How to Grow Gazania from Seed

 

Actually Gazania plant can be easily grown from seed sown early indoors and then transplanted outside after frost, or they can be sown directly in the garden.

 

How to Sow Gazania Seed Indoors

-         Sow the Gazania seed six to eight weeks before the last frost.

-         You can sow ¼ inch deep in seed-starting formula.

-         Firm lightly and keep evenly moist

-         The seedlings will emerge in seven to fourteen days at sixty-eight to eighty-six degrees Fahrenheit.

Immediately the seedlings emerge, provide plenty of light on a sunny windowsill or grow the seedlings three to four inches beneath fluorescent plant lights turned on sixteen hours per day, off for eight hours at night. Raise the lights as the Gazania plants grow taller. Incandescent bulbs will not work for this process because they will get too hot. Most plants actually require a dark period to grow, do not leave lights on for twenty-four hours.

Furthermore, the seedlings do not need much fertilizer; you can feed when they are about three to four weeks old using a starter solution (half strength of a complete indoor houseplant food) and it should be according to the manufacturer’s directions.

If you are growing in small cells, you may actually need to transplant the seedlings to three or four inch pots when the seedlings have at least two pairs of true leaves before transplanting to the garden so they have enough room to develop strong roots

Before planting them in the garden, the seedling plants need to be “hardened off”. Accustom the young Gazania plants to outdoor conditions by moving them to a sheltered place outside for a week. Make sure they are protected from wind and hot sun. If frost threatens at night you can cover or bring the containers indoors, then take them out again in the morning. This hardening off process toughens the Gazania plant’s cell structure and also reduces transplant shock and scalding.

 

How to Sow Gazanias Directly in the Garden

-         Direct sow Gazania plants in full sun in well-drained soil after danger of frost.

-         You need to prepare the soil by removing weeds and working organic matter into the top six to eight inches of the soil, and then level and smooth.

Most of the plants actually respond well to soils amended with organic matter. Compost is a wonderful form of organic matter with a good balance of nutrients and an ideal pH level, it can be added to your planting area at any time. If compost is not available, top dress the soil after planting with one to two inches of organic mulch, which will begin to breakdown into compost. After the growing season, a soil test will indicate what soil amendments are needed for the following season.

 

Sow the Gazania seeds evenly and thinly and cover with ¼ inch of fine soil.

Firm lightly and keep evenly moist.

The seedlings will emerge in seven to fourteen days depending on the soil and weather conditions.

Thin to stand about nine to twelve inches apart starting when seedlings are one inch high.

 

How to Grow Gazania

Make sure you keep the weeds under control during the Gazania plant growing season. Actually, weeds compete with the flower plants for water, space and nutrients, you can control them by either cultivating often or use a mulch to prevent their germination.

Mulches also help retain soil moisture and maintain even soil temperatures. For annuals an organic mulch of shredded leaves lends a natural look to the bed and will improve the soil as it breaks down in time. Always keep mulches off a plant’s stems to prevent possible rot.

After new growth appears, a light fertilizer may be applied. Make sure you keep granular fertilizers away from the Gazania plants' crown and foliage to avoid burn injury. You can use low rates of a slow release fertilizer as higher rates may encourage root rots. Don’t over fertilize as the Gazania plant prefers a poor sandy soil.