Interesting plant- gatsaniya, planting and caring for which is not burdensome for the gardener, will delight you with its flowers until the first frost. Most varieties are perennial, but there are also annuals among these plants. The African flower has taken root well in our country, because this is the climate that is favorable for its development and growth. Despite the simple care of the gazania, it has some features.

Gazania – gazania

Resembling a large bright daisy, the flower with a small stem is striking in its variety. color shades. It does not like heavily moist soils and can withstand dry periods. A special feature of this flower is its ability to retain moisture - this is facilitated by leaves covered with fluff on the underside, which not only retains moisture inside the plant, but also protects it from frost.

Growing gatsaniya from seeds can be done in decorative containers anywhere. It can coexist with all plants without having a negative effect on them. For the winter, a flowerpot with a flower can be brought indoors - the gazania will continue to grow even at home. The variety of varieties is simply amazing: they differ not only in color, but also in some growth characteristics. For example, most flowers close their petals when the sun sets. But there are species that leave flowers open even at night.

Landing

Planting gatsaniya, as well as subsequent care, requires quite a lot of patience. First, select a site with good soil for this plant. This flower grows best in dry areas with little rainfall.

When choosing a location, it is also important to consider that:

• gazania grows and develops well on light, fertile soil;
• it is important that the soil allows moisture to pass through well without retaining it;
• on heavy soils, gazania grows poorly and most often dies;
• The flower loves the sun, so it is better to plant it in sunny places.

Two methods are used for propagation: from seeds and vegetative.

Seed method

Growing from seeds at home is done due to the long growing season plants. For better seed germination, it is important to follow the following sowing steps:

1. Prepare the soil. To do this, you need to mix the same amount of humus, fine sand, turf and leaf soil.
2. Seeds are sown in early spring. The time is selected taking into account the climatic conditions of the area, taking into account the fact that permanent place Usually two-month-old seedlings are planted.
3. The seeds are placed in small grooves at a distance of 3 cm. It is better to plant them in a checkerboard pattern.
4. When the seed is lightly sprinkled with earth, water is sprayed on top with a spray bottle so as not to wash out the planted seeds.
5. Then the container is covered with transparent polyethylene and transported to a bright and warm windowsill with a temperature of at least 18 degrees.
6. Before the shoots appear, you need to periodically ventilate the resulting greenhouse and remove the condensation that appears on the film.

When the first seedlings appear in a couple of weeks, they need to be provided with optimal lighting. Due to the small daylight hours sprouts need additional lighting, so next to the seedling containers you need to install lighting. It is also important to maintain the temperature at least 15 degrees, otherwise the sprouts will grow weak. You need to water the seedlings with settled water.

Important! Gazania seedlings are not subjected to diving to avoid the possibility of injury to the weak root system.

Before planting in a permanent place, you must first prepare the area where the flower will grow. Gazania is planted in a deep hole along with a lump of earth where it grew. It is important to try not to injure the main root of the plant. The distance between future bushes should be at least 20 cm. Soon after replanting, the first flowers will appear - first single, and then in groups. Growing seedling method from seeds at home is more effective than cuttings.

Advice! For longer and fast flowering It is necessary to regularly cut off wilted buds.

Vegetative method

Used for reproduction in summer. To obtain new plants using the vegetative method, perform the following steps:

• A side shoot of the main stem must be pruned with a thickened base of no more than 10 cm.
• For better survival and to prevent the shoot from drying out, the cut is treated with a root formation stimulator.
• Remove all lower leaves from the shoot.

Advice! To accelerate the growth of the shoot, it can be soaked overnight in a growth mixture, which can be derivatives of urea and other drugs.

• Plant the cuttings in a container filled with soil. It is important that the container is large enough - at least 9 cm in diameter.
• Water the shoot well.
• The conditions for growth and development are the same as when growing seedlings from seeds. It is important to exclude the influence of drafts and direct sunlight on weak shoots. It is also necessary to take into account that future bushes need good lighting.

After about a month and a half, root formation occurs, but the gazania remains in the container until spring. Only then can the perennial be planted in a permanent place.

Growing some types of gatsanias is possible only with this method, since they do not produce seeds. When choosing a shoot from which a new bush will be formed, it is necessary to give preference to elongated and healthy cuttings. To increase the likelihood of root formation, it is necessary to select shoots with a heel - a thickening near the base.

Care

Growing and caring for gatsaniya is not difficult, the main thing is to take a responsible approach to choosing the soil on which the future flower will grow. You should not plant the plant on heavy soil, including clay.

• Watering should be moderate. Otherwise, growing by any means will not make sense. After all, a flower can protect itself from a lack of moisture - its long root is able to get water from the ground, and the fluff on the leaves prevents too much water evaporation. But it cannot protect against waterlogging - it weakens and begins to rot.
• Flowers also need fertilizing. On fertile soil, plants are fed once every month and a half, and on poor soil - twice a month with a solution of complex mineral fertilizer.
• Timely removal of weeds and thorough loosening of the soil at least twice a month.
• Pest protection. To combat aphids, you can plant onions or garlic, which will repel insects with their specific smell. Treating with Bordeaux mixture will help prevent gray rot. Spider mites are exterminated with special insecticides. When snails and slugs appear on the plant, they are collected by hand. Garlic, sage or parsley planted nearby will help get rid of harmful insects.

Proper cultivation allows you to get plants with large bright inflorescences. Despite the fact that most of the gazania are perennial crop, it is quite difficult for them to winter under our harsh climatic conditions. Therefore, for the winter the perennial is simply transferred indoors, and in the spring it returns to its place. In winter, in the room where the gazania will winter, it is better to maintain a temperature of 10 to 15 degrees.

Caring for gatsaniya winter period consists of periodic watering. Growing gatsaniya in pots or cache-pots at home allows you to bring the plant indoors for the winter without much difficulty or replanting, where it will continue to delight with blooming inflorescences. When spring comes, the containers can be taken outside again to decorate bright flowers plot.

The aster flower family has about 40 species. Gatsania or Gazania stands out for its beauty among all the asteraceae. The birthplace of the flower is Mozambique and southern African countries. Many people call the flower African daisy. Gazania 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, devoted his life to translating the works of Theophrastus and Aristotle. Gazania blooms in the hot sun at midday, attracting with its golden color. In Western Europe it was called “midday gold.” At night african daisy closes, sleeps.

Description of gatsaniya

Gatsania is an annual plant and the stem rarely grows more than 30 centimeters, sometimes it does not grow at all. Root leaves form a socket. The flower is distinguished by dense leaves, rich green in color, sometimes they have a gray-green tint. The shape of the leaves may vary, depending on the variety. On the inside of the leaves there are villi that protect against cold and dehydration. Therefore, gatsaniya will tolerate drought. The hot homeland makes itself felt, the flower will pass the test of extreme 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 in yellow shades. After flowering, the hairy achene makes it possible to reproduce. The seeds can be replanted.

Growing gatsania from seeds at home and in open ground

Many novice 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

Gatsaniya 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 boarding. But as soon as the soil is ripe, you can safely sow: the plants will sprout only when they are created. favorable conditions.
• Seeds can be sown before winter with the expectation that they will not have time to ascend. This could be late October - early November. It is better to mulch the bed with fallen leaves, which will also protect the seeds from frost. In the spring, the seeds will sprout as soon as the ground warms up.

Before sowing, carefully level the bed, make even furrows about 5 cm deep and try to sow as little as possible. Later you can thin it out if it still turns out thick. The distance between the rows is 20-25 cm if you do not replant the plants. After thinning the bushes in the row, we also maintain a distance of 20-25 cm.

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

If we grow seedlings at home

Optimal time for sowing seeds for seedlings - mid-March or early April. Planting containers must be deep enough. The roots need to be given room.

• • Gatsania does not tolerate heavy soil. It is necessary to choose a light substrate that allows water to pass through well. Acidity index - 5.5-6.5.
  • Seeds are sown rarely (2-4 cm between them), the planting 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 a distance of 2-3 centimeters between them. Just put the seeds and cover with soil.

• A spray bottle will help moisten the crops: this way 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 film, providing sufficient moisture. But the film must be opened daily. It is necessary to remove condensation that forms under the film.
• Sprouts appear after 7-14 days.
• We remove the cover and water it as the soil dries; excess moisture is not needed.
• Dense shoots can be picked into separate cups when 2-3 true leaves appear. You can help yourself with an ordinary fork or toothpick.
• A week before disembarkation, leaving them outside for a short time at first, and gradually increasing the interval to a full day.

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

The video will tell you how to sow gazania for seedlings:

Perhaps the laziest gardener and inexperienced beginner can easily cope with such a simple task as growing gatsaniya. At the same time you will receive a magnificent planting material and a stunning perennial that can decorate any corner of the garden, making it bright and fantastically attractive.

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

Caring for gazania seedlings

Gazania flower hybrid photo seedlings Growing from seeds When to plant gatsaniya in open ground

If gatsaniya seedlings are in a deep container, picking is not necessary. A shallow container will not give free space to the roots. You need to wait until the fourth leaf appears and plant the plants in separate disposable containers. Before planting seedlings in the ground, you need to support them for some time at home. Young shoots can be kept in a closed loggia at a temperature of 12-16 degrees. Start hardening off 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 flowerbed, the seedlings will not die from the cold.

Planting gatsaniya in open ground

Wait for warm weather, when you are sure that the last frosts are behind you, only then plant gazan. 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. Gatsaniya is not afraid of heat and will feel great even if there is a drought.

• A peat pot with gazania seedlings is planted directly into the ground.
• The seedlings in the box must be removed along with the roots using a scoop and planted in the ground.
• Try not to damage the root system.
• Maintain a distance between bushes of 20 cm.
• The seedlings need 3 months to grow, and they will delight you with beautiful flowers.

Caring for African Gazania Chamomile

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

Bloom

After sowing the seeds, wait for flowering after 3 months. If planted on time, this will happen in June. The plant will delight with its beautiful flowers until November. Life cycle one basket is about 3 weeks. At night, when it rains, the gate is closed. Gatsania will not bloom if there is not enough sunlight. If there is excess moisture or late transplantation, the gazania may also not open. Having provided optimal conditions, you will enjoy beautiful, numerous flowers. But if the conditions are bad, you won't get flowers.

How to propagate gazania from cuttings

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

• We cut cuttings 10-12 cm long, remove the leaves from the bottom of the trunk, dip the roots in powder and “plant” them in a nutritious soil mixture.
• We support for rooting high humidity soil.
• In about a month and a half, the cuttings will take root and begin to grow. After two to three months they will be ready to plant in the ground.

Diseases and pests

Although gatsaniya is not very susceptible to diseases, they sometimes happen. IN bad conditions the plant becomes weak and may develop gray rot. Phytosporin helps defeat the disease. Healthy areas of the plant are lubricated, diseased areas are simply removed.

Snails, spider mites, and aphids harm the gazania; the use of certain remedies will help get rid of the misfortunes. You just need to remove snails by hand, destroy aphids with phytofarm or acarin. The drugs Actellik, Fufanon, Ditoxom will relieve spider mite.

Collecting seeds

Gatsania rarely survives to bear fruit, since summer in our area quickly ends. 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 specific characteristics. And in our garden plots there are mainly 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 in gauze. When you see the appearance of light fluff, pick the basket and leave it to ripen for a couple of weeks in a dark, dry place. It is recommended to store seeds in a cotton bag or paper bag, always at a temperature no higher than 22-24 °C. But it’s better where it’s very cool: 15-18°C. High humidity unacceptable.

Wintering gazanya

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

Then the gatsaniya needs to be moved to a cool room where the temperature does not drop to 8-10. This room must have enough light so that the gazania can continue to develop. A dormant plant must be watered; the soil must not dry out. In the spring, you can plant the gazan again in the flowerbed. New, newly emerged shoots must be cut off by half.

Trimmed gazanias produce new plants; simply dip them in water until roots appear, or simply plant them immediately in a nutrient mixture, providing plenty of watering. In winter, gatsaniya can be pruned and new full-fledged seedlings will be obtained by spring.

Types and varieties of gazania with photos and descriptions

Gazania longiscapa

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

Gazania harsh Gazania rigens, or shiny - Gazania splendens

Grows up to 30 centimeters. The baskets of Gazania rigens can be up to 6 centimeters in diameter. The flowers can be tubular, blood-black or ligulate and range in color from yellow to red. At the base, as expected, are dark spots. Leaves can be entire or pinnately divided.

Gazania pottsii

Strongly resembles a harsh one, but is larger in 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 gatsanias 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 at the edges there are reed flowers of yellow shades.

By crossing some plant species, breeders were able to obtain a snow-white, feathery, hybrid, single-flowered gazania. It can delight 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, distinguished by stripes of a red hue, blooming full daylight;
Talent is a mixture that gives beautiful flowers, leaves all sunny day;
Ministar - gives flowers of yellow and white, distinguished by their special beauty.

Gazania (gazania) is a South African heat-loving plant that produces spectacular large flowers, shaped like a daisy or annual dahlias. Gatsania inflorescences are very beautiful, with complex multi-colored petals. The plant is very decorative and even garden plot looks like it's in a gorgeous vase. Gatsania is grown from seeds for cutting for commercial purposes, for home decoration - in flowerpots, on the balcony, winter gardens(see photo). In the south, gardeners practice growing gazania in their summer cottages.

Agricultural technology for gatsaniya is a godsend for the lazy gardener. Care without any special features. The plant does not like excess moisture, is not afraid of frosts, winds, and blooms without interruption all summer. By nature, gatsaniya is a perennial, but in conditions middle zone Russia practice annual cultivation from seeds.
The spectacular flower has more than 40 species, of which the following are of interest:

• pinnate;
• white;
• shiny;
• single-flowered;
• peacock;
• long-flowered.

We invite you to watch an educational video on how to properly plant gatsania seeds and care for the plant.

Within the species there are annual and perennial varieties. Perennial varieties gazanias can only withstand the warm winters of the southern regions; in Siberia and the Central regions, adult plants are grown in flowerpots, which are transferred to greenhouse conditions for the winter. Or grown as an annual. Perennial plants are capable of flowering all year round under favorable conditions.

Spectacular color contrast of gazania

A characteristic feature of gazania flowers is that their petals curl at night. In the morning, when the sun rises, the petals open, and the plant again gives bright colors. Recently, gatsania seeds have appeared from the Talent series, the flowers of which are not demanding of sunlight and remain open. Breeders have obtained a hybrid gazania with double multi-row inflorescences. The colors are very different; multi-colored ones have a stripe or darkening at the end of each petal, which creates spectacular contrast(see photo).
The height of gazania is 20-40 cm. The green mass also looks decorative - it forms beautiful leaves complex shape with a silver tint in the lower part. The leaves are covered with thin invisible hairs that perform a protective function. The flower is propagated by cuttings or seeds.

Growing seedlings

Growing and caring for gazania seedlings requires the following conditions:

1. Sufficient lighting. Daylight hours for seedlings should be at least 14 hours.
2. The temperature should not be below +10 degrees Celsius.
3. The soil should be light, rocky or sandy with sufficient nutrients. 2-4 kilograms of humus or rotted manure per 1 square meter is enough.
4. Top dressing mineral fertilizers every 2-3 weeks.
5. Moderate rare watering.

Seeds are planted at home in February-March; seedlings are planted at the end of May, when stable summer weather has established.

Soil is placed in containers and loosened. Gazania seeds need to be planted individually, despite their small size. Plant in wide containers in a checkerboard pattern, maintaining a distance of 3 cm between holes. Seedlings can be grown in purchased peat tablets. The best option would be to grow in separate cardboard pots, which can be replanted without damaging the root system.

The planted seeds are lightly covered with soil or sprinkled with sand. Water very carefully; a spray bottle is suitable for this. Cover the containers with film and place them in a warm place, for example, near a radiator. Shoots will appear in 1.5-2 weeks. The film is removed and placed in a cooler place.

Growing seedlings at home is carried out until the end of May. Young plants are transplanted into open ground, maintaining a distance of 20 cm between them. The plants bloom quickly, gradually increasing the number of inflorescences.

Caring for plants on the site consists of weeding, loosening the soil, and occasional watering as needed.

In order for the plant to bloom profusely, faded flowers should be removed.

Bouquet of sunny gazania

It is important to avoid stagnation of water, water rarely and little by little. The site should be sunny and open. Gazania does not like heavy loamy or too oily soils. The flower is not left for the winter. Before frost, the flowerpot with gazania is transferred to warm room, care as for a plant on the site.

Gazania complements not only garden flower bed from June to September, but is also capable of giving a summer mood all winter with its exotic flowers. A bouquet of sunny gatsaniya will be a wonderful addition to the holiday (see photo), and a flowerpot or flowerpot on the balcony will stand out from the gray mass of the metropolis.

Quite often you can find this plant among many housewives and gardeners who grow this plant. unpretentious beauty. Gatsania is often called African daisy. The flower has a rather bright color, which can be lemon, yellow, orange, burgundy or red, the middle is often Brown. It is thanks to the attractive, original shades that owners of houses and apartments prefer growing gatsaniya.

Brief description of gatsaniya

This flower is a member of the aster family. South Africa is considered the birthplace of this plant. Around the seventeenth century, gazania began to be grown in European countries, where the flower was called the “midday sun”, since the petals opened only when the sun rose.

Nowadays, both perennial and annual gatsanias are grown from seeds into homes. This flower is heat-loving, so it is quite difficult for it to winter in cold climates. The height of the plant does not exceed 30 centimeters. The leaves of gatsania have a dark green, sometimes gray-green tint, the shape of the leaves varies, depending on the variety of gatsania. The bottom of the leaves are covered with silvery fibers, thanks to which moisture is retained. summer period time. Gatsania grows single flowers, the diameter of which varies from 5 to 10 centimeters.

Growing gatsania from seeds

Many gardeners and flower growers try to grow gazania from seeds at home, because this flower perfectly decorates personal plots. But gatsaniya is a decoration only when there is bright sun in the sky; in cloudy weather, this flower closes and forms buds. Therefore, in our country gatsaniya is grown mainly in sunny areas. To successfully grow this plant from seeds, you must strictly adhere to the recommendations below.

Best time to grow

It is easiest to grow gazania from seeds in the second half of February or the first half of March, it depends on the weather in a particular region. For those who live in warm places, growing gazania from seeds should begin in mid-March. If you plant seeds early, they will have to create more artificial lighting. However, if gatsania seeds are planted later at home, the plant will bloom accordingly later.

What capacity is needed

To successfully grow gatsaniya from seeds, you need to take a deeper container. A deep pot or box is necessary for the long, thin roots that these plants grow. The roots must be in a vertical position; if they bend, the gatsaniya will suffer because of this.

Soil for growing gatsania from seeds

Some people prefer to buy soil in specialized stores. And some people prefer to prepare the soil mixture themselves. Both options are acceptable, the main thing is that the soil is light, loose, and well-permeable to air and moisture. The substrate is usually prepared from the following components:

• ordinary soil from the garden;
• vermiculite, which makes the soil loose;
• ash, which is needed to protect gatsaniya from various microbes and diseases.

How to sow seeds

Gatsania seeds are quite large; they need to be sown evenly and not close to each other. You can make small depressions in the soil and place seeds in them at a distance of about 3 centimeters from each other. A thin layer of vermiculite should be placed on top of the seeds. After this, you can sprinkle the planted gatsaniya seeds with soil mixed with sand. To slightly compact the top layer of the substrate, you need to spray it with settled water from a spray bottle. To speed up the germination of gatsania seeds, fertilizer can be diluted in the liquid. After spraying, the container with seeds must be covered on top with either a plastic lid or cellophane film.

Some gardeners recommend covering the soil with snow after planting, which will gradually melt and the soil will remain moist all the time. If snow will be used as moisture, then the soil should be sprayed to a minimum.

Optimal temperature for growing seeds

In order for gatsania seeds to germinate as quickly as possible, the container must be placed in a warm place exposed to sunlight. The temperature for growing at home is 18-20 degrees. It is worth remembering that this flower loves constant moisture, but overmoistening is detrimental to it, so to prevent the seeds and roots from rotting, the lid or cellophane film must be removed in the morning and evening for half an hour so that the soil is ventilated and condensation does not form. You need to water the soil using a spray bottle by spraying. After about 10-15 days, the first shoots will appear from the soil.

Growing gatsania seeds in peat tablets

Many gardeners give their preference to this convenient and simple method growing at home. First you need to buy it in the store peat tablets, which are pressed peat mixed with soil. In order for the cultivation of gatsania in these tablets to be successful, they must be prepared. To do this, they are placed in plastic trays and filled with water. After some time, the tablets will increase in size, after which they need to be watered well again. You need to water several times so that the peat tablets expand to about 5 times their original size. The tablets will turn into earthen columns. In the middle of each of them you need to place one gatsaniya seed, deepening it about one centimeter into the substrate. Then you need to cover the container with film or a lid.

This method of growing gatsaniya at home is quite cheap and convenient. In addition, the likelihood of damage to young roots when transplanting into the ground is reduced. It is worth remembering that peat posts must be watered frequently and ventilated periodically by removing the lid.

How to pick seeds

Experienced flower growers always recommend picking the seeds, but if the seeds were planted at a great distance from each other and the depth of the container is more than 10 centimeters, then the gatsaniya need not be picked. Picking is carried out 15 days from the moment the seeds were sown, or when four leaves appeared on the sprouts. During this period, young gatsania plants take root most quickly and painlessly, so growing from seeds in the future occurs without problems.

You can replant in small plastic glasses or pots. The substrate should be peat-earth. Since the root of this flower is very long, it is best to replant it in open ground along with old soil, due to this, damage to the root will be minimal. It is advisable to label each cup if grown different varieties gatsanii, so as not to confuse them later.

First, you need to fill each cup with prepared soil. Then each seedling needs to be poured with plenty of water so that the soil softens and easily comes out of the cup. Next, in the soil located in the new container, you need to make a depression into which the young seedling with a lump of earth is transferred. After this, the soil needs to be compacted a little, then pour the soil mixture into the cup. After transplanting into new containers, you need to pour a lot of water under each seedling so that the fragile roots have maximum contact with the ground.

When the picking is over, it is advisable to place the planted gazania in a place where the temperature is no more than 15 degrees. You can take the container out onto the balcony, but the temperature must be at least 10 degrees. After picking, gatsaniya needs to be gradually hardened in order for the cultivation to be as effective as possible. It is necessary to open the window next to the shoots for about 2-3 hours, but young seedlings should not be allowed to be in the path of direct air flow.

It is necessary to transplant young gazania grown from seeds to an open plot of land around May-June, when it is already quite warm outside. Subsequently, it is very easy to care for this flower; growing it at home does not require special labor. Most often, from the moment of germination of gatsania seeds to flowering, approximately two to three months pass, however, depending on various conditions, this period may increase.

Where is the best place to grow flowers?

Most the best option for gatsaniya it is an open piece of land that is sufficiently illuminated by the sun. This plant is not afraid of direct rays of the sun, so you don’t have to worry that the gatsaniya will suffer. This is a very light-loving and drought-resistant flower, the cultivation of which does not require much time and effort. The most favorable conditions for the plant are hot summer days. Gazania can be planted in the garden only when the temperature at night does not drop below 10 degrees Celsius. It is advisable to pre-fertilize the soil with some kind of mineral fertilizer.

You need to make holes in the ground small sizes, which should be approximately the same as the volume of peat pots. Young plants need to be pulled out along with the soil very carefully so as not to damage the root. The most convenient way to remove gatsaniya is with a garden shovel. The distance between the bushes should be at least 20 centimeters, more is possible.

What kind of gatsania bushes grow

After about six months, Gatsania forms small bushes, the height and width of which are about 25 centimeters. The flowers of this plant are most often large. In the garden, gatsaniya looks very beautiful when it is decorated with small flower beds, as well as when it is planted randomly. Growing it is quite simple, since it is not afraid of dry periods; this plant does not respond well to excess moisture.

Visually it looks very beautiful in combination with other varieties of flowers. At night, the flower petals close into buds. Not long ago, breeders developed a special variety of gatsania, which does not need a lot of sunlight, thanks to which this variety can be grown by residents of the northern regions of our country. Adult gatsaniya bushes will bloom until the beginning of autumn.

How to collect seeds

Gatsania seeds can be collected from adult bushes for subsequent cultivation and propagation of this flower. The seeds ripen fully only in very hot and long summers. If the summer period turns out to be cool and rainy, the seeds will not have time to fully ripen. If you grow gatsaniya with seeds collected at home, it will lose its varietal characteristics.

The main problem when collecting seeds is that they can quickly fly away when the wind blows. Gatsania seeds are very similar to dandelion seeds, which are also quite problematic to collect. To prevent the seed from flying away, it is necessary to wrap large flowers with gauze during the flowering period of gatsaniya, which will preserve all the seeds.

Difficulties in cultivation, pest control

If you water the flower on time and fertilize it from time to time, then you don’t have to be afraid that pests will spoil it, because the gatsaniya will have enough strength to resist them. But if you leave a flower for a long period without watering or feeding, various diseases and pests may appear, the main ones being:

• aphid,
• spider mite,
• gray rot,
• slugs

1. Aphid. These insect pests are very common in our country and can interfere with the cultivation of gatsaniya. Aphids drink the juice of these flowers, so the plants gradually weaken, while they can become infected with other diseases, they may stop blooming, and without proper care they are in danger of dying. You can destroy aphids very easily with special insecticides, for example, pirimifosmethyl, bifenthrin, or you can use traditional methods: mix liquid soap with tincture of garlic or tobacco, treat gatsaniya with this solution. Or you can simply plant garlic or onions near this flower, which repel insects.
2. Spider mites. They are not insects, so treating gazania with insecticides is not effective. You need to purchase insectoacaricides, for example, neoron or phytovern. In addition, in a specialized store you can purchase predatory mites, which over time will completely destroy the spider mite, since they are its natural enemies.
3. Gray rot. It is a fungus, and any fungi need water to function. Therefore, to prevent gatsaniya from becoming infected, you do not need to plant flowers very close to each other, and during watering, water should not get on the leaves. If gray rot appears on gatsaniya, then you need to fight it with fungicides; for example, euparen or foundationol will help.
4. Slugs. These insects, as well as snails, can damage gatsaniya by eating its leaves and shoots, while the flower will not have time to develop. Nowadays you can buy various insecticidal preparations in the store that will repel slugs, but you should not completely destroy these insects, as they are useful for the life of the garden. In addition to healthy flowers, they also eat and destroy dead plants. It’s better to scare them away instead of killing slugs. This can be done by pouring gravel, crushed eggshells or small shells next to the gatsaniya.

How to grow gatsaniya in winter

In our country, winter is usually accompanied by frosts, which are incompatible with growing gatsaniya in open areas. Therefore, in the garden this flower dies with the onset of cold weather. You can save the gatsaniya until next spring if you transplant it into a pot that will be in the house. For this flower, it is desirable that the temperature does not fall below 8 degrees Celsius. In an apartment you can grow gatsaniya on a glazed balcony or loggia.

The soil in winter should be the same as always - nutritious, light and ventilated. It is advisable to use a deep and large pot; there must be drainage at the bottom, for example, expanded clay, foam chips or crushed brick.

IN winter care rare watering and the presence of bright light are included. You must not allow the flower to freeze, because then in the spring you will have to grow it again from seeds.

So, you can grow gazania quite simply from seeds at home. To achieve the maximum percentage of seed germination and maintain plant viability, you must follow the tips and recommendations from this article.

Gazania, aka African chamomile, midday gold, gazania - beautiful plant, a leader in decorativeness, vitality, and unpretentiousness. All this needs sunny flower for a prosperous and long-term existence, warmth and sunlight. In its African homeland, gazania grows on sandy soils, on gravel, in dunes, does not have enough moisture all year round, but every new morning joyfully opens the petals of its beautiful flowers towards the sun.

One is more beautiful than the other

The plant has been known to Europe since the 17th century. Named after the Italian clergyman Theodore Gaza. He was not a famous botanist, but he translated many of Aristotle’s works into his native Italian. So the Europeans decided to immortalize his name in the name of the “golden” flower. The gazania family is Asteraceae. Flower represented by magpie various types and countless hybrid varieties, each of which is more beautiful than the other. There are gazanias that are canary yellow, sunny gold, orange-orange, bicolor, striped, variegated, and spotted. The color of the flowers is dominated by warm colors.

The height of the plant is small - only 25-30 cm. All its vitality and the resulting solar energy Gatsania invests not in the stem or even in the leaves, but in the flowers. During the flowering period, the bush is completely covered with huge brightly colored daisies. The leaves are thin, dull green. In most species, they are covered from the inside with a silvery “patina”, like fluff, which allows the plant to conserve moisture.

This perennial, has been developing and growing in its homeland for about twenty years. In our flowerbeds it acts as an annual, as it does not tolerate winter.

Advice! If the gatsaniya is transplanted into a pot in the fall and moved indoors (to a heated balcony, to a greenhouse), the bush can be planted back in the garden next year.

The gorgeous gazania inflorescences fully open only at noon, in the bright sun. As soon as the sun disappears behind the clouds or begins to decline, the gazania closes its petals. There is only one type of plant that leaves its flowers open all day, regardless of the presence of the sun - this is Talent.

The main types of gazania, popular in cultivated floriculture:

• shiny or harsh;

• single-flowered;

• pinnate;

• long-armed;

• white;

• peacock

Type name	Characteristics
Long-rifle	Low - 15-25 cm. The flower is seven centimeters in diameter. The color is bright yellow. The bases of the reed petals are brown
Brilliant	Maximum height - 30 cm. Flowers are medium - 4-6 cm in diameter. The colors are interesting - dark red, intense orange, sunny yellow. The base of the flower (tubular petals) is black and red. At the base of the reeds there are black, brown, white spots
Peacock	Very narrow leaf shape, different from other varieties. Large flowers, more than eight centimeters in diameter. Height – 30 cm. Color – black base, reed petals towards the ends – orange-yellow. Tubular center – canary yellow
Cirrus	The bush is 25-30 cm high. It is distinguished by its splendor, multi-flowered nature and unusual color of large flowers. In the center of each reed petal there runs from the base to the edge a stripe contrasting with the main color
White	It is this species that includes a variety that can bloom without sun and closes only at night. Medium sized flowers and bush. Reed petals are snow-white, tubular petals are yellow-brown
Single-flowered	The most compact of all types. Reaches 15 cm. Flowers are no more than five centimeters in diameter. Petals – pale yellow

Agricultural technology of Gatsania

The plant reproduces mainly by seeds. But for especially valuable ones terry varieties Propagation by cuttings is possible.

Cuttings

Cuttings begin no earlier than mid-summer, when the mother bush is already sufficiently formed and has gained leaf and stem mass.

1. A side shoot is selected.
2. Cut to a length of at least 10 cm, obliquely.
3. The cut is treated with a stimulant - root.
4. The lower leaves are torn off.
5. The cuttings are planted in a suitable container (about 12 cm in diameter is sufficient).
6. The soil around the cutting is moistened.
7. For rooting, the plant is sent to the following conditions: +18°C, indirect sunlight, ventilation, humidity about 60%.
8. Regular watering is necessary, after the top layer of soil has dried 3-4 cm.
9. It will take a long time for the cuttings to take root - 1.5 - 2 months. Then the bush is kept indoors or greenhouse conditions before spring planting in the garden.

Seed propagation

1. Shoots develop slowly.
2. Seedlings are afraid of spring colds.
3. Flowering occurs only 3-4 months after sowing the seeds.

Therefore the only one the best way get healthy blooming gazania on your site as early as possible - grow seedlings.

Growing seedlings

Since the period from sowing to flowering for gazania is, depending on the variety, from 80 to 110 days, you can expect the first flowers from seedlings already in June, only by sowing gazania no later than February.

By the way! Gazania is a late-flowering plant, but new flowers appear on it until the end of mid-autumn, especially if September and October are sunny.

Timing for sowing seeds for seedlings

It is optimal to sow gatsania seeds at the end of February or the very beginning of March. It's rocking early varieties. Late ones, which bloom in August, can be sown closer to mid-spring - March - April.

Sowing time depends on climatic features your area. If spring is cold and protracted, there is no need to rush with sowing - the sprouts will stretch and overripe before planting in the garden.

Vieo - Sow gatsania seeds

Before sowing, it is necessary to prepare the soil, boxes, seeds and lamps for artificial lighting. The sun-loving Gatsaniya needs it from the very moment she is born.

Growing seedlings

While the gatsaniya seedlings are growing up, there is little hassle with them. Immediately after mass germination, the shelter is removed and the temperature is reduced by two degrees. Since this happens in March or even February, 3-4 hours of additional lighting are organized daily. Optimally, two hours in the morning and evening to extend the daylight hours of the sprouts to 12 hours. On cloudy days, additional illumination is provided around the clock. At night, lamps should be turned off.

Gatsania needs a pick. Especially if the depth of the seed box is insufficient. They dive later than other flower seedlings, with the appearance of four leaves. Transplanted into deeper personal pots. Water and reduce the temperature by another two to four degrees, leaving the amount of light the same. Pickled gatsaniya seedlings are best formed when kept in a temperature range of +12°C...+16°C.

Planting in a flowerbed

Before planting, hardening will traditionally be required. Although an adult gazania can withstand a short-term drop in temperature to -7°, young seedlings do not have such abilities. Therefore, a few weeks before taking it out into the garden, you need to start hardening it, first opening the window, then taking it out onto the balcony or into the yard.

Planting of ready-made seedlings in the soil of the flower bed begins in mid-May. It's important to choose appropriate place- open to the sun, otherwise the flowers of the plant will be closed most of the time, and you won’t be able to admire them.

The soil should be nutritious and light. It is better if the soil is dry than wet and waterlogged.

Planting seedlings in the ground

You will have to plant it very carefully. The powerful tap root is difficult to damage, but besides it, gatsanii has many roots of the second and subsequent orders. If the main root extracts water from the depths for the plant, making it drought-resistant, then the small roots allow the gazania to breathe. Therefore, they should be minimally damaged during transplantation.

1. Wet the soil in a pot or box if you grew seedlings without picking.
2. Remove plants from pots without disturbing the plant.
3. Carefully remove each seedling from the boxes with all the soil adjacent to the roots using a long scoop.
4. Prepare holes in the loosened soil. Water it. The distance between them is 20 cm.
5. Lower the seedlings into the holes, sprinkle the voids with a mixture of peat and soil. Lightly crimp the surface near the root collar.
6. Water again. If there is a chance of frost, cover with plastic overnight.

Gatsaniya care

This culture is a real gift to the florist. She doesn’t ask for water, showing off withered leaves, doesn’t act up, and doesn’t get sick. If there is sun, gazania is good. But several conditions should be met to make the African guest more comfortable in our flower beds.

Care measures

Event	Description
Soil drainage	As already mentioned, gatsaniya does not like stagnant moisture
Moderate watering	Better rare, but deep. The plant will extract water from the lowest soil layers if necessary.
Weed removal	The nutritional area that we provide to the plant in the garden is already small. Why does he need to “share” food with weeds?
Loosening	After each watering, you need to loosen the soil at the roots to allow air to reach them.
Removing dried flowers	The procedure is mandatory not only to maintain the aesthetic appearance of the plant, but also for the rapid formation of new flower buds
Feeding	The soil must initially be highly fertile. But twice a season the gatsaniya will have to be fed with minerals. complex fertilizer in the amount of 25 g of granules per square meter. If the soil is poor, you need to feed every two weeks.

Possible problems with tackling

Usually gardeners have the least problems with this flower. But still, some, especially beginners, complain about the following troubles.

Gazania does not bloom

This can only happen for two reasons:

• the seedlings are still too young to bloom;
• the plant does not have enough sun.

In healthy specimens, flowering is active and difficult to miss. The plant blooms according to variety - from June to September. Flowers are formed in stages. The lifespan of each flower is about three weeks.

Gazania is sick

This is also an unlikely phenomenon - it is difficult to imagine a plant more resistant to diseases and pests. However, sometimes, if care is completely neglected, gazania can be affected by:

• gray rot;
• spider mite;
• aphids;
• snails (slugs).

Snails are collected by hand, without waiting until they destroy all the leaf mass. It is not very labor intensive and quite effective. If bugs, caterpillars and other pests collect on the foliage and bush of gatsaniya, the branches need to be shaken thoroughly so that the insects fall to the ground, from where they can then be collected (lay down a film or cloth).

It is good to use beer to catch snails and slugs. A deep vessel is filled halfway with this healthy and tasty drink and buried in the soil in places where slugs accumulate. Slugs, attracted by the intoxicating smell, “dive” into the beer, but cannot get out.

Actellik, Fitoverm and other drugs help against aphids and mites.

Gray mold can be destroyed by treating plants with phytosporin.

Collection of gatsania seeds

The seeds ripen after complete flowering for about two months. Usually the time remaining before the onset of cold weather is not enough for the seeds to ripen. But if you have a great desire to get your own seed, especially from beautiful double large-flowered varieties, you can try. You need to put a bag made of light, breathable fabric on one of the first flowers, after it dries. If you don’t do this, it’s easy to miss the moment when the seeds spill out of the box and scatter in the wind. Collected and dried seeds should be stored cool and for no more than two years.