Flowers gazania: pictures and description, planting and care

By color gazania, you can check the time as they are revealed at noon. For this they called “midday sun”. The plant is not only bright appearance, but also the simplicity of maintenance. The flower is a real decoration of gardens, parks, balconies. How did he get in European countries?

Places of distribution of flower

The Home of flowers, is a distant Mozambique, in Africa. It is there that he first saw the Europeans. Plants grow also in Tanzania, South Africa, in the forests of South America, in the coastal dunes of Australia. Europe began to grow gazania from the mid-seventeenth century. Until now, these flowers remain popular among gardeners and florists.

In Russia, the flower has taken root quickly. It is often called "African Daisy". The plant is especially widely spread in the steppe regions of the middle band. This is due to the hot and Sunny summer, which is so like gazania.

Description of the plant

Flowers are perennial representatives of the family Asteraceae. Although among the variety of types of meeting and annual copies.

The Description of the flower gazania

• Low herbaceous shrub;
• Height to 30 cm;
• Stalk either absent or very short;
• Basal leaves collected in the socket;
• Peduncles short;
• The leaves are rather compact, dark green colors;
• The leaves have many silver hairs;
• Inflorescence presented in the form of a basket with a diameter of 9 cm;
• The fruit has the appearance of brushed achene, similar to a dandelion seed.

Only one plant is up to thirty buds. They follow each other, so the flowering process continues for several months. Enjoy their beauty for a long time.

Varieties

There are about fifty species of "African Daisy". First of all, they differ in the colour of inflorescences.

Popular:

• Brilliant gazania-flower, a photo of which is striking variegated colors of the petals in two rows. They are painted in red and black, orange, and yellow interspersed with white and black spots.
• Patsy – color of the petals is similar to a shiny gazania, but the size of the inflorescence more – eleven inches.
• Donnastella – flower refers to annual crops. Its height to twenty centimeters. Flowers - baskets of yellow tones with a brown base.
• Peacock – the basket has a pink and white long and narrow petals, dark at the base.
• Hybrid – is the result of crossing donotremove and shiny types. The resulting plants are more resistant to the external environment and disease. Different varieties are distinguished by coloration of the buds. They come in white, pink, orange with the addition of other colors.

All of these types of blossoms are open day and closed at night. Although bred varieties whose flowers don't hide at night. Many gardeners are hesitant to engage in the cultivation of these plants due to the fact that they do not tolerate cold winters. But to solve the problem is not so difficult. The beauty of the flowers deserve. Where do I start?

Growing from seed

Before you start farming, you need to get the seeds. They can be purchased or you can collect yourself. They are quite small and can fly out of the box on their parachuting, so there are tricks in this case. Growers usually tie around baskets of faded gauze bag. It and get the seeds. Then you don't have to check baskets daily. The collected seeds can be stored up to two years, while retaining its ability to germinate. How does planting flowers gazania?

To obtain flowering plants, you must plant the seeds for three to four months. To do this, each grain is placed in the ground. It should be light and nutritious. The distance between them should be three centimeters. On top they sprinkle a small layer of soil, sprinkled with water, covered with a transparent film.

Capacity should be put in a bright place where the temperature is +20 °C. the Seedlings need regular airing. The first seedlings will appear in seven to fifteen days. After the four first leaves the temperature of the air it is better to reduce to 4 °C, Then the plants are more actively will go to growth.

Transplanting

Flowers gazania planted in the open ground until may. To the root system remained in the integrity, is to grow seedlings in peat pots.

The Flowers are very fond of wide open spaces that are well illuminated by the sun. The soil should be light, nutritious. You can not worry about scorching the sun's rays. "African Daisy" is not afraid of them, she tolerates drought. But excessive moisture and shade she loves, which is why it should not be planted close to trees with large crown. It will create a lot of shadows, and the water will stagnate in the ground.

Propagation by cuttings

Flower gazania, planting and care of which is described, can reproduce by cuttings. Cut them in July with a sharp knife. Part of the stem should be with promenade. Its length-about ten inches. Remove the bottom sheet, and the cut to process "Carnevino".

The cuttings planted in pots with soil. They are watered and covered with a transparent film. The formation of spine is a month. It is then possible to transplant. But the onset of cold weather, place the gazania in a pot and put it in a well illuminated room. Most importantly, to avoid drafts, who do not like even the plants Mature. Landing in open ground can be held in the spring.

Particular care

Growing flowers gazania will not bring much trouble, but the joy of awareness that his hands managed to achieve such fantastic beauty, will be many.

The Basic rules for the care of a plant:

• Loosen the earth is regularly that the roots are filled with oxygen.
• It is best to remove Weeds so they do not take nutrients from the soil and not hide sunlight, which is needed gazania.
• Withered blossoms it's worth the time to clean, so as not to spoil the overall look.
• Mulching the soil will help to retain moisture during a severe drought. If you fill the soil around the flower with sawdust or other mulch, the weeds won't bother you again. It is also a good option in the prevention of slugs.
• Fertilizing depends on soil quality. Usually requires watering with a solution of mineral fertilizers one to two times per month. It is important not to overdo with the amount of dressing so that the flowers are not reduced in size.

Do Not over-watered "African Daisy". Its root system can rot. Should take care of the drainage system. So, before planting in open ground need under a layer of soil to pour the expanded clay or gravel. Then the excess water will be free to go.

With good care, flowering may continue until the frost. If the plants is expected to grow as annual crops, then after flowering, they should just be disposed of. However, you can keep long view for next year. There will be no need again to plant seeds and seedlings to deal with.

Care of the flower in winter

Flower gazania, care for which are not difficult, may not survive winter frosts. That is why many gardeners grow it in pots. Then the capacity of the plant is transferred into the house or greenhouse. The main thing that the temperature did not fall below +10 °C.

If a perennial plant grown in the open ground, dug out and placed in a container with soil. Before that in the tank you should make a drainage hole and fill it in a concrete block. The plant needed to provide good coverage. If natural light is not enough, have to take care of artificial. But abundant watering is strictly forbidden to gazania died.

Return to the open ground

What else implies care flower gazania photo which you can see in the article? In open ground it is better to stand in the middle of spring. Then you don't have to be afraid of strong frosts. The planting hole can be about twenty inches. The soil should be moist, but without overflow.

At the bottom is to put clay and a mixture of sand and peat. You can also add mineral supplements of any origin.

Gazania to gently pull out from the pot together with a clod of earth. In order not to disturb the root system, before you pull the plant from the container, you should water it on the edge. The water will soften the ground, and it is easier to depart from the walls of the pot.

Flowers should be planted from each other at a distance of thirty centimeters. Water them after planting, should not, better to wait three days.

Pests and diseases

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Alin Trodden - author of the article, editor
"Hi, I'm Alin Trodden. I write texts, read books, and look for impressions. And I'm not bad at telling you about it. I am always happy to participate in interesting projects."