GAZANIA CARE: How To Grow And Care For Gazania Plant

This ultimate guide on gazania care will help to grow and care for your gazania plant. Know the growing season, potting mix, pot selection, etc. This complete care guide is going to make you a pro in growing gazania.

Gazania is an attractive flowering plant that blooms from spring to early summer season. Garden enthusiast loves to grow gazanias to beautify their garden. And if you are a flower loving person then you certainly can not miss growing gazanias in your garden.

Introduction

Gazania is not only a name of flowering plant but it is a name of a genus of flowering plants. This genus belongs to Asteraceae or daisy family. This flowering plant is native to South Africa and is also known as treasure flower and African daisy.

There are various shades of of gazania flower. They can be red, orange, yellow, pink, purple, and white. The plant can grow up to 6 to 18 inches in height. Moreover caring for gazanias is very easy. And if you are looking for easy to care flowering plant then gazania is definitely for you.

Gazania Care Guide

To grow or care for any plant you need to know about few important aspects. These are growing season, potting mix, sunlight, watering, fertilizers, pest & diseases, etc. This helps to understand the plant needs. Fulfilling these needs will ensure better performance of the plant.

Growing Season

You can grow gazanias in USDA plant hardiness zones 9, 10, and 11. However time for sowing seeds depends on regional climate. In temperate climate or hilly regions where winters are very cold, you can start sowing seeds during late spring to early summer season.

But in tropical to sub tropical climate you can sow seeds from September to November. Generally during late summer to early winters. However gazania plant starts producing flowers from early spring to summer season.

In plant hardiness zones 9 to 11, you can grow them as perennials but in other growing zones they grow as annuals.

Potting Mix

Gazania plant loves well-drained, dry, and sandy soil. But it can also grow in other types of soil. It loves soil pH range of 6.5 to 7. But it can survive in little acidic or alkaline soil too. That’s why you do not need to worry much about potting mix for gazania. But make sure that the soil is well drained.

You can prepare the ideal potting mix with 40% any organic compost + 30% river sand + 30% cocopeat. Moreover if you want to use soil then prepare potting mix with 30% soil + 20% river sand + 20% cocopeat + 30% any organic compost. You can use vermicompost or cow dung manure as a organic compost.

Selection Of Pot

For growing and caring for gazania, you need 8 to 10 inches pot. Make sure that the pot has at least 3 to 4 drainage holes at the bottom. You can grow them in earthen, cemented as well as in plastic pots.

Sunlight

Sunlight plays a crucial role in the growth of gazania plant. Direct sunlight for at least 5 to 6 hours daily ensures good growth of the plant. However, during hot summer days you can place the pot under partial shade. This will help to save your plant for the next season.

Watering

Gazania plant does not love too much moist soil. However adding very less amount of water can also kill your plant. Gazania plant loves moderate to less watering. Prefer adding water only when the top 1 to 2 inch layer of the soil becomes dry.

Also make sure that the drainage hole is working properly or not. Any blockage in the drainage holes can result in water logging problem.

Fertilizers

Gazania is not a heavy feeder. Hence do not worry much about fertilizing this plant. If you have prepared a good potting mix with organic manure then it will perform well even if you do not add any fertilizer.

But adding fertilizer helps to enhance the plant performance. You can add one handful of any organic manure once after every 30 days. During blooming season you can use either onion peel fertilizer or banana peel fertilizer. This will help to increase bloom.

Pest & Diseases

Gazania plant is not prone to many pests and diseases. That’s why even if you have zero experience in gardening you can grow gazanias very well. But in severe cases it can get affected from powdery mildew, mealy bugs, bacterial leaf spot, or crown rot.

But the main reason of pest and disease infestation in this plant is wet soil. If you will keep your soil soggy then it can affect your plant. Although if your plant is infested with powdery mildew and mealy bugs then you can check out the following article.

READ MORE: HOW TO CONTROL POWDERY MILDEW

READ MORE: HOW TO CONTROL MEALY BUGS

F.A.Q.

Author’s Note

I guess now you are clear on gazania care guide. If you have any idea, query, or suggestions then you can comment below. You can also connect with Agriculture Review on Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest.