The easy-care Gazania only opens its flowers in the course of the morning when the sun is shining, which is why its German name "Mittagsgold" is not wrong. It is relatively easy to grow from cuttings or sow.

Gazania are planted out at the end of April at the earliest

Are there different types of Gazania?

There are about 25 to 30 species of Gazania worldwide. Many varieties are golden yellow with reddish or maroon markings. But there are also white, pink and red ray flowers, usually with a ring-shaped drawing in the middle. They can reach a diameter of up to 10 cm. The commercially available hybrids are mostly sold as annual summer flowers.

Can I use seeds collected from my own plants?

There are hybrids of numerous plant species in a wide variety of colors, but these are often not capable of reproduction. Either they do not form seeds or they germinate very poorly. In addition, the seeds are not of the same type or colour. So you never know what will come out of the cultivation. Most Gazania in the trade are such hybrids. For this reason, you should rather buy seeds than collect them.

Can I propagate Gazania from cuttings?

Gazania can also be propagated by cuttings. This is practically the only way to get offspring from your own plants. Take the cuttings in late summer. It is best to plant the cuttings in pots straight away so that you can take them to a frost-free winter quarters for overwintering, because Gazania are not hardy here.

Choose a few strong shoots about 10 to 15 cm long and remove the lower leaves. Then put the shoots in the growing substrate and keep it slightly moist. If the substrate is too wet, the cuttings will quickly begin to rot instead of rooting. As with sowing, a pleasant temperature should also prevail here, because in general the Gazania prefers warmth. In the spring, the young plants then have to be slowly accustomed to colder temperatures.

What do I have to consider when sowing?

So that your Gazania can bloom in time in June, start sowing early. From February to April, scatter the seeds on a special growing substrate or a mixture of potting soil and sand.

As they germinate in the light, these seeds should not be covered with soil, but should always be kept slightly moist during the germination period. Place the culture vessel in a bright place. Also make sure that the temperature is evenly between 18 - 20 °C, then the first seedlings will appear after about 15 days.

In a mini greenhouse or under a transparent film, you can more easily keep the humidity and temperature at an evenly high level. Air your seeds once a day to prevent mold from forming. Once all the seeds have germinated you can remove the foil.

Plant out young Gazania

From the end of April or May, depending on the weather, you can get your young Gazania accustomed to the fresh air and put them outside during the day. It should be relatively warm and sunny. Never leave your Gazania in the rain. Bring the plants back into the apartment or house overnight. Only after the ice saints may the midday gold be planted in the garden and on the balcony.

The individual steps in sowing:

  • Mix potting soil with sand
  • Pour the mixture into a culture vessel
  • sprinkle seeds
  • do not cover with soil
  • moisten slightly
  • place in a mini greenhouse or cover with clear film
  • put in a bright place
  • keep slightly moist
  • Keep temperature at 18 - 20 °C
  • air briefly every day
  • Germination time approx. 15 days
  • transplant with four to six leaves

tips

If you would like to breed your own Gazania, then propagate it by cuttings. This is the only way to get plants that correspond to the original plant in terms of growth habit, size and flower color.

Category:

Vegetable garden