Table of contents
- Factsheet on the midday gold
- location requirements
- planting partner
- planting
- propagation
- watering routine
- fertilizer rules
- cut
- wintering
- care mistakes
- Site selection error
- Diseases
- pests
- aphids and mites
- snails
The midday gold (Gazania rigs), which originally comes from South Africa, has become very famous in this country due to the fact that the flowers only open when the sun is high in the midday sun.
- Height of growth: fifteen to twenty-five centimeters
- Growth width: ten to twenty-five centimeters
- Growth form: bushy
- Leaves: deciduous
- Leaf shape: narrow
- Leaf color: green
- Flowering period: May to October
- Flower shape: single flowers
- Flower color: yellow, orange, red, brown or white
- Color combination: one or more colors
location requirements
The Gazania place very high demands on their location, so this should be carefully considered before planting. The perennial prefers a spot in full sun with midday sun in a sheltered position from rain. Similar to its naturally occurring relatives in South Africa, the midday gold thrives best in sandy soil to loamy soil substrate, which has a high water permeability with a rich nutrient supply at the same time having.
Tip:
In order to loosen up the layers of earth inexpensively, it is advisable to work in commercially available sand or gravel from the hardware store.
planting partner
The Gazania is ideal for planting in beds due to its bushy but compact growth habit. It harmonises particularly well with flowers that are just as colorful and love the midday sun, such as marigolds, lobelia or marigolds. However, all plants that have the same site requirements can be used as planting partners.
A notice:
The dense growth of the Gazania giant allows it to be cultivated in smaller pots, which can be placed on windowsills or narrow walls.
planting
The Gazania is basically not hardy, which is why it must be planted outside of the frost periods. In order to avoid damage caused by late frost, the application should take place at the end of May at the earliest. When planting beds, it is advisable to keep a distance of fifteen to twenty centimeters between the individual perennials in order to provide enough space for growth. The excavated hole should be at least twice the current pot size. After filling with the appropriate soil substrate, only light watering of the plant is necessary.
Tip:
In order to promote the growth of the perennial, especially in the area of the roots, it is advisable to add a long-term fertilizer that also contains a rooting agent when planting.
propagation
Gazania is usually propagated from seeds, which you can either collect from your own flowers or purchase from specialist retailers. Another way of propagation is to take cuttings in late summer. Corresponding shoots are cut off from the mother plant, removed from their leaves and planted in separate pots.
The process for propagation by sowing is as follows:
- Sow seeds in a planter in February and cover lightly with soil
- Choose a bright, but not sunny, warm and sheltered spot
- Prick out young plants when they are eight to ten centimetres
- Transplant after the end of the frost period
A notice:
Since the plants available in this country are often not hardy hybrid crosses, they usually form poorly germinable seeds. If you prefer to grow from seeds, it is therefore advisable to buy the seeds in specialist shops.
watering routine
Gazania rigens prefers a rather dry soil, so watering should only be moderate. The midday gold reacts particularly to waterlogging with rapidly progressing rotting processes on the roots. It is therefore advisable to distribute the amount of water over several doses per week and only water the substrate. If the leaves or flowers are moistened in a very sunny location, this will lead to irreparable burns.
When cultivating in a bucket, the following information must also be observed:
- Provide flower pots with a drainage layer of gravel and drainage holes
- Avoid trivets or empty after each watering
- Feel the substrate around the perennials to determine moisture
fertilizer rules
Since the midday gold prefers nutrient-rich soil, regular application of fertilizers is necessary, especially if the soil substrate itself is very poor in nutrients. For an optimal supply of all important minerals, we recommend the administration of a liquid fertilizer, which is added to the irrigation water every one to two weeks. Fertilization beyond late summer is not necessary, since the Gazania are no longer producing new flowers at this time.
Tip:
By applying a long-term fertilizer when planting, the additional application of fertilizers can be neglected in the subsequent period. Follow the information on the package regarding the temporal effectiveness to avoid over-fertilization.
cut
Due to the naturally compact growth of the Gazania, no pruning is usually necessary. Nevertheless, the perennial should be regularly freed from dried shoots and flowers to stimulate the formation of new buds.
Tip:
Use a clean tool, preferably sterile, to remove dead plant parts to prevent pests from entering the cut.
wintering
As a bedding plant, Gazania rigens is an annual perennial and is therefore not hardy. In addition to the frosty temperatures, the plant does not tolerate the high humidity in the air and the soil. However, if you have cultivated your midday gold in a bucket, it is still worth trying to overwinter it. The winter quarters should be in a bright and frost-free place that has a temperature between five and ten degrees Celsius and does not fall below this permanently. During the winter period, the Gazania giant should only be watered very sparingly and not fertilized.
A notice:
Due to the lack of sun in the winter months, it can happen that the Gazania flowers only sparsely in the following year, even after a successful hibernation. If this is the case, you have no choice but to dispose of the plant.
care mistakes
If your midday gold has wilted leaves, this is an indication of excessive watering of the plant. For the recovery of the plant, it is crucial to what extent the roots are already affected by rotting processes and mold. Because once the roots are rotten, they cannot be restored, so that ultimately the only option left is to dispose of the perennial. Otherwise, it is already sufficient to reduce the amount of water for the time being.
Even though Gazania's nutrient requirements are very high, it can still be over-fertilized. This manifests itself in the excessive formation of new leaves, which are also very large. In this case, reduce the intensity of the application of fertilizers over a period of several weeks.
Site selection error
Because Gazania is very sun-loving, it requires a large amount of sunlight for continued growth of leaves and flowers. If the location chosen is too dark, this is reflected in the sluggishness of developing new flowers and only a few leaves. In this case, only moving to a sunnier location can help.
Diseases
The mildew is one of the most common fungal diseases of our native plants, but is much less dangerous than most other variants. Powdery mildew can be recognized externally by the whitish coating that can be found on the leaves. Either a mixture of milk and baking powder in a ratio of 1:8 or a specific fungicide can be used for treatment.
pests
Various pests can also cause problems for the Gazanie. But if you recognize the danger, you can also fight it successfully.
aphids and mites
The infestation by aphids or mites is mainly observed in plants that are on a are planted in an unsuitable location and therefore have a lower self-protective effect against pests own. Even if the animals themselves are difficult to see with the human eye, the effects of inadequate treatment are often fatal.
While the aphids attack the leaves and take the vital plant sap from them, so that these dry up, a mite infestation is characterized by spider-like webs covering the entire plant pull over
If the infestation is not too advanced, the application of the the following variants should be considered, as these have proven to be very environmentally friendly and at the same time effective have.
- Clean the perennial with a powerful jet of water
- Spraying the plants with soapy water
- Spraying the plants with a mixture of milk and water (ratio 1:8)
snails
Midday gold is one of the favorite dishes of snails. In particular, the specimens transplanted in the bed are easy prey for the reptiles. When the leaves are eaten away, the plants become bare and die as a result. By applying slug pellets, the snails' food intake is prevented, so that they spare your plants. It is therefore necessary to spread the means around the beds at an early stage and also to give in at regular intervals. It is also advisable not to keep the soil too moist, as this encourages snail infestation.
Tip:
Diseased plants that have not recovered despite treatment should not be disposed of in the compost. Since the pests continue to exist even after the plant has died, they infest other plants when the compost is spread.
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