How to Grow Gazania? Detailed Guide to Planting Methods and Precautions
Speaking of gazania, quite a few people may not know much about it. Gazania is also called treasure flower or African sun flower, and it is a type of plant in the Asteraceae family. The flowers of gazania are very beautiful and lovely, with rich colors, commonly including white, yellow, red and so on, and they are deeply loved by everyone. So how should gazania be planted and cared for? Let us learn about it together below!
How to Grow Gazania
1. Planting: Potted gazania commonly uses a 12-15 cm pot, and the potting soil can be a substrate mixed with equal parts leaf mold, barnyard manure soil and coarse sand. When the seedlings grow to 4-5 leaves, they can be potted up.
2. Watering: Keep the soil moderately moist during the growth period.
3. Temperature and light: Under conditions of sufficient light and suitable temperature, it can bloom continuously. If you do not keep seeds, promptly cut off the spent flowers after they fade, which helps form more flower buds and produce more blooms.
4. Fertilizing: Fertilize about once every half month. You can use Huiyou 15-15-30 special fertilizer for potted flowers or decomposed cake fertilizer water.
5. Pest and disease control: Leaf spot disease is common, and it can be sprayed with a 1000-fold dilution of 25% carbendazim wettable powder. Pests include red spiders and aphids. For aphids, spray with a 1000-fold dilution of 2.5% rotenone emulsifiable concentrate, and for red spiders, spray with a 1500-fold dilution of 40% omethoate emulsifiable concentrate.
Gazania Planting Methods and Precautions
1. Sowing
If gazania is raised in spring, it takes about three months from sowing to flowering. Find a patch of empty land, use the broadcast sowing method, scatter the seeds in, then cover with 0.8 cm of fine soil on top. It is best to keep the ambient temperature at around 20 degrees. Spray water appropriately. About three days after sowing, the seeds can sprout.
2. Transplanting seedlings
When the small seedlings grow new tender leaves, transplant the seedlings. At first, it is recommended to choose a smaller container for growing them. During the seedling stage, the temperature is best at 15 to 20 degrees, and the humidity should not be too high. Place the pot in a well-ventilated spot with sufficient light to help the plant grow quickly.
3. Fertilizing
After germination is basically complete, the main root will extend rapidly and true leaves will begin to grow. At this time, control soil moisture so it is not too high. Watering should be done with a small amount after the surface soil dries. Fertilize with a compound fertilizer whose main content is calcium to protect the seedlings. You can also supplement energy by adding nutrients. At this time, control the light duration. When the main root of gazania reaches 4 to 5 cm in length, pay attention to humidity control, changing it in a 24-hour cycle, which helps control growth. At this stage, ensure fertilizing 1 to 2 times per week, mainly with nitrogen fertilizer, and the fertilizer concentration should also be increased accordingly, because growth is relatively fast at this stage and nutrient consumption is greater.
4. Precautions
Do not water too much. Whether they are small seedlings, larger seedlings, or adult flowering plants, remember not to be too eager and keep watering all the time. Gazania does not tolerate waterlogging! Does not tolerate waterlogging! Does not tolerate waterlogging! Important things should be said three times!
When Does Gazania Bloom
I believe many people must be impatient to see the beautiful and unusual flowers they produce. In fact, like other flowers, they can only bloom during their flowering period. Generally, their flowering time is around April to June, and at this time we can feast our eyes.
Growing Environment
1. Light: Gazania likes sunlight and prefers growing in cooler places. It is drought-tolerant and tolerant of poor soil; it is semi-hardy, so it can successfully overwinter in areas with milder winters. Sufficient sunlight is needed during growth and flowering. If the cultivation site has insufficient light, the leaves become soft, flower buds decrease, flowers become smaller, and flower color fades. On the contrary, with sufficient sunlight, the flower color is vivid and blooming is continuous.
2. Temperature: The suitable growing temperature for gazania is 15-20°C, from March to September it is 13-24°C, and from September to the following March it is 7-13°C. However, gazania has strong adaptability to high temperatures above 30°C, with slower leaf growth and reduced flowering. In winter, the temperature should not be lower than 5°C, but it can withstand a short period of 0°C low temperature; if it lasts a long time, frost damage easily occurs.
3. Water: Gazania is relatively sensitive to water. Although the soil needs to be moist during the stem and leaf growth period, if the soil has too much water during the plum rain season, the plant is prone to waterlogging and the whole plant may die. At the same time, during high summer temperatures, air humidity should not be too high, and the potting soil should not accumulate water, otherwise it is unfavorable to the growth and flowering of gazania.
4. Soil: Choose fertile, loose and well-drained sandy loam soil. For potting soil, a mixed soil of equal parts culture soil, leaf mold and coarse sand can be used.
Through the above content, I believe everyone has a deeper understanding of gazania. Gazania is small and exquisite. If you grow one or two pots of gazania on a home balcony, it is definitely a beautiful scenery! Friends who like it should plant it quickly!