Gaillardia: planting and care, growing from seeds

How to care for seedlings

To grow good seedlings, you cannot do without proper care. At the initial stage, you need to provide appropriate conditions. You can take care of seedlings according to the following rules:

1. At the end of sowing, the container must be moved to a place with a temperature of + 21-24 ° C. When the seeds germinate, the temperature is lowered to + 18-20 ° С during the daytime and + 16-18 ° С at night.
2. The container should remain covered until sprouts appear, after which the film or lid is removed. During the germination period, the seedlings must be periodically ventilated to exclude the formation of fungi. To do this, it is enough to open the container for half an hour every day.
3. It is not worth moistening the soil too much. Before the seeds germinate, moistening is done from a spray bottle. After emergence, watering is reduced, but the soil should remain slightly moist. Water for irrigation should be soft and at room temperature.
4. When shoots appear, the container with seedlings is moved to the southern windowsill.
5. For the normal development of plants, it is necessary to provide a daylight hours of 12-16 hours. Phytolamps are the best option for these purposes.

Features of growing from seeds in the open field

Gaillardia Arizona can reproduce by self-seeding, therefore, when growing it, it is necessary to cut the baskets on time. To collect seeds, it will be enough to leave a few inflorescences.

Seedling from Gaillardia seeds

Seed collection must be carried out in the fall, when the flowers are dry. They are pre-tied with a light cloth or gauze in order to prevent self-seeding.

After collecting, the seeds must be thoroughly dried and placed in paper bags.

Outdoor cultivation

Gaillardia can be grown on all types of soil, which significantly increases its attractiveness and demand. The main thing is that the soil is light and loose, as well as with a high-quality drainage system. It is best to choose well-lit areas for growing.

Note! When growing Gaillardia in high acidity soil, the flower will grow slowly. Experienced gardeners recommend fertilizing the soil before planting.

It is best to use wood ash, compost or peat as fertilizer.

Experienced gardeners recommend fertilizing the soil before planting. The best fertilizer is wood ash, compost or peat.

As soon as the weather is good and the ground warms up, you can start planting seeds.

To do this, follow these steps:

1. At a distance of about 20 cm from each other, make shallow grooves and carefully spread the seeds along them, as rarely as possible.
2. Sprinkle with earth and water abundantly.
3. As soon as the shoots appear, they must be thinned so that the distance between the bushes is at least 20 cm.
4. Remove all weeds immediately and make sure that they do not appear in the future.

If all the conditions necessary for the growth and development of the plant are met, then Gaillardia will quickly grow, but flowers on the perennial will appear only next year.

Planting seedlings at home

You can also propagate Gaillardia spinous Arizona Sun by seedlings. For this, the seeds should be sown between February and March. For seedlings, it is best to use fertile soil, which contains wood ash and sand.

The soil mixture is poured into special containers or pots, a seed is laid out on its surface and covered with a thin layer of earth. It is imperative that the soil is watered very carefully so that no erosion is formed.

Note! Containers with seedlings are placed in a well-lit place. At the same time, do not allow direct sunlight to hit them.

For rapid growth, the room temperature should be between 19 and 25 degrees.

The first shoots appear in 10-12 days. As soon as the seedlings appear, the lighting must be monitored especially carefully. After the end of frost and the onset of heat, the seedlings are transplanted into open ground.

Care for perennial Gaillardia

Perennial feeding

Caring for the plantings of perennial Gaillardia consists in regular feeding, timely watering, periodic loosening of the soil and removal of weeds. Flowers must be mulched with compost. We fertilize adult plants 2-3 times throughout the growing season. We apply mineral fertilizers to the soil for flowering plants. These flowers are very responsive to feeding during the budding period. Due to this, more flowers are formed on the plant. We carry out the last feeding in a month before the onset of cold weather... Before that, we cut off all the faded buds.

Watering

Gaillardia is a drought-resistant plant, so we water it only as the soil dries out. More frequent watering is required only during very dry seasons. Large specimens of flowers can lose their shape, so we use various props to preserve their decorative appearance. After flowering perennial on A pubescent seed-ball remains at the top of the peduncle. These round fruits are very decorative. They are often used dried to create floristic compositions.

Selection of seeds for future sowing

Cut off the faded buds. We leave a few pieces for seeds. At the same time, for the reproduction of Gaillardia, we select only those specimens of bushes on which, throughout the entire flowering period, there were bright inflorescences characteristic of this variety. This is due to the fact that with the wrong selection of the seed fund, degenerated inflorescences with a pale and ugly color can form on young plants.

If you do not carry out the procedure for cutting off unnecessary wilted inflorescences, then ripe seeds in large quantities will independently spread throughout the entire area. In this case, in the spring, it will be possible to find seedlings of this plant everywhere. In the first year after flowering, we cut off all young bushes to the very root. Thus, you can extend the life of perennial flowers for another year or two.

Gaillardia is a cold-resistant plant. She winters beautifully under the snow. To prevent the freezing of the bushes for the winter, we insulate them with spruce branches, needles, peat or fallen leaves.

How to fight disease

Although undemanding, these flowers can be attacked by diseases and pests. If not properly cared for, they may develop white rust, gray mold or powdery mildew. Most often, Gaillardia leaves are susceptible to them. When the first signs of the disease appear, the bushes are treated with special preparations or a solution of potassium permanganate. We destroy bushes heavily damaged by the disease. To prevent diseases, we follow all the rules for caring for such flowers.

Protection from pests and diseases

Despite its good endurance and unpretentious cultivation, Gaillardia is susceptible to the development of some unpleasant diseases. These include:

Gray rot. It appears on the lower leaves, gradually moving to the stem of the flower, leading to its drying out and death.

Ways to eliminate the disease:

1. Timely removal of damaged areas and their destruction.
2. Preventive seed treatment during planting.
3. Use of fungicides.

Powdery mildew. During the course of the disease, the leaves of the plant become covered with a whitish coating, affecting its stems and flowers.

The solutions to this problem are the same as in the previous case. For treatment, you can use drugs Hom, Topaz, Bordeaux mixture, etc.

White rust.Looks like light yellow spots appearing on the front and back of the leaf. Then the intensity of their color increases, turning into a bright yellow hue, with a brown spot in the middle. Develops with thickened plantings and the establishment of humid, warm weather.

Remedies:

1. Treatment with Skor in a proportion of 1.5 ml per 10 liters of water.
2. Preventive treatment of young shoots and soil with fungicides (phytosporin, etc.).

Aphids and whiteflies, which can be eliminated by spraying the bushes with Decis or Actellic solution, pose a great danger to the "luxurious chamomile". In general, this beauty is extremely rare.

We also recommend that you read in more detail about growing Ampel Catharanthus from seeds.

Despite the resistance of the flower to damage by pests and diseases, non-observance of the rules for care can cause the manifestation of fungal diseases: powdery mildew, spotting, rust and rot. If signs of damage are detected, it is necessary to carry out treatment with preparations of fungicidal action "Skor", "Topaz" and other analogues according to the manufacturer's instructions.

Gaillardia is affected by some pests and if the rules of care are violated, problems with diseases may begin.

With an excess of moisture and a lack of lighting, gray rot, rust, powdery mildew may appear. They manifest themselves in wilting of plants, spots on foliage and stems, or (in the case of powdery mildew) white bloom.

Tags: Gaillardia, perennial, planting, care
About the author: admin4ik

Gaillardia varieties

In total, there are about 25 plant subspecies. The most popular perennial varieties of Gaillardia are considered.

• Spinous is a plant up to 75 cm high with straight shoots. The leaves are lanceolate with fluff and jagged edges. Inflorescences reach 12 cm in diameter. Spinous Gaillardia blooms from July to September. The flowers are mostly yellow.
• Goblin is a tall variety. The diameter of the inflorescence reaches 8 cm. The flowers are like chamomile. The petals are orange, burgundy or brick-colored with yellow ends.
• The Firebird is a low-growing culture (no higher than 30 cm). The flowers are presented in yellow and red shades with an inflorescence diameter of 10 cm.
• Arizona Sun - considered the shortest subspecies (up to 20 cm), consisting of two-tone flowers. It blooms profusely and for a long time until the first frost.
• Fun is a massive branchy plant with a stem up to 80 cm. The flowers are bright and large. The variety is very unpretentious, it can grow on sandy soils.
• Cobolt - Gaillardia up to 40 cm in height. The flowers are yellow-purple. The culture is frost-resistant, but at very low temperatures it needs shelter.
• Primavera is a low-growing plant up to 25 cm in height. Inflorescence up to 12 cm in diameter consists of 8 peduncles. The variety is mainly used for growing in pots.

Features of care for Gaillardia

Although Gaillardia is perennial and not demanding in care, there are basic points, the observance of which will make it possible to grow these flowers in a flower bed without effort.

The soil

Perennial loves light, fertilized soil. You cannot fertilize with manure, as this organic fertilizer negatively affects the formation of the plant. Humus, compost, complex mineral fertilizers and wood ash are the main components that improve the growth of the shrub.

Loosening, mulching the soil and removing weeds help oxygenate the soil and therefore optimize plant growth.

Top dressing

Caring for perennial Gaillardia plantings consists in regular feeding, timely watering, periodic loosening of the soil and removal of weeds. Flowers must be mulched with fertilizer. We fertilize adult plants 2-3 times during the entire growing season. We apply mineral fertilizers to the ground for flowering plants.

These flowers are quite responsive to feeding during budding.Due to this, more flowers are formed on the plant. We make the last feeding a month before the onset of frost. Before that, we cut off all the faded buds.

Watering

Gaillardia is considered a drought-resistant plant, so we water it exclusively as the soil dries up. More frequent watering is required only during the very dry season. Large specimens of flowers can lose their shape, therefore, to preserve their decorative appearance, we use various props.

At the end of the flowering of the perennial, a pubescent ball-seed will remain at the top of the peduncle. These roundish stems are very decorative. They are often used dried to form floristic compositions.

Diseases and pests

Gaillardia is a drought-resistant crop, so it can be affected by fungal diseases when the soil is humid. In order to prevent infestation, the level and frequency of watering should be strictly controlled. If the color of the foliage began to lose brightness, gray spots appeared on it, then it must be removed.

All flowers must be treated with a solution of potassium permanganate, taken in an amount of 2.5 grams per bucket of water. If most of the flowers are infected, then they must be treated with fungicidal preparations. Such harmful insects as thrips and a grinder can hit Gaillardia. To combat them, you can use special chemicals.

Varietal variety

The varietal variety allows you to choose flowers with the desired color and texture (double or simple) for any site or flower bed. V garden and flower beds you can create beautiful compositions using the color scheme of different varieties. Most often, flower growers prefer two types:

1. Hybrid.
2. Spinous.

If it seems to you that the choice is small, then you are mistaken, each has enough subspecies, look at the photos of the most popular varieties, and make sure that it is worth choosing these flowers for planting.

Hybrid

• "Zone". Growth - from half a meter and above. Inflorescences in diameter - up to 10 centimeters. Petals of yellow shades, from dark to golden, are one- and two-color.
• "Arizona". This variety is found in several varieties, the most popular are: "Arizona Sun" - "baby" among perennial Gaillardia, its growth usually does not exceed 20 centimeters, abundant and long-lasting flowering; Arizona Red, also short, with terracotta petals; "Arizona Apricot" - slightly taller than its "relatives", painted in orange-yellow colors.
• "Primavera". Quite undersized flower, usually two-colored, red-yellow.
• "Kobold". Grows up to 0.4 meters, with yellow inflorescences and bright red edging.
• Burgundy. Differs in bright, large dark red inflorescences with small yellow blotches.
• Tokajer. The stem is rather tall, the baskets are bright orange.
• Golden Goblin. Low, as the name implies, the petals are rich yellow, one-color.

Spinous

Representatives of this subspecies are quite tall - on average, they grow up to 70 centimeters.

• "Dazzer": with two-colored dark red petals with yellow edging.
• Croftway Yellow: with yellow, monochromatic flowers.
• "Wirral Flame": red-yellow reed petals adorn a large basket.
• "Mandarin": with a yellow-red terry basket.

Among the perennial Gaillardia, there are many more worthy representatives, pay attention to such varieties as:

• "Amber" with wine-red inflorescences and a high stem (60 - 70 centimeters);
• high (0.75 meters) two-color yellow-red "Jasper";
• similar to it subspecies "Helios" with reed yellow, copper-red and orange petals or yellow-purple tubular;
• almost one meter high "Aphrodite" (reaches 1.1 meters) with inflorescences painted in red-yellow-brown tones (usually two-color);
• tall orange with large inflorescences (0.75 meters) "Carnelian" and other subspecies.

The subspecies "Beautiful" is no less known to amateur flower growers, but its representatives are usually annuals, but we are considering those types of Gaillardia that will delight flower growers for several years.

Outdoor cultivation

If there is no desire to grow seedlings, Gaillardia can be immediately planted on the site. However, it must be taken into account that the germination rate will be lower than when receiving seedlings from seeds. A place for culture should be chosen sunny, with nutritious and light soil. In addition, to avoid stagnant moisture, the land must be well drained. Planting dates should be chosen so that the soil warms up well. In the southern regions, this is May, and for the cold regions, it is the end of May.

There are no special nuances when sowing seeds in the ground: grooves are made 2-3 cm deep and with a distance between rows of about 30 cm. Then the seeds are sown, the ground is slightly moistened and the plantings are sprinkled.

As for leaving, it comes down only to periodic watering in hot weather, as well as weeding and loosening. To prolong flowering, it is necessary to cut off wilted inflorescences in time. During the season, the plant is fed several times with complex fertilizers: during budding, during flowering and in autumn. If tall varieties are grown, they need to be tied up. Otherwise, the flower bed becomes unattractive. For example, stronger neighboring flowers can serve as a support.

Description and varieties

An ancient legend of Indian tribes tells about the origin of Gaillardia. In one of these tribes, a craftsman lived who made beautiful bedspreads that served the Indians both for outerwear and for the burial savannah. When the weaver felt the approach of death, he made his last veil, in which he was buried. The weaver presented the veil in yellow, red and brown colors to the Great Spirit, who liked the work so much that he ordered that the grave of the elderly man be decorated with flowers of the same shades.

In the spring, the grave of the Indian was decorated with amazing flowers of sunny shades and very quickly scattered throughout the lands of the tribe. The flower was named Indian blanketflower - Indian flower blanket.

As a horticultural crop, perennial Gaillardia is undemanding to care for. It tolerates drought and hot weather perfectly, many varieties are quite resistant to cold weather. Today, there are approximately 20 plant species. Flowers can be annual and perennial, with semi-double or double flowers, monochromatic and two-color. The buds are tied at the ends of the branchy stems. When the plants drop their color, seed pods continue to remain on the branches.

Perennial Gaillardia is a small bush 0.5–0.7 meters high, consisting of oblong leaves with jagged edges. Due to its decorating qualities and the duration of flowering, which begins in June and can last until the cold weather, Gaillardia has won the love of gardeners.

Plant varieties

A strikingly bright, yellow-red flower of the Aster family, so pleasant for its unpretentiousness to conditions and a long flowering period - this is perennial Gaillardia. Planting and caring for it is not difficult and accessible to everyone.

There are up to 25 species of this plant, but most often three species can be seen in flower beds - beautiful Gaillardia, spinous, hybrid. You can also isolate gailardia obtuse and lanceolate - its original shades always remain red and yellow in the most diverse combinations.

• Gaillardia (gaillardia) is a beautiful large-flowered - lush, up to half a meter in diameter, a bush with powerful baskets with a sunny yellow core, reddish petals. On the basis of wild species growing in Mexico, cultivated modifications have been created - terry Pikta, Lorenza variety with convex inflorescences, globular Yellow plume and terry Red plume.
• Gaillardia spinous is characterized by high, up to 75 centimeters, pubescent stems.It has to be tied up so that the shoots do not deviate in different directions. The most common types are Orange Mandarin, Wirral Flame, Dazze with traditional purple petals framed by a yellow border, and the sunny yellow Croftvav Yellow.
• Gaillardia hybrid combines the best features of the two previous species. This is a tall plant, the inflorescences of which amuse the eye for almost two months; the species of Bremen, Burgundy, Zone, Kobold and others are known. Low-growing species were also obtained - Prima Vera, Arizona San. Landing of both is not difficult.

Site registration

• Gaillardia has found a lot of applications in landscape design. So, it is used to organize:
• flower beds;
• mixed flower beds;
• borders;
• discount;
• alpine slides;
• group landings.

Those who are not versed in landscape design can simply decorate a section of the local area with Gaillardia - it looks great alone, without additional design. For cutting, tall plant species are grown - they look good both in a bouquet and in a photo.

A wonderful combination of the flower is obtained with other perennials - chamomile, daisy and asparagus. Gaillardia also looks spectacular in containers and flowerpots. Looks good against the background of green lawns and bushes.

It is easy to breed perennial Gaillardia on your site - it does not need systematic watering and specific conditions. It is quite enough to apply fertilizers from time to time and promptly remove dried inflorescences in order to exclude self-seeding.

Plant propagation

However, it will be useful for him to learn about the main points of reproduction and care of this plant.

It should be said right away that Gaillardia is very fond of light. Therefore, planting it in very dark areas of the garden is not worth it. There she will not be able to develop normally.

It is best to plant this plant in light and well-drained soil prepared in advance. However, the flower is able to grow on any soil. It will just develop a little slower.

Reproduction of this perennial plant occurs in 2 main ways:

1. Division of the Gaillardia mother bush.
2. Growing from seeds.

When to plant and divide the plant, the gardener himself decides. The fact is that this can be done both in spring and autumn.

Vegetative propagation

This is the easiest way to grow Gaillardia. But it is suitable only for those gardeners who have at least one established plant bush on the site.

Reproduction by division involves dividing the bush so that the root system remains intact. This procedure is best done in April, but it can also be done in September. True, in the latter case, due to the cold weather, the plant may not have time to take root in the open field.

Before planting, you should prepare the soil in a special way. For this, the soil is fertilized and planting holes are made in it, at the bottom of which drainage is laid. It is best to fertilize the soil with humus and wood ash.

You can also use mineral fertilizers. After planting the separated bush in the open ground, the ground around it should be watered abundantly. The new bush will give the first flowers only next year. If the separation was done correctly, the color will be violent.

When multiplying by division, it should be borne in mind that the bush of this plant grows rather slowly. For this reason, it does not need to be divided into many small parts. It is advisable to divide the parent plant into no more than 4 parts.

Seed propagation

With the help of seeds, Gaillardia reproduces well spontaneously. Naturally, gardeners do not need this.

Therefore, they prefer to control this process in order to prevent the plant from spreading outside a certain area.

To prevent self-seeding, you need to cut off wilted flowers in time, otherwise baskets with seeds will form in them.

Controlled propagation of Gaillardia by seeds begins with collection of planting material... This should be done in the fall after the seeds have fully ripened. The latter should be collected in a canvas handbag. In it, the seeds are dried and stored until planting.

The seed should be sown in previously prepared open ground. Planting depth should be shallow. In fact, the seeds only need to be sprinkled with soil a little so that they are not blown away by the wind. After sowing, the area must be thoroughly watered and covered with foil to create a greenhouse effect. Due to it, the first shoots will appear already on the 12th day after sowing.

Planting is best done in the spring in April. Due to early planting, the bushes of the plants can be so strong by June that they can be cut and thinned. Only after that it will be possible to be sure that the Gaillardia bushes will develop correctly and will not interfere with each other.

Do not expect a seed-grown plant to grow strongly in the first year of life. It will not happen. In the first year, each bush will have a rosette with 15 leaves (this can be clearly seen in the photo), but the next season it will grow well.

After propagation by seeds, the first flowers can be seen on young Gaillardia bushes in a year.

We deliberately did not talk about 2 more methods of reproduction of this plant:

• Seedling.
• Cuttings.

The fact is that both of these methods are not effective enough and are very time consuming. Only enthusiasts resort to them.