Gaillardia belongs to the Astrov family and is also known as Gaillardia or Gaillardia. The plant is named after the scientist and philanthropist Gaillard de Charentono, who patronizes the development of botany.
This bright, cheerful flower with golden petals and a red core, repeating the shape of a chamomile, was brought to us from the central and southern parts of America, where it still grows.
Gaillardia is a perennial plant with powerful horizontal roots and straight branching herbaceous stems that form a bush. On the shoots are elongated, lanceolate, with a jagged edge, leaves. Flowers are collected in an inflorescence basket with one or more rows of large ligulate marginal petals and are painted in bright yellow-red tones. The flowers are odorless.
Gaillardia is distinguished by long flowering. It looks very impressive and harmonious in combination with other flowering and deciduous plants, unpretentious and therefore widely used for decorative purposes. Some species are grown for cutting.
Growing Gaillardia outdoors
Sowing seeds for seedlings
In February or March, sowing is carried out in containers filled with moist soil. Seeds are spread over the soil surface, sprinkled with earth on top. The container is placed in the light at room temperature and covered with foil.
Growing Gaillardia seedlings
After a week, maximum two, seedlings will appear. Once this happens, the container is moved to a cooler place. When 3 leaves appear, the seedlings are dived into separate containers, watered moderately and provided with light for at least 14 hours a day. At the end of May, plants are planted in flower beds.
Landing in the ground
Gaillardia loves dry, open and light areas with nutritious soil. Before planting, organic matter is added to the soil in a mixture with a small amount (maximum 40 grams per bucket of water) of mineral fertilizers.
Young plants are placed in holes dug every 30–40 cm. To obtain dense plantings, several (2–4) seedlings are placed in one hole. The planted plants are watered abundantly.
Some growers practice spring sowing Gaillardia on a growing bed, with a planting depth of up to 1 cm.In August, young plants are transplanted into flower beds, observing an interval of 20 cm.About a dozen new leaves will appear on them by the end of summer. Flowering will come next season.
Outdoor care for Gaillardia flowers
Watering and feeding
Gaillardia is unpretentious, its cultivation does not require much effort and attention from you. The plant is drought-resistant and does not need additional watering. The only exception is dry summers.
Feeding Gaillardia is extremely necessary, and repeated:
- The first time the plant is "fed" at the very beginning of flowering.
- The second is at the height of flowering: late July, early August.
- The third - after flowering: at the end of September, October.
Important! Feeding Gaillardia is carried out only with mineral fertilizers, it does not tolerate organic matter.
In addition to feeding, Gaillardia needs traditional plant care measures:
- Weeding.
- Loosening the soil.
- Cutting off thriving buds (during the entire flowering period).
- Autumn pruning of peduncles.
- Garter to the support (in the case of growing tall varieties).
Wintering Gaillardia
The plant winters well. Adult forms do not require additional shelter, but it is advisable to remove all peduncles a month before the cold weather. Shoots of first-year plants in the fall are cut off and sprinkled with fallen leaves. In areas with frosty winters, it is better to cover two-year-old plants.
Diseases and pests
In case of waterlogging (excessive watering, prolonged cloudy damp weather), Gaillardia may be affected by fungi: gray rot, white rust, powdery mildew... In order to prevent the appearance of diseases, it is recommended to avoid overflow.
When the first signs of damage appear, the plant is treated with a solution of potassium permanganate (2.5 g per bucket). In the case of a large lesion, treatment is carried out with fungicides (Hom, Oxyhom, Topaz, Skor) or the affected shoots are removed.
Reproduction of Gaillardia
Seed propagation
Only annuals are propagated by seeds. They can be purchased at the store, or you can assemble them yourself. When self-collecting, it is worth considering that the varietal characteristics of the parental forms are not always preserved.
Reproduction by dividing the bush
Carried out in spring or autumn, after the complete cessation of flowering. For division, a strong and well-grown bush is chosen. It is dug up and divided into parts (no more than three). Each part must have roots. Delenki are placed in a new place.
Bushes of perennial Gaillardia varieties require rejuvenation. For this purpose, they are transplanted using the division of the bush, every 4-5 years.
Propagation by cuttings
Gaillardia can be propagated by root cuttings. To do this, in the spring, the bush is dug in in order to select a thick healthy root. It is cut out and divided into several parts, 5–7 cm each. Parts of the rhizome are rooted in a greenhouse.
As you can see, the plant reproduces easily and easily. With minimal maintenance, it will give you a bright and exuberant bloom throughout the summer.
Popular types and varieties of Gaillardia
About 25 varieties of Gaillardia are known, but more often than others are cultivated: spinous Gaillardia, beautiful Gaillardia and hybrid Gaillardia.
Gaillardia spinous or large-flowered
Perennial with erect and high (up to 75 cm) shoots covered with dense pubescence. Shoots need support and a garter, otherwise the bush literally "spreads" to the sides.
On the shoots there are lanceolate leaves and bright inflorescences of yellow, orange or red shades. The middle of the inflorescence is formed by tubular petals of dark red color. The bases of the edge petals have the same shade. Their tips are colored yellow.
Popular varieties of spinous Gaillardia
- Mandarin: Derived its name from the bright orange color of its lush terry buds.
- Wirral flame is distinguished by a ruby middle of the inflorescence with a sharp color transition to yellow-orange on the edge petals.
- Dazze: The bases of its petals are painted in bright shades of red, and the edges are sandy.
- Croftwav Yellow with monochromatic, bright yellow, like the sun, inflorescences.
Gaillardia hybrid
A hybrid whose parental forms are spinous and beautiful Gaillardia. The plant has high, up to 80 cm, shoots. Leaves are lanceolate, with slight pubescence.
The flowers are large, semi-double or double, painted in yellow, orange, red and brown shades. Hybrids of this variety bloom for a month and a half.
The main varieties of hybrid Gaillardia
- "Bremen" unites tall, up to 70 cm, shoots, crowned with bright wine-colored baskets.The marginal petals have a crimson border.
- Shoots of the Burgundy variety are slightly higher than half a meter and bear very beautiful monochromatic inflorescences of a bright wine color.
- "Zone" has the same height as "Burgundy", but the baskets of its inflorescences are two-colored: they are painted in light and dark golden-red colors.
- "Kobold": its straight and branched shoots do not exceed half a meter in height. The inflorescences are large, with a middle formed by tubular petals of yellow and purple tones. Marginal petals are yellow. Their tops are colored red.
- The new variety "Golden Goblin" is perennial and has low-growing shoots topped with monochromatic golden inflorescences. It has a long flowering and is perfect for decorating rock gardens.
- Another novelty is the Tokajer variety: a tall, bushy perennial with bright orange flower baskets that perfectly fit in a bouquet.
By selection, varieties have been obtained for decorating borders and growing in flowerpots and pots:
- Variety "Prima Vera": combines undersized (up to 25 cm) and compact bushes of plants with a large number of inflorescences.
- Plants of the "Arizona Sun" variety are dwarfs: their height does not exceed 20 cm. The variety is distinguished by long, abundant flowering, flaunting with reddish-orange baskets.
Gaillardia is beautiful
A wild annual found in Mexico (Arizona). It is a spreading (up to half a meter) bush with a large number of large inflorescences. The plant blooms profusely all summer, forming bright baskets of inflorescences with a bright yellow center and purple marginal reed petals.
Flowering ends with the formation of fruits: achenes with a tuft. The seeds have good germination and ensure self-reproduction of the plant.
On the basis of this species, cultivated hybrids were obtained, differing in color and structure of the flower. In decorative floriculture, the most popular are:
- Variety "Pikta". In translation, the name of the variety means "painted". It is distinguished by one or two-color inflorescences (pomegranate shades) and terry.
- Plants of the "Lorenza" variety have spherical inflorescences formed by tubular, sometimes funnel-shaped, with a sharp limb, petals, painted in yellow and crimson colors.
- Variety "Red Plume" with double terracotta flowers.
- Yellow Plume, outwardly similar to Red Plume, but has yellow globular inflorescences.
Gaillardia obtuse and lanceolate
- Gaillardia obtuse: a tall annual with grayish-green elongated leaves and reddish-brown inflorescences.
- Gaillardia lanceolate: perennial, just over half a meter in height. Its branched stem is dotted with lanceolate leaves with dissected edges. The inflorescences are of medium size and are colored yellow or red.
