Gazania (Gazania), or gazania - a perennial or annual flowering plant, common in the wild in Australia and South Africa and belonging to the Astrov family. The people call the flower "midday gold" or "African chamomile". Among more than four dozen species, as well as many varieties and varieties, gardeners can choose crops with a wide variety of colors and shades. The flowering palette is represented by two-color inflorescences of white, pink, lilac, yellow, orange, red and light brown tones.
Distinctive features of herbaceous plants are rosette leaves of a gray-green hue with a dense structure and light hairiness on the underside, a very short stem, single inflorescences - baskets up to 10 cm in diameter and fruits - achenes. The average height of perennials is from 20 to 30 cm. One crop can consist of 20-30 flowering baskets. The flowering period of each inflorescence lasts more than 20 days, and during the summer season you can admire the bright colors of gatsania from the beginning of June to almost the end of October.
Growing gatsania from seeds
Sowing gatsania seedlings
In order for the plant to fully develop and retain its decorative effect in more than one season, it is necessary to sow the seeds correctly and grow high-quality seedlings from them.
Sowing dates are set taking into account the climatic and weather conditions of the area. The most favorable time for sowing is from March 15 to April 15. Planting early in cooler climates will slow crop development, and late planting will begin much later.
Plants have a taproot system, so the planting boxes must be deep. The soil mixture needs a drained and lightweight, neutral composition.
Care for gatsania seedlings
Seeds are recommended to be sown staggered or chaotically, but rarely at a distance of about 2-3 cm from each other. After sowing, the seed is lightly pressed into the soil or sprinkled with a thin layer of sand. Immediately, the soil is moistened from the sprayer, after which the containers with the plantings are covered with glass or polyethylene and placed in a bright and warm room with a temperature of at least 20 degrees Celsius. Seedling care consists in daily ventilation and removal of condensation. If all conditions are met, the first shoots will appear in 10-15 days.
Picking and hardening of seedlings
Young plants with three full-fledged leaves are transplanted from a shallow planting tank into individual pots with a substrate consisting of equal parts of peat and humus. Seedlings do not need to dive from deep boxes.Further growth of seedlings is transferred to a cooler room with a temperature of 12 to 16 degrees Celsius (for example, to a glazed balcony or to an unheated loggia). Hardening is carried out in the daytime for several hours with an open window, but without cold drafts.
Planting gatsania in open ground
When to plant gatsaniya
The optimal and favorable time for planting seedlings in open ground is from May 15 to June 15. Planting earlier can lead to a host of problems with the development and growth of flowers.
The soil on the site should be light. Ordinary garden soil with a good nutrient base works well for young plants. The place should be open and sunny, as gatsania belongs to light-loving and drought-resistant crops. For her, direct sunlight is not at all dangerous. The more sunlight and heat the better.
How to plant gatsaniya
The transfer of plants from the planting box to the open ground is carried out with a long shovel together with an earthen clod. So that the fragile root system is not damaged, you need to act very carefully, and the seedlings in individual pots are left on the flower beds along with the pots. The distance between plantings is 20-25 cm.
90-100 days after sowing the seeds, gatsania seedlings will bloom en masse in an open flower garden or flower bed.
Gatsania care
"African chamomile" prefers to grow in bright sunlight, in a well-drained area and at high temperatures. Despite its tropical origin, the plant can withstand extreme temperature fluctuations. For example, a sudden cold snap to 5-7 degrees of frost will not affect the full life of flower crops.
Watering
Moderate watering is carried out daily only in the absence of rain for a long time. In other conditions, you can water the flowers 2-3 times a month with the obligatory subsequent loosening of the beds.
Pruning and maintaining the soil
Regular pruning of wilted buds will encourage the formation of many new buds. The soil needs constant weeding, but you can replace it with mulching. Mulch will not only almost completely eliminate the appearance of weeds, but also keep the soil moist for a longer time.
Top dressing and fertilizers
The amount of dressings and their frequency depend on the composition of the soil at the planting site. Poor and depleted soil and rocky garden areas should be fed regularly every 15 to 20 days. Flower beds with fertile soil can be fed with mineral fertilizers once every 30-40 days. For each square meter of land, you will need about 25 g of nutritious mineral fertilizer.
Gatsania after flowering
Seed collection
An individual feature of gatsania is that its ripe seeds, even with the weakest breeze, fly in different directions, like a dandelion. You can collect them if, at the end of flowering, cover the baskets with a small piece of gauze and tie it on a peduncle. Collecting seeds in our regions is possible only during long and hot summers. In the cool summer months and early autumn, the seeds do not have time to ripen.
Preparing for winter
Plants do not need shelter for the winter. In the fall, when the perennials finish flowering, the shoots are trimmed at the root.
Annual species of gatsania can also be tried to be preserved until the next season. With the arrival of autumn, it is necessary to dig up the strongest and strongest flowering plants, transplant them into wooden tubs or deep boxes and place them in a cool room with sufficiently bright lighting. The temperature for growing annuals is from 8 to 10 degrees Celsius. The main care consists in rare moderate watering, which should be carried out only after the topsoil has dried up by a few centimeters. With the arrival of spring, the shoots are cut in half and planted again in open ground.
Diseases and pests
Potential pests of gatsania are spider mites, aphids and snails. From snails, you can neutralize the site only by manual collection, and special chemicals will help get rid of the rest of the uninvited guests. "Inta-Vir", Akarin "," Fitoverm "- destroys aphids, and" Aktellik "," Ditox "and" Fufanon "- will perfectly cope with spider mites.
Gatsania is resistant to all fungal and infectious diseases and practically does not undergo diseases. The exception is significant violations of the rules of care and maintenance, which lead to the appearance of gray rot. At the first sign, it is recommended to remove all infected plants under the root, and all other plantings need to be urgently treated with Fitosporin.
The most common problem among growers when growing gatsania is the long absence of flowering. The reason for this behavior of flowers may lie in improper care or inappropriate conditions of detention. For timely and abundant flowering, it is recommended to strictly observe the rules and timing of transplanting, the frequency and abundance of watering, the rules for choosing a planting site and soil composition, as well as fertilizing.
Types and varieties of gatsania
The most popular species and varieties are Longnose, Shiny, Peacock, Potsi, Feather, Single-flowered, Snow White, Hybrid gatsania. Some hybrid varieties can bloom during the day, in contrast to the main species, in which flowers close at night or in the rain.
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