When you are passionate about flowers, your plant family will always be ready to welcome another irresistible member. The truth is that the Gazania is an essential item in any collector’s garden. Many people like it not only for its charming look, but also for its casual style. Learn how to propagate, cultivate Gazania and its care.
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Basic facts about Gazania
Gazania plants belong to the large and well-known Asteraceae family. They share this family with daisies, sunflowers and asters.
They are tender, warm-climate perennials that can reach 15 to 25 cm in height and up to 25 cm in width. In cooler regions, gardeners often grow these plants as annuals.
There are two main types of gazania flowers: trailing and clumping. Although both types reach the same size, thatched gazanias spread faster by means of slender, pendulous stems.
In warm conditions, Gazania plants bloom sporadically from late spring to early summer. In areas with mild winters, they produce flowers intermittently in the rest of the seasons.
Where to Grow Gazania
When it comes to lighting, gazania plants do well where they can get plenty of sunlight on a daily basis.
In general, they grow best as perennials in hot, dry climates. These plants prefer areas with average to warm temperatures throughout the year. In areas with cooler temperatures, they will do well if you grow them as annuals.
Soil-wise, both outdoors and indoors, the gazania adapts well to a wide range of soils and growing conditions. However, they tend to work best in sandy soils that have excellent drainage.
If you want to grow gazania in a pot, plant it in a container that has drainage holes in the bottom and is about 10 liters in size.
Gazania plants adapt very well to overwintering and tolerate temperatures of about 5°C below zero. But if you live in an area with a cooler climate, you can transplant them into pots and bring them indoors until next spring. In late fall, dig up flowering plants and plant them in pots filled with fresh soil.
Its flowers, however, won’t last long indoors. You should keep them in a sunny window and water them when the top layer of soil seems dry.
How to propagate Gazania
Grow gazania from seed
Plant gazania seeds indoors in mid to late spring, after the soil has warmed, about 10 weeks before the last frost in your area.
Place two or three seeds per pot to ensure success, bury them no more than 1 cm deep, cover them with soil and water with a sprayer so as not to displace the seeds from their place.
Leave the pot in the sun and try to water a little every day, once they start to sprout you can reduce the watering. When the plant reaches 5 cm in height, you can transplant it to its final location.
You can also scatter the seeds directly in your garden when all danger of frost has passed.
Propagate by cuttings (stems)
You can easily propagate a gazania through cuttings (stems), regardless of your experience in the gardening world.
In the fall or spring, be sure to take cuttings from the area where the new growth is appearing. Each cutting should contain three to five shoots to develop properly and measure about 5 cm.
Remove the bottom leaves and make a cross cut at the base of the stem, this helps the roots to develop.
Once you have your cuttings, plant them in containers filled with suitable potting soil 1cm deep and water thoroughly. Place one per pot to facilitate transplanting later.
Keep Gazania cuttings indoors in a well-lit area. Also, provide them with water whenever the soil feels dry to the touch. With proper care, the cuttings will develop a healthy root system in a relatively short time.
When the last danger of frost has passed, you can transplant the little gazanias into the garden or into their own pots.
Gazania treatment
Pass
In their natural habitat, they grow in infertile soils. These plants are very independent by nature. They don’t need compost applications or supplemental fertilization to thrive, so you can forget about fertilizers forever.
Irrigation
Due to their leathery, semi-succulent foliage, Gazania plants are fairly drought tolerant over long periods of time. These plants are great for any type of plant lover, especially beginners or those with a forgetful mind.
Keep in mind that it is always better to submerge these beauties rather than providing them with more water than necessary. Overwatering can lead to root rot and will also increase the risk of fungal diseases.
To avoid this situation, be sure to always check the soil between waterings. When the growing medium is completely dry, this is the perfect time to treat your Gazania plants with a deep soak.
Plagues and diseases
In terms of pests and diseases, gazania plants generally have no problems under the right conditions. However, if these flowers overwinter indoors, they should be inspected regularly for intruders such as aphids and scale insects.
Scale insects feed on the leaves of Gazania plants and are usually easy to spot. If you notice anything suspicious on your plants, pick up the intruders immediately to prevent further spread. You can also remove the infected parts of your beloved flowers and apply neem oil to the foliage.
Sap-sucking aphids appear in colonies and are very easily distinguished by their yellow to orange color. In case of an infestation, spray or wash the leaves of your plants with a mixture of dish soap and water. For severe cases, be sure to apply suitable organic insecticides or pesticides.
In conclusion
Unlike other species of flowering plants, gazanias do not demand much from their owners. As long as you provide for their basic needs, these flowers will be with you for a long time, especially in hot weather.
In addition to lots of love, gazania plants thrive in lots of sun, warm temperatures, well-drained soil, and little watering.
It may also be interesting to read: Methods of propagating the African violet from a leaf.
And if you live in an area with colder climates, don’t worry! You can grow gazania as an annual or easily propagate it to take advantage of its unique bloom the following year.
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