himself. If you are afraid of waterlogging, then spray the seedlings with a sprayer. Grown up within 3-4 weeks in glasses of gazania after transplanting into a pot can be sent to the place of permanent deployment. This is one of the options for the laborious process of caring for gazania seedlings at home.

How to plant a purchased sprout

To buy a gazania sprout in a store, you have to work hard. And it is not a fact that the efforts expended will be crowned with success - there are not too many proposals. Seedlings of this flower are 7 cm high at the time of sale in flowerpots that do not require urgent transplantation. with a diameter of 7 or 11 cm or in smaller cassettes. In the future, the purchased gazania can be moved to a pot with a capacity depending on the number of outlets, and care for it in the same way as for grown from seeds at home.

If producers grew flowers in the open field, then transplantation must be done before the autumn cold. If it is possible to purchase cuttings obtained from adult gazania, then before planting in a pot, they should be easily rooted in water.

Important! You need to transplant before frost.

Features of caring for gazania at home

Even at the stage when you are just starting to sow seeds, it is advisable to imagine how watering and top dressing gazaniya, her pruning, soil care, in which she lives.

Watering and feeding the plant

The natural length of the roots provides gazania with moisture from underground, and the leaves are adapted to protect the surrounding soil from drying out. These circumstances determine regularity of infrequent watering of a drought-resistant plant, which will allow to achieve abundant flowering, after which it should be watered even more moderately.

The most essential condition is to prevent waterlogging of the soil. It is recommended to feed gazania with complex fertilizers. Once every two weeks is enough. Strict adherence to this regime will lead to the appearance of a large number of large inflorescences.

Did you know? The size of the inflorescences depends on regular feeding.

Soil care in a pot

Sandy loamy soil (sand and clay) in a flower pot will be the most favorable habitat for gazania. By adding organic matter and peat to it, you can ensure that there is a lot of humus and there is no excess moisture.

Gazania trimming

Gatsania grown at home requires radical pruning every spring. Otherwise, it will be impossible to save abundant flowering due to the formation of new lateral shoots. You need to do this operation at the beginning of March. All shoots without exception are subject to pruning at a distance of 5 cm from the surface of the soil in a pot.

Diseases and pests of a flower

How difficult it is to grow gazania from seeds at home, it becomes clear after getting to know its main diseases and the pests that bring them. Although the plant is considered disease-resistant, it is still subject to considerable risks.. African daisy attackers aphids and slugs can be very carefully collected by hand - the fragility of the flower will not allow them to be washed off with water. A strong-smelling garlic planted next to the flower will help to avoid an attack. The smell of onions, sage and parsley also repels pests.

Gazania (Gazania) or gazania – this is one of the brightest representatives of the aster family. This "native" of Africa has successfully taken root in our climate and has become a favorite of many flower growers. Gazania is also called African chamomile.

Did you know? Gazania flowers fully open only on sunny days.

Gazania: plant description

This perennial undersized shrub grows mainly on gravelly, loose soils in arid areas. The shape of the leaves collected in a basal rosette is palmately dissected, linear, elongated-lanceolate or pinnate. To retain moisture, they have a special pubescence.

The rod-shaped root helps the plant to get water from the depth of the soil. Inflorescences reach 5 to 10 cm in diameter. They can be of different shades, depending on the type and variety of the plant (red, orange, yellow, white). In the center of a large basket are small tubular flowers, where seeds are formed.

Planting gazania, how to grow gazania from seeds

Gatsania, according to flower growers-experts, - the plant is quite capricious, and therefore planting and caring for it in the open field has a number of features that you need to know.

When to sow gazania

The optimal time for planting gazania is considered to be February-March, since it is at this time that daylight hours increase significantly. The terms are calculated based on the fact that 2.5-4 months pass from the appearance of the first shoots to the flowering of the plant. In the case of an earlier planting, seedlings may be weak due to a lack of natural light.

Did you know? At specialized enterprises, winter sowing of gazania is also practiced, highlighting the sprouts with powerful lamps.

Where to sow gazelle

Gatsania requires careful cultivation and care at all stages, starting from the moment the soil is prepared for planting seeds.

The soil should be light, well-drained, with a pH level of 5.8-6.2 and an EC of 0.5-0.75, especially if the plant is planned to be planted in cassettes first.

5-7 weeks after planting the seeds in 25 ml cassettes and 5-6 weeks later if the volume of cassettes was smaller, the plants must be transplanted into pots. Seeds must be placed individually. They retain their viability for 2 years.

Important! As an option, African chamomile can be planted in special peat pots or tablets.

How to sow gazania

Before planting, the soil is slightly compacted and moistened. Seeds are placed at a distance of 2-3 cm from each other in a checkerboard pattern, covered with a thin layer of earth and sprayed abundantly with water. Then the cassettes are covered with foil and carefully wrapped in transparent polyethylene, leaving some air. It is necessary to put the structure in a bright, warm room.

Thus, the main conditions for the early emergence of seedlings will be provided - high humidity, sufficient lighting and an air temperature of 21-24 ° C. Periodically, the soil with seeds must be sprayed, and the mini-greenhouse must be ventilated. Seeds will germinate on the 6-14th day.

How to care for gazania seedlings

After the appearance of friendly shoots, the temperature in the greenhouse is reduced to 15-18 ° C. Also reduce watering. A few days after mass shoots, when the first leaves have not yet appeared, you need to dive gazania seedlings. To do this, use both plastic and peat pots. In this case, the largest spine should be pinned.

If there is no time or desire to dive seedlings, seeds should be sown away from each other and in large containers. 7-10 days after picking, you can feed the gazania complex mineral fertilizer. If necessary, repeat the procedure.

Before landing in open ground seedlings are hardened regularly taking out to fresh air.

Landing gazania in open ground

Experienced experts recommend planting a plant in the second half of May - the first half of June. Bushes should be placed at a distance of at least 20 cm from each other. Then the African chamomile will delight you with flowers very soon. But the first of them must be removed so that the plant gains strength and strengthens the root system.

Gatsania: plant care rules

Grown flowers require some care. Only then can we expect that the plant will please with magnificent forms and abundant flowering.

How to water the gazania

Gazania is a guest from hot countries in our flower beds, so it tolerates drought well. Much more damage to the plant will cause excessive watering, in which the roots begin to rot.

There is a risk of developing diseases, including gray rot. African chamomile needs additional soil moisture only in dry summer days no precipitation. This will keep the flowers from crushing.

Fertilizing and soil care

10-15 days after planting the plant in open ground, it must be fed with complex mineral fertilizers. Apply 20-25 g of fertilizer per 1 sq. m of soil.

In the future, this procedure is repeated once a month before flowering. The frequency of feeding can be increased if the plant is grown in poor soil and in containers. Before and after fertilization, the soil must be watered.

Soil care consists in periodic (every 2-3 weeks) removal of weeds and loosening of the soil.

Gazania trimming

Gazania pruning consists in regular cleaning of dried flowers so that the plant does not waste energy on them. And although the seeds are growing here, bushes do not propagate by self-sowing.

How to save gazania in winter

Caring for gazania in winter is not difficult. Since this is a heat-loving plant, it is impossible to leave it in the ground for the winter, it will surely die. It is better to transplant the bushes into boxes or large pots and leave in a cool place until spring.

Important! The temperature in the room where the gazania is located in winter should not fall below zero degrees.

Another option for preserving African chamomile in winter is grow it in pots. When the first frost comes, you just need to take the plant into the house. If you want it to bloom longer, you should provide additional lighting.

In winter, the plant needs watering exactly to the extent that the soil does not dry out, but no more.

A beautiful and bright flower bed is the central decoration of any garden plot. Therefore, each owner strives to plant the most beautiful and unusual plants, while creating unique garden compositions. The choice of colors is a rather complicated process that requires care and thoughtfulness. An unmistakable option would be to purchase such a flowering plant as gazania.

This is an African flower of stunning beauty, which, with its appearance and resemblance to a bright celestial star, will please with its magnificence during flowering. At the same time, caring for him is so simple that even a novice gardener and florist can do it.

In this article, we will consider the main features and description of the gatzania flower, and also describe the most popular types and varieties of this African handsome man. We will tell you in more detail about all the features of its cultivation and care in the open field.

Features and description of gazania

Gatzania is flowering plant which can be either annual or perennial. In our climatic conditions this flower is most often grown as an annual, as it does not tolerate cold. This flower belongs to the Astrov family and is composite. Just looking at this bright flower, its resemblance to the usual, familiar to us chamomile is striking. However, gazania has larger inflorescences and strikes with a variety of colors, from bright yellow to deep red.

The birthplace of the "golden chamomile" is South Africa, which explains the love of this plant for the bright sun and intolerance to severe cold, although perennial glazing can withstand autumn and winter frosts down to -7 degrees. Most often in nature, gazania is found in Mozambique, Tanzania, Angola, sometimes in Australia and New Zealand.

Description of gazing:

• Gatsania in nature is a perennial plant, but in our territory this flowering plant can be found in two types, annual and perennial. In addition, perennial gazania can winter in open ground only in the southern regions.
• This flower is a low growing plant. In height very rarely exceeds 30 cm, so it is perfect for flower beds, mixborders, alpine slides and rocky gardens. Alternatively, due to its low growth, gazania is often used as ampelous plant and planted in hanging pots.
• The stem, depending on the species, may be short, and sometimes absent altogether.
• Gazania leaves have a bright saturated color and are various shapes, the structure is quite dense. Most often, they are covered with a light fluff on the underside, which protects the plant from cold and excessive evaporation of moisture.
• The main value of gazania are flowers that can reach 5-9 cm in diameter. They are single inflorescences consisting of long reed flowers, in the center of which there are small tubular flowers of a different color.
• The variety of colors of gazania flowers is striking. You can find bright yellow, orange, reddish shades, which are used to color almost the entire flower, with the exception of the very middle. Usually the central part of the gazania flower has more dark shade. All these bright petals are located around the yellow core.
• On average, up to 35 inflorescences can appear on one plant at the same time.
• This plant blooms from early July until the very end of the season.
• An interesting feature of this flower is that on a cloudy day all its petals are folded into a bunch. And they only open when the sun comes up.
• On our territory, gazania is grown until winter in the open field, and then transplanted into pots until spring in order to decorate the flower bed again next season.
• To date, about 40 types of gazania are known, which differ in the color of the inflorescences.

Popular types and varieties of gazania

Gatsania has a large number of varieties, which most often differ only in the color of the inflorescences. To date, about 40 species of this unusual chamomile have been bred by breeders from all over the world. Many species were created specifically for certain climatic conditions, thus bred annual varieties gazania for areas with a colder climate.

The most popular types of gazania are long-shot, feathery, shiny, potsy, hybrid and others. Let's take a closer look at each of them.

Gatzania long-shot

This type of gazania is grown as an annual plant. It can reach a height of 20 cm, which is ideal for alpine slides and small rocky gardens. The leaves of the long-shot gazania are entire, bright green in color, slightly pubescent from the bottom. The inflorescences are represented by single baskets, which reach an average of 7 cm in diameter. The inflorescences consist of reed and tubular petals. Tubular petals brightly yellow color, and the petals at the base are painted brown.

Gatzania brilliant

The second name of this type of flower is harsh. This is one of the most popular types of gazania, which is distinguished by bright inflorescences. It can reach a height of 30 cm. The leaves of shiny gazania are whole, less often pinnatipartite, bright green in color. The inflorescence is 4-6 cm in diameter and consists of tubular petal blood-red, orange, yellow with a golden core. Distinctive feature of this species is the presence of brown or white spots at the base of the petals.

Gatzania Potsi

This type of gazania is very similar to the brilliant one, has the same height of the bushes and bright colors of the inflorescences. The only difference is in the size of the inflorescences. At Gazania Potsi, flowers reach a diameter of 11 cm, which will look favorably on any flower bed or lawn.

Gazania pinnate

This type of gazania got its name due to the shape of its foliage - it is pinnately divided in this flower, less often lobed. In height, this gazania can reach 20 cm. The inflorescences are represented by single baskets, which consist of reed petals of bright orange color with a dark ring at the base. The core is bright yellow.

Gazania peacock

This type of gazania differs from others in the unusual shape of the leaves. They are narrow and long, can grow up to 20 cm in length. Bright green in color. Inflorescences are represented by yellow or orange reed petals, which have a darker circumference at their base. The core consists of tubular yellow petals. Inflorescences can reach 8 cm in diameter.

Gazania one-flowered

This type of gazania belongs to undersized, can reach a height of only 10-15 cm and is represented by creeping stems and leaves. Can be used as ground cover plants. The leaves are saturated green, slightly pubescent on the underside. The inflorescence is represented by a small basket of bright yellow color, up to 5 cm in diameter.

Gazania snow white

This species got its name because of the color of the foliage. All leaves are covered with abundant whitish fluff. The stem is woody at the base. Flower stalks with beautiful bright inflorescences grow from the center.

Gatzania hybrid

This type of gazania appeared thanks to the efforts of breeders and has become one of the most popular among gardeners. If species gazanias turn their petals into buds during cloudy weather, hybrid gazania varieties can boast independence from sunlight. Most often, hybrid varieties are obtained by crossing shiny and long-shot gazania. Hybrid gazania has the same bright inflorescences and rich green leaves, however, unlike the species, it is more resistant to adverse weather conditions. They can reach a height of 30 cm, the stem is completely covered with entire or carved leaves. Inflorescences in diameter reach 8 cm and are painted in various colors: yellow to reddish-bronze.

Popular varieties of gazania

• Gatzania Dybrek - a plant up to 25 cm high, inflorescences come in various colors.
• Gatzania New Day - bred by Dutch breeders. it can reach a height of 25 cm. It is an early flower, as it begins to bloom in spring. Inflorescences are white, bright yellow. pink, red.
• Gatzania New Day Bronze Shades - differs in bright colors of inflorescences - bronze.
• Hybrid gazania Big Kiss - has large inflorescences that can reach 12 cm in diameter.
• Gazania Frosty Kiss - the flowers of this variety have a rather unusual color with contrasting longitudinal stripes on the petals.
• Variety mix Talent - a feature of this variety of gazania is that in the absence of the sun, the petals do not curl.

Gatsania breeding methods

Gatsania can reproduce in two ways: by seeds and vegetatively. The seed method is the most common, however, there are some types of gazania that reproduce only by cuttings. For example, terry gazania, they simply do not produce seeds.

Reproduction by seeds in the ground

You can immediately sow the seeds of gazania in the ground, but it should be remembered in this situation that this plant will bloom only after 2-3 months. After all, gazania has a very long vegetative period. It is necessary to sow the seeds of gazania in the spring after the last frost, the main thing is to make sure that there will be no return cold. Before planting, the soil is well prepared, dug up and fertilized. Seeds are sown individually, at a distance of at least 25 cm. At the same time, planting material is deepened by only 1-2 cm. This method more suitable for the southern regions, since there in March the daylight hours are already quite long. For other areas, the method of sowing seeds for seedlings is perfect.

Propagation of gazania seedlings

You can sow gazania for seedlings as early as early March. To do this, you must use tall cups, preferably separate ones. This is necessary to preserve the root system of gazania, which has a rod shape and grows quite long. If you use one container, then you need to sow the seeds at a distance of 5 cm from each other, while it is advisable to do this in a checkerboard pattern. For planting, light and loose nutrient soil is used.

Seeds do not sink into the soil, they can simply be scattered over the surface of the earth and sprinkled lightly. From above they can be covered with a transparent film or glass. It is desirable to water with a spray bottle to exclude the possibility of washing out the seeds. The optimum temperature for seed germination is 20 degrees. It is in such conditions that you can get the first sprouts in 1-2 weeks. Gatsania is planted in open ground in May. At the same time, the seedlings are taken out carefully together with an earthen clod so as not to damage the root. Plants are planted in prepared and fertilized soil at a distance of at least 25 cm from each other.

Propagation by cuttings

This method is not as popular as seed, and is used only for some varieties of gazania.

• At the end of summer, with a sharp knife, it is necessary to cut side shoots no more than 10 cm long.
• All cuttings must be with a heel, otherwise they will not take root.
• After that, the lower leaves are removed and the cutting itself is treated with a root solution to stimulate the growth of the root system. It is enough to lower the cuttings into a container with such a solution for a couple of hours.
• Gazania cuttings are planted in containers with nutrient soil.
• Further care consists in periodic watering. For faster germination of cuttings, containers can be covered with a transparent film.
• Rooted cuttings can be planted in open ground as early as March.

Preparing before planting gazania

To get a beautiful and flowering plant, it is necessary to carefully prepare. It is important to choose the right place for planting gazania and prepare the soil well.

Choosing a place for landing gazania

Gatzania is a flower native to South Africa. Therefore, he is accustomed to dry weather and dry soil. It is such a place that must be chosen for this plant in order to fully enjoy its flowering. Gatzania will grow well in open sunny areas of your garden. You can pick up a place on a small hill, as the flower does not tolerate close occurrence ground water. In the absence of such a place, a drainage system can be created.

When choosing a landing site, be sure to consider what kind of composition you want to see on your site. This flower is perfect for flower beds, alpine slides and rocky gardens. Alternatively, it can be grown in hanging pots in the manner of ampelous plants.

Soil preparation before planting gazania in open ground

Gatsania prefers to grow on light and loose soils, while well-drained. A soil mixture consisting of peat soil, soddy and deciduous soil is perfect for the growth of this plant. At the same time, when digging up a landing site, mineral or complex fertilizers can be applied. Important to do good layer drainage to remove excess moisture and prevent rotting of the root system.

The process of planting gazania in open ground

After waiting for a comfortable time for planting, making sure that there is no threat of return frosts, you can start planting this plant in open ground.

Features of planting gazania in open ground:

• First of all, before planting, it is necessary to harden the gazania seedlings in natural conditions. To do this, a couple of days before planting, take out the containers with seedlings for several hours in fresh air.
• Prepare a landing site. Dig and loosen the soil well, and prepare holes for planting material.
• Each hole should be slightly larger than the root system with a clod of earth. Between the holes should be a distance of at least 20 cm.
• Put a layer of drainage at the bottom of the hole to prevent stagnant groundwater. Small pebbles, broken bricks or gravel can be used as drainage.
• Next, carefully remove the seedlings from the container. It is best to use a long scoop for this so as not to damage the root of the plant. If you grew gazania seedlings in separate cups, you can plant plants with them.
• Plants are placed in separate planting pits and sprinkled with soil. Gently compact the soil around the glazing.
• Be sure to water each plant abundantly.
• The use of mulch is important. This way you will prevent evaporation of moisture and reduce the appearance of weeds. As mulch, you can use tree bark, dry sawdust or peat.
• If you are afraid of returning frosts or cold nights, young seedlings can be covered with foil for a while.

Features of caring for glazing in the open field

Further care of the gazania will not be difficult, even an inexperienced gardener will cope with all the stages. When leaving, the main thing is to take into account the characteristics of this flowering plant, as well as the main nuances of the growth of this flower in its habitat.

Watering gazania

Gatsania is a southern flower, so it is typical for her to feel great in hot summer conditions. This plant has excellent drought tolerance. However, it must be remembered that gazania will delight you with rapid flowering only if it is regularly watered. Gatsania should be watered moderately, but regularly. Or choose for yourself a different mode of watering: rarely, but plentifully. The main thing is that when planting you do not forget to create a good layer of drainage.

Loosening and mulching

After watering, it is imperative to loosen the ground in the near-stem circle, as gazania prefers to grow in light soils saturated with oxygen. After loosening, do not forget to add mulch. It will help the plant retain moisture for a long time and prevent the appearance of weeds. Dry peat or sawdust can be used as mulch.

top dressing

The optimal mode of subcortex for gazania is the frequency of once every 4 weeks. As a fertilizer, it is best to use a complex mineral fertilizer at the rate of 25 g per 1 sq. m. You can feed the plant during watering.

Disease and pest control

Gatsania is highly susceptible to various pests and fungal diseases.

Gazania diseases:

• Gray rot. This disease appears on plants with improper irrigation and prolonged stagnation of water at the roots. Signs of this disease are brown spots on the leaves. It must be taken into account that this fungal disease and it quickly spreads to other plants. When such symptoms appear, it is necessary to treat the plant with Bordeaux liquid or special fungicides. However, the easiest way to prevent this disease is to water it properly, plant the plant at a sufficient distance from each other.

Gatsania pests:

• Spider mite. To combat such a pest, it is necessary to use special preparations - insecticidal solutions. plants are completely processed and covered for several days with a film. It is recommended to alternate drugs so that the tick does not have time to get used to them.
• Aphid. This pest can be collected manually or washed off with water pressure. Alternatively, you can plant plants near the gazania that repel aphids - garlic or onions. Best of all, special insecticide preparations help to fight aphids, the solution of which is treated with the whole plant.

When and how to collect gazania seeds

To propagate this unusual flower, many want to collect seeds on their own. But to do this is not so easy. In our climatic conditions, gazania seeds very rarely have time to ripen. The exception is very hot summers. Also, hybrid varieties of gazania are usually grown in garden plots, and when seed planted, they lose all their species characteristics. The difficulty is also in the collection of seeds. They are very similar to dandelion seeds - just as airy. And at the slightest breath of wind, they simply fly away, even if they have time to ripen. If you are still determined to get the seeds yourself, then first tie several inflorescences with gauze so that the seeds do not fly away.

Gatzania during flowering

So that this flower does not cease to delight you with its bright and abundant flowering, be sure to periodically cut off faded buds. Thus, you will stimulate the emergence of new inflorescences. For pruning, be sure to use a sharp knife and carry out this procedure in dry weather.

Gatzania in winter

In our climatic conditions, even perennial varieties gazania cannot winter in open ground. There are two options, firstly you can simply destroy the faded plant, and plant new ones the next year. But, as an option, in the fall you can dig up the strongest and healthiest bushes and transplant them into spacious pots. Then transfer all containers with flowers to a room with good lighting and an average temperature of 8-10 degrees. Care will consist of periodic watering. In the spring, you can simply transplant the gazania bushes back into the open ground.

Photo of gazania in landscape design

Gatsania looks great in various garden compositions. All the features of the use of this flower in the landscape can be seen in the proposed photos.

Gatzania in rocky gardens

Gatzania in combination with other plants

The use of gazania in alpine slides

Gatsania is an African guest in our garden plots. However, when proper fit and timely care, you can get a gorgeous flowering plant that will decorate your garden until winter.

(gazania) is a popular flower bed plant, found naturally in South Africa. Flowers resemble a large chamomile or gerbera. Previously, gazania was a typical greenhouse plant that was cut for bouquets (like eustoma, which the publication is dedicated to). Today gazania is equally successfully grown in room conditions, as well as in containers and flowerpots (for a balcony, loggia, patio) and of course in the garden.

Accurate observance of the terms of landing in open ground will allow you to get a healthy and beautiful glazing.Planting and care (photos of these procedures below) begin with an assessment of the quality of the seeds.

ON THE PICTURE: Gazania seeds are medium in size and have pubescence like most plants of the Compositae family, their germination depends on the age of collection. Seeds that have been stored for more than two years should no longer be used.

Gatsania: growing from seeds with photo

When to sow gatzania?

To determine the time when to sow gazania for seedlings, it must be taken into account that flowering occurs 80-100 days after sowing. Long flowering (from June to autumn) can be obtained if the gazania is sown in February or March.

In the middle lane, sowing is carried out at home, direct sowing of seeds into the ground is possible only in the southern regions.

How to sow gazania for seedlings?

The soil for seedlings is taken light, slightly acidic or neutral (pH 5.5–6.5). Waterlogging is unacceptable, so drainage is used.

Before sowing, place the seeds between cotton pads soaked in water. This is done to assess the quality of seeds and accelerate their germination. At room temperature, the seeds give roots on the 2-3rd day.

For growing from gazania seeds, it is necessary to provide a temperature of + 18–20 ° C. At temperatures below +10°C the seeds will not germinate.

Where and how to sow gazania?

The seeds are planted in peat tablets, pots for seedlings or in a common container. Sprouted seeds are laid out individually on the surface of the soil in separate pots (or tablets). If planting is carried out in a box, there should be a distance of 2-3 cm between the seeds. To save space, lay out the seeds in a checkerboard pattern. A thin layer of soil is poured on top, no more than 1 cm. You can simply press the seeds to the ground.

ON THE PICTURE:It is convenient to sow gazania in specialized cassettes for flower seedlings. Subsequently, it will be convenient to remove such seedlings from an individual cell. Thin plant roots will not be damaged.

After sowing, the soil is moistened with a spray gun and the container is covered with a film. Before germination, the boxes are placed in a warm place (+ 20-25 ° C), it is possible near the battery. Every day it is important to ventilate the plantings. Remove condensate regularly to avoid waterlogging.

Shoots appear unevenly. Some seeds may germinate in 3-4 days. Maximum term emergence of shoots up to 2 weeks.
ON THE PICTURE:Gatsania "Kiss" is distinguished by a bright contrasting stripe in the center of the petal. It is noticed that the seeds of this hybrid series germinate longer than other popular variety series.

Exotic gazania: growing from seeds and caring for seedlings

How to grow healthy gazania seedlings?

For this, several conditions must be met:

• immediately after germination and before planting in a permanent place, seedlings should be kept at a temperature of 15-16 ° C;
• seedlings should have a long daylight hours (8 - 10 hours);
• watering as the earth dries out, waterlogging is unacceptable;
• hardening plants outdoors by 3 - 4 hours before landing at a permanent place.

A suitable temperature can be created on an insulated loggia or in a separate room of a country house.

In conditions middle lane It is impossible for Russia to get a healthy plant without the use of supplementary lighting. With a short light day, the seedlings stop growing and die. Artificial lighting is carried out once a day (towards evening) for 6–8 hours or in two stages (morning and evening) for 3–4 hours. Since the end of March, the natural daylight hours are lengthening and additional lighting can be removed.

2 weeks after germination, the first top dressing with complex fertilizer is carried out, then 1 time in 2 weeks.

When to dive gazania?

Picking is carried out very early: as soon as the plants begin to sprout, before the first true leaf appears. This usually happens on the 7-8th day after germination.

Gatzania picking is limited to transplanting into a new container. Remove part of the root, as is done with a full pick, not necessary!

How to dive gazania: the choice of capacity

The main purpose of picking a gazania is to place the plant in a separate deep container where it can grow before planting in open ground. The gazania should develop a long tap root, so the individual pot should be large enough (500 ml.) to ensure then a gentle transplant with a clod of earth to a permanent place. It is preferable to use individual peat pots. In this case, the plant will not receive damage during planting.

ON THE PICTURE:The root of the seedling of gazania is several times higher than the height of the shoot. When picking, it is very important not to damage it for the successful survival of plants.

Preparing gazania for landing at a permanent place

A month before planting in the ground, hardening of plants begins. First, a short-term ventilation of the room is carried out through the window. Seedlings should not fall into a draft. A few days before planting, we take out the plants on open air for several hours a day. The place must be protected from the wind.

ON THE PICTURE: Seedlings of gazania, ready for planting, have about ten developed true leaves and emerging buds.

Gatzania: planting and caring for an adult plant

Planting gazania in open ground or a flowerpot is carried out in May or early June, when frosts are unlikely. The timing of planting gazania directly depends on the region. In the Moscow region, this is usually the end of May - the beginning of June. In Siberia, the beginning - the middle of June.

ON THE PICTURE:After landing in the ground, gazania will benefit from mulching with stone screenings or pebbles. Warming up during the day natural stone will give warmth to the heat-loving African in the cool night hours.

The place is chosen the brightest, without excess moisture. Gatsania prefers light and non-greasy soil. The distance between plants is 25-30 cm. The soil is pre-fertilized. Gazania is planted carefully, without disturbing the clod of earth around the root, for this they use a long garden scoop. Water the flower rarely, only in case of drought.

ON THE PICTURE:Gazania is extremely effective in group plantings. The space between plants can also be mulched with wood chips or tree bark.

How to save gazania in winter?

The best temperature for wintering gazania is + 9-11 ° C. Therefore, it is impossible to leave this heat-loving plant on the street for the winter. If the gazania is planted in a flowerpot, it must be brought into the room. From open ground, the plant is carefully transplanted with a clod of earth into flower pot, and is also brought into the house.

Do not forget about the vulnerability of the root system of gazaniya. Even with a slight damage to the root, the plant may die.

Winter watering should be minimal when the soil dries out. It is desirable to organize artificial lighting 8-10 hours a day.

In the spring, the shoots are shortened by half. Gatsania is again planted in open ground or the flowerpot is taken out into the street.