Gazania rigens Mix

Gazania rigens - Mix

Gazanias are among the most rewarding annual flowers. Their home is South Africa, where we can find up to twenty-five species. They form a ground-level rosette of lobed leaves. These are most commonly glossy dark green on the upper side and felted, silvery-white on the underside. The flowers are large on longer stems. Gazanias bloom from July to August. The flowers are quite large, up to 12 cm, and can bear white, orange, yellow, or pink colors. They are highly decorative.

Gazanias are well suited for mixed plantings, for example in combination with lobelias, garden dahlias, brachycome, or Cape daisies, or with American ragwort.

How to Grow Gazanias

• They need full sun and can even withstand heat waves. Without sufficient sunlight, the flowers won't open. They require moderate watering, rather light when growing in containers. Watch out for overwatering! The plants are tolerant of poorer and dry soil and insufficient watering. Remove spent flowers - the plant will bloom repeatedly. Always water plants in the morning so the leaves can dry during the day. This prevents the spread of fungal diseases on the leaves.

• Sow seeds in March in a hotbed. They will germinate in one to ten days. Classic potting substrate is suitable. Keep seedlings at a temperature of 18°C.

• An airy substrate with pH 5.5 to 6.5 that is rich in nutrients is suitable. When growing in containers, a drainage layer is essential.

• Apply fertilizer through watering - universal NPK fertilizers or fertilizers for flowering plants are suitable. Another option is to work in quality, well-decomposed compost when hoeing.

• In overly humid conditions, plants rot, suffer from diseases, and bloom very poorly. The most common diseases include powdery mildew and root rot.