How to Propagate Blanket Flower? Detailed Guide to Seed Sowing and Cutting Methods

Blanket flower (Gaillardia) loves a hot, dry, sunny environment and has strong adaptability, but it does not tolerate acidic soil. Blanket flower is an excellent windbreak and sand-fixing plant, usually grown as an annual herbaceous plant, with a flowering period from July to October. Artificial propagation can be done by sowing seeds or taking cuttings.

Blanket flower

I. Propagation by Sowing

Sowing is usually done in summer. Sterilize the sowing substrate; the best method is to put it in a pot and heat it until hot, which will scald any pests or diseases to death. Soak the seeds in warm water (temperature similar to face-washing water) for 3-10 hours, until the seeds absorb water and swell up. For very common seeds that germinate easily, this step can be skipped. For tiny seeds that are hard to pick up with your hands or other tools, moisten one end of a toothpick with water and stick the seeds one by one onto the surface of the substrate, then cover with substrate 1 cm thick. Then place the sowing pot into water, with the water depth at 1/2-2/3 of the pot's height, letting the water slowly soak up from below. For larger seeds that can be picked up with your hands or other tools, place the seeds directly into the substrate and sow them at a spacing of 3 x 3 cm. After sowing, cover with substrate to a thickness of 2-3 times the seed size. After sowing, use a sprayer or a fine-hole watering can to moisten the sowing substrate. Later, when the pot soil is slightly dry, water again, but still be careful not to water too forcefully, to avoid washing the seeds away. Post-sowing management: After the seedlings emerge, promptly remove the plastic film, and let the seedlings receive sunlight before 9:30 AM each day, or after 3:30 PM, otherwise the seedlings will grow very weak and spindly. After most of the seeds have sprouted, appropriate thinning is needed: pull out the diseased and unhealthy seedlings, so that the remaining seedlings have some space between each other. When most of the seedlings have grown 3 or more leaves, they can be transplanted into pots.

II. Propagation by Cuttings

The stems used for cuttings are called cuttings (stem cuttings). Usually combined with pinching work, the sturdy, pest- and disease-free top shoots that are pinched off are used as cuttings, directly using the top shoots for rooting. After cutting, the following management points should be noted: Temperature: The optimal temperature for cutting rooting is 18°C-25°C. Below 18°C, the cuttings will root with difficulty and slowly; above 25°C, the cut ends of the cuttings are easily infected by pathogens and rot, and the higher the temperature, the greater the proportion of rot. When low temperatures are encountered after cutting, the main measure for keeping warm is to wrap the pot or container used for cutting with plastic film. When the temperature is too high after cutting, the main measure for cooling is to shade the cuttings, blocking 50-80% of sunlight, and at the same time, mist the cuttings 3-5 times a day. On sunny days with higher temperatures, mist more frequently; on cloudy and rainy days with lower temperatures and higher humidity, mist less or not at all.

Introduction to the Seed Propagation Method of Blanket Flower

Blanket flower is also known as tiger-skin chrysanthemum, tiger-skin flower, etc. Because blanket flower has very strong drought tolerance, it is an excellent windbreak and sand-fixing plant and is very suitable for planting in courtyards. The common propagation methods for blanket flower are sowing and cutting. The editor will introduce to you the sowing propagation method of blanket flower and the post-sowing care and management methods.

Blanket flower

1. Propagation by sowing: Sowing is usually done in summer. Sterilize the sowing substrate; the best method is to put it in a pot and heat it until hot, which will scald any pests or diseases to death. Soak the seeds in warm water (temperature similar to face-washing water) for 3-10 hours, until the seeds absorb water and swell up.

2. Post-sowing management: After the seedlings emerge, promptly remove the plastic film, and let the seedlings receive sunlight before 9:30 AM each day, or after 3:30 PM, otherwise the seedlings will grow very weak and spindly. After most of the seeds have sprouted, appropriate thinning is needed: pull out the diseased and unhealthy seedlings, so that the remaining seedlings have some space between each other. When most of the seedlings have grown 3 or more leaves, they can be transplanted into pots.

How to Propagate Blanket Flower, Blanket Flower Propagation Methods

How to propagate blanket flower? Blanket flower is an annual herbaceous plant, generally propagated by seed sowing and cutting methods. Because blanket flower is very beautiful in appearance, many flower lovers grow a few at home. In addition, blanket flower is also a very easy flowering plant to grow. Below, let's look at the seed sowing and cutting propagation methods for blanket flower.

Sowing is usually done in summer. Sterilize the sowing substrate; the best method is to put it in a pot and heat it until hot, which will scald any pests or diseases to death. Soak the seeds in warm water (temperature similar to face-washing water) for 3—10 hours, until the seeds absorb water and swell up. For very common seeds that germinate easily, this step can be skipped.

For tiny seeds that are hard to pick up with your hands or other tools, moisten one end of a toothpick with water and stick the seeds one by one onto the surface of the substrate, then cover with substrate 1 cm thick. Then place the sowing pot into water, with the water depth at 1/2—2/3 of the pot's height, letting the water slowly soak up from below.

For larger seeds that can be picked up with your hands or other tools, place the seeds directly into the substrate and sow them at a spacing of 3×3 cm. After sowing, cover with substrate to a thickness of 2—3 times the seed size. After sowing, use a sprayer or a fine-hole watering can to moisten the sowing substrate. Later, when the pot soil is slightly dry, water again, but still be careful not to water too forcefully, to avoid washing the seeds away.

After the seedlings emerge, promptly remove the plastic film, and let the seedlings receive sunlight before 9:30 AM each day, or after 3:30 PM, otherwise the seedlings will grow very weak and spindly. After most of the seeds have sprouted, appropriate thinning is needed. Pull out the diseased and unhealthy seedlings, so that the remaining seedlings have some space between each other. When most of the seedlings have grown 3 or more leaves, they can be transplanted into pots.

When potting the seedlings, first place a 2—3 cm thick layer of coarse-grained substrate or ceramic pellets at the bottom of the pot as a drainage layer, then sprinkle a layer of fully decomposed organic fertilizer on top as base fertilizer, about 1—2 cm thick, then cover with another layer of substrate about 1—2 cm thick, and then place the plant in, so as to separate the fertilizer from the roots and avoid burning the roots. The substrate used for potting can be chosen as garden soil: cinder = 3:1; or garden soil: medium-coarse river sand: sawdust (mushroom residue) = 4:1:2.

After potting, water thoroughly once, and place in a slightly shaded environment for one week of care. When transplanting seedlings, first dig the planting hole, sprinkle a layer of organic fertilizer at the bottom of the planting hole as base fertilizer, about 4—6 cm thick, then cover with a layer of soil and place the seedling in, so as to separate the fertilizer from the roots and avoid burning the roots. After placing the seedling in, backfill the soil to cover the roots, and firm the soil with your foot, then water thoroughly once.

The stems used for cuttings are called cuttings (stem cuttings). Usually combined with pinching work, the sturdy, pest- and disease-free top shoots that are pinched off are used as cuttings, directly using the top shoots for rooting. The optimal temperature for cutting rooting is 18°C—25°C. Below 18°C, the cuttings will root with difficulty and slowly. Above 25°C, the cut ends of the cuttings are easily infected by pathogens and rot, and the higher the temperature, the greater the proportion of rot.

When low temperatures are encountered after cutting, the main measure for keeping warm is to wrap the pot or container used for cutting with plastic film. When the temperature is too high after cutting, the main measure for cooling is to shade the cuttings, blocking 50—80% of sunlight, and at the same time, mist the cuttings 3—5 times a day. On sunny days with higher temperatures, mist more frequently; on cloudy and rainy days with lower temperatures and higher humidity, mist less or not at all.