Gazania or African chamomile belongs to the aster family. This is a pretty attractive plant, its buds open in the midday heat, and again close in the evening. Chamomile blooms to the frost, which pleases gardeners. It is not difficult to grow gazania, in the southern regions the seeds are planted immediately in the ground, but in the central part of Russia it is necessary to deal with seedlings.
Features of planting gazania seeds in open ground
Annual gazania is a low bush with a basal rosette of leaves. Depending on the variety, the color of the leaves can vary from bright green to gray. The inner side of the leaf plate is covered with villi, due to which the plant tolerates drought well. The flower basket is quite large, in diameter from 5 to 9 cm. Its color depends on the variety, it can be monophonic or two-tone. After the flowers dry out, seeds are formed in them, which are used to propagate gazania.
You can sow seeds in open ground in spring or late fall. However, it is worth considering climatic conditions. If spring starts late, then you need to start planting after thawing the soil. Shoots will appear only under favorable conditions. Before winter, the seeds of gazania are planted in late October or early November so that they do not have time to ascend. The place is mulched well with dry foliage, seedlings appear with the onset of heat.
The planting bed is prepared in advance, the soil is dug up, leveled, and if necessary enriched with mineral fertilizers or organic matter. Furrows are prepared with a depth of about 5 cm, sowing is done sparse so that the bushes do not have to be planted. Between the rows leave a distance of up to 25 cm. You can sow seeds denser, using the bed as a nursery. Then the grooves are made at a distance of 10 cm, the seed rate is increased. When the seedlings get stronger, it is transplanted with a lump of earth to a permanent place.
Instructions for planting gazania seeds for seedlings with a photo
If you grow gazania seedlings in room conditions, then you need to start planting seeds no earlier than March-April. For seedlings, deep containers are used, since the root system requires room for growth.
Features sowing gazania on seedlings:
· Choose a loose and moisture-resistant substrate, as the flower does not tolerate heavy soil;
· Close the seeds to a depth of not more than 1 cm, otherwise it will be difficult for them to break through to the surface;
· Observe the distance between the seeds up to 3 cm.
Do not forget to moisten the soil from the spray bottle to maintain the required level of humidity. After planting, cover the containers with foil and put them in a room where the temperature is maintained at the level of 18-20 ° С. Under such conditions, the first sprouts will appear in 10 days.
Do not rush to immediately remove the shelter so that the delicate seedlings do not suffer from dry air. Watering seedlings is necessary as necessary so that the soil does not dry out. Thick seedlings are thinned out, as the seedlings grow, they are dived into separate containers.
Before landing on a permanent place, young Gazanians temper. At first, the plants are not brought out into the air for a long time, time is gradually increased, they are left on the street before planting for the night.
It is not difficult to grow seedlings of gazania; sprouts quickly develop and start growing. You can feed the seedlings 1-2 times with an interval of 10 days. The last top dressing is done a week before planting in the ground. Use mineral complexes for flowering plants, the concentration of the solution is reduced by 2 times.
Planting gazania seedlings in open ground
Plants are not planted a permanent place when the threat of frost passes. The optimal period is the second half of May. Choose a site for gazania open, well-lit throughout the day. If you plant gazania in the shade, then you can’t enjoy flowering, the baskets will always be closed. The flower is not picky about the soil, but it will not hurt to enrich it additionally.
Bushes are planted at a distance of 20 cm from each other. Try not to disturb the earth ball so as not to damage the roots.
What care does gazania need
Caring for a flower is not difficult, it does not require special knowledge and skills. The main task of the gardener is to provide moderate watering. Gazania can tolerate drought, but it needs moisture to bloom profusely. To keep soil moisture longer, mulch the soil with organic matter. This technique will reduce the number of weeds, help the soil remain loose.
Do not forget about feeding gazania so that its baskets are large and bright, and flowering lasts longer. If the soil is fertile enough, then you can limit yourself to one fertilizing per month. Apply mineral fertilizers, at the rate of 25 g per meter of beds. Fertilizers can be applied in liquid form or granular, it depends on weather conditions. In rainy summers, it is better to use long-acting granules, and in drought, feed with liquid solutions.
Advice! If gazania grows on poor or rocky soil, then top dressing is done once every 2 weeks.
Problems in growing open field gazania
Gazania is an unpretentious plant, but beginners in gardening may have difficulty growing it.
1. Gazania does not bloom. The flowering period of gazania is long, the baskets bloom from June to November. One flower lasts on the bush for about 3 weeks. The complete absence of flowers suggests that gazania suffers from a lack of lighting or abundant watering. Follow the rules of plant agricultural technology, do not delay seedlings in open ground with transplanting.
2. The socket is damaged by gray rot. Gazania does not get sick if it grows under normal conditions. Decayed plants that are in poor conditions are affected by rot, and there is no care for them. You will have to say goodbye to diseased specimens, treat all plantings with phytosporin.
3. Pests on gazania. Humid weather contributes to the appearance of aphids, snails or spider mites. Pests are disposed of with the help of special preparations, snails are destroyed manually. You can sprinkle the soil around the plantings with red hot pepper or crushed egg shells, snails do not like such a surface and leave.
4. The flowers of gazania are small, inconspicuous, although the conditions are suitable. Today, in gardening, mainly hybrid varieties of gazani are grown, from which it is not recommended to collect seeds for further use. They do not preserve maternal qualities, break up into many varieties, gazania translated.
Gazania is the decoration of any garden. Take into account all the subtleties of its growing, so that flowering will please throughout the season. In late autumn, remove faded bushes so that pests do not accumulate under them for wintering and loosen the soil well.
