Gazania is very easy to propagate and spread lushly in the garden. This works very well, e.g. with cuttings and seed sowing.
Only on sunny days the Gazania will delight us with its flowers. This is done in numerous color variants. The midday gold originally comes from South Africa. The colorful exotic is surprisingly well adapted to the climate in our latitudes. Not only in the bed, but also in the rock garden or on the balcony and terrace, Gazania quickly become an eye-catcher.
If you can't get enough of the flowers, you can multiply the fast-growing sun child yourself. This can be done by cuttings or by seed.
Propagation by cuttings
Anyone who already owns Gazania can easily propagate it by cuttings. The best time to cut cuttings is always late summer. Do this as follows:
❶ Cut cuttings:
Strong, already slightly woody shoots of around 15 to 20 centimeters in length are suitable for cuttings.
❷ Remove shoots and buds in the lower area:
Once the cutting has been cut, you must first remove all the leaves and buds in the lower area of the shoot. The shoot is later underground and the shoots would rot.
❸ Place the cuttings in planters:
Each cutting gets a plant pot filled with potting soil and should be about halfway into the substrate.
❹ Keep the cuttings evenly moist:
The midday gold loves the sun, so the cuttings also need a warm and bright location so that roots can form. You must then keep the planters evenly moist. But be careful: If the location is too wet, the cuttings will rot and prevent root formation.
❺ Plant cuttings in early summer:
The cuttings should now overwinter in a warm spot indoors. In the spring, sufficient roots should have formed. Then you have to get the plants used to colder ambient temperatures step by step. From the end of May, i.e. after the Ice Saints, you can move them to the bed or the bucket.
Propagation by seeds
You already own Gazania? Then the propagation by seeds is obvious, after all, the seeds can easily be obtained from the plant. However, this is not unreservedly recommended. Because the Gazania in the bed are hybrids, which impress with their variety of colors and abundance of flowers, but are often not capable of reproduction. This means that either no seeds are formed at all or the seeds only germinate in rare cases. Cultivation from seeds of your own plants is therefore a surprise, because hybrids are not of the same color or variety. So you don't know which saplings you're growing.
If you want to be on the safe side when growing and trust in good breeding success, you should buy the seeds from a specialist dealer. You can then sow them between January and April. Do this as follows:
❶ Sow seeds:
Potting soil mixed with sand is a suitable substrate. Now put the seeds in there. Because Gazania germinates in the sun, do not cover the seeds with soil after sowing.
❷ Place seeds in a warm location:
Now you need to place the seeds in a suitable location. The seeds need heat to germinate. The germination temperature should not be below 18 degrees. Room temperature is therefore ideal.
❸ Keep the seeds slightly moist:
You must always moisten the seeds slightly afterwards. But not too vigorously, because too much moisture would lead to mold growth. You can also use plastic wrap or special plant hats (e.g. available from Amazon) to create a greenhouse climate and make the seeds germinate faster. However, you should air the cover daily so that air can penetrate and no mold can develop.
❹ Remove plastic wrap after 2 weeks:
After about two weeks, the first green indicates a successful propagation. Now you can remove the plastic wrap.
❺ Prick out young plants:
After a few weeks, several leaves will have formed. You can then transplant the young plants into individual plant pots. You have to be careful not to injure the delicate roots. The plants should then remain in the warm room for the time being.
❻ Place young plants outdoors in early summer:
After the Ice Saints, i.e. from mid-May, you can plant the young Gazania outdoors.
Which location is best for young plants?
In any case, Gazania want to be sunny. The soil should have as high a proportion of sand or gravel as possible. Appropriate soil conditions are found, for example, in rock gardens.
Tip:
Group planting is ideal for young plants. For this purpose, four to five plants are planted together in the ground. The planting distance should be at least 15 centimeters.
Advantages and disadvantages of propagation from cuttings and sowing
❍ Propagation by cuttings:
+ Cuttings can be obtained from existing plants.
+ Several young plants can be cultivated.
+ Propagation by cuttings offers good prospects of success.
- Rooting is quite tedious .
- Space must be made for each planter in the home.
❍ Propagation by seeds:
+ The seeds germinate quite quickly and require little effort.
+ Numerous young plants can be grown.
- Seeds should be purchased from specialist retailers.
- Young plants must overwinter indoors and need a warm place there.
- Seeds should not be obtained from existing plants, as these are often not capable of reproduction and do not contain viable seeds.