How to grow Gatsania from seeds at home

2024 Author: James Gerald | [email protected]. Last modified: 2024-01-12 17:37

The article discusses how and when to sow gatsaniya, how to grow it from seeds at home, as well as the rules of care and pest control.

Secrets of growing gatsania seedlings

Gatsania is a little-known name for an ornamental flower, which in everyday life is often referred to as the African chamomile or the midday sun. In the photo, it is difficult to confuse it with other plants, its unique yellow-red-orange gamut is striking in personal plots, in front gardens, as well as in decorative flower beds.

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There are some peculiarities in the difficult decision of how and when to plant flowers with large baskets, depending on the variety. But with some experience, easily acquired in the process of growing gatsania from seeds at home, it does not pose any particular difficulties.

The timing of planting gatsania depends on many components, for example, the subject of preference belongs to annuals or perennials. More often, due to the peculiarities of the temperate climate, the cultivation of an annual plant is practiced.

But with due diligence and specific care, you can get on your site and perennial of the selected variety, the location of the plantings, decorative functions, and even from the soil used. How and when to sow is determined quite accurately, taking into account the peculiarities of the climate, favorable days according to the lunar calendar and forecasts of meteorologists for the long term.

The cultivation of gatsania, which comes from a hot climate, planting seeds directly into open soil in temperate climates is rarely practiced - then the plant can bloom only in the next season. If you want African chamomile to please the eye already in this, and the flowers at the same time were large enough, in Russia, at home, they practice growing from seeds for seedlings, followed by planting in open ground.

There are some secrets of this process that fans of an ornamental plant are willingly sharing:

1. Despite the fact that from the moment the first sprouts appear, it usually takes about 90 days to the moment of flowering, seedling cultivation from seeds is certainly planned taking into account the time for their processing and the emergence of seedlings. It will take about a week for the flowers to hatch from the ground.
2. How and when to sow is decided taking into account favorable days according to the lunar calendar (in case of time trouble, as a last resort, you can use neutral days for planting in the growing phase).
3. At home, it is easier to be guided by the approximate planting dates according to your own observations and according to the long-term calendar. How and when to sow is determined in such a way that the seedlings do not stagnate, but they are not immature, when the air and soil are warmed up to the required limits, and the threat of late frosts has finally passed. Each amateur florist can independently calculate this period at home, knowing that more than 3 months must pass before flowering.
4. Gatsania, as an exotic plant, was not initially adapted to temperate climates, but the efforts of breeders have led to the emergence of varieties with useful features. Therefore, growing from seeds is of no small importance, taking into account varietal instructions, usually indicated on bright sachets by the manufacturer.

Gatsaniya at home requires not only knowledge of the timing of disembarkation, but also the observance of correct agricultural techniques. Soil, light, watering, hardening sprouts, processing seedlings and feeding, proper transplanting into open ground - these are the few components that every flower lover should take into account.

It takes a lot of effort to get a beautiful flower bed, front garden, or garden plot with landscaping, but all of them are more than compensated for by a beautiful view of the plantings.

Landing dates

In special sources, you can find the name of gazania or gatsania, but the indicated terms do not change from this. How and when to sow in 2020 is recommended to be determined by the climatic conditions of the region and by the lunar calendar.

Dates can vary from mid-February to mid-April, and if the flower is grown entirely in greenhouse conditions, you can navigate by the favorable days indicated in the lunar diary for the gardener. There is also a separate sowing calendar for flower growers.

You can sow gatsaniya in 2020 for seedlings:

• in February - 2-3, 6-7, 24-25;
• in March - 2-3, 27-28, 30-31;
• in April - 1-2, 6-7, 24, 28-29.

Those florists who have other concerns (work, children) believe that the timing of how and when to start the seedling cultivation of African chamomile from seeds can be varied, using neutral days for planting. Especially if it happens at home. The main thing is to avoid this activity in every possible way on the full moon and on the new moon and on nearby days.

How to plant

Growing from seeds for seedlings is recommended to be carried out in separate containers, for example, in peat pots, plastic cups. This allows you not to practice picking seedlings at home.

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Many growers refused to carry out this process, considering it traumatic for the plants. In this case, the recommendations on how to sow are also based on the peculiarities of gatsaniya - the long roots of the plant, intertwining in a common container, make it difficult to transplant into open soil.

Seed preparation

Large seeds are germinated before planting, laid out on wet sphagnum, placed in a transparent container, and transferred to containers when there are already roots and 2 tiny leaves. Cotton wool can also be used for this purpose, but not very desirable.

Preparation of soil and containers

If a peat pot is used, the germinated seed is simply transferred to the purchased container. With self-preparation, you can simply take soil for cacti in a flower shop, but a hole is made in a plastic cup, and small expanded clay is necessarily placed on the bottom.

Sowing seeds for seedlings

Sprouted seeds are planted step by step. First, a seedling container is prepared (the simplest process is to purchase ready-made ones), then a shallow hole is made in wet soil, into which the root is carefully moved from the moss, trying not to damage the leaves. Only the root part is sprinkled, the leaves are left outside.

Seedling care at home

There are no particular difficulties in this process, the main thing is to provide additional illumination in low light levels. It is definitely needed in late winter and early spring, while the days are still short. In addition, to obtain high-quality seedlings, it is necessary to maintain a low temperature - no more than +18.

To create the necessary conditions, cups with gatsania are placed on the north or north-west window, insulated balcony, and covered with a plastic bottle on top, the bottom of which is cut off. You also need a two-time feeding with seedlings.

Planting gatsania seeds directly into the ground

Sprouted seeds are placed in open ground only if properly prepared. Sand is added to clay; in regions with a rainy climate, crushed stone is needed. Low acidity, ventilation, moisture permeability and looseness are the main requirements for the soil for gassing.

Outdoor care

Watering is practically unnecessary for the plant, especially in rainy climates. Flowerbeds with an ornamental plant can be protected from drying out by adding gravel, pebbles or even sawdust.

Poor lighting, frequent watering, and even excessive feeding also negatively affect the flower. You can use fertilizers for cacti, but if there is a lot of feeding, then instead of the expected flowers, gating will increase the vegetative mass.

Disease and pest control

The plant can be attacked by snails, aphids and spider mites. The former are simply harvested from the flower; ready-made products are used against common pests.

If you remove weeds from the flower bed, and sprinkle the soil with ash, you can avoid pest problems. But if gray rot appears, there is no way out, except for digging up and destroying the plant, followed by treating the soil and neighbors with a fungicide.

Summarizing

Gatsania is an ornamental plant popular among landscape designers and florists:

1. Growing seedlings makes it possible to get flowering already in the first season.
2. You don't really need to mess with the sprouts, the process is simple.
3. If you remove dried flowers, abundant flowering is ensured.
4. Increased moisture and excessive fertilization are not required.