All about African daisies

African daisies are unpretentious and beautiful flowers that have become very popular because of their beauty and bright color. Heat-loving plants have managed to adapt to cold regions. Therefore, now any gardener can plant them on his site or on the balcony.

There are two main types of exotic daisies. Both varieties of flowers look spectacular and are suitable for garden decoration.

This flower is known as blue-eyed chamomile. It belongs to the Aster family. The average height of such a flower is 30-60 centimeters. For this reason, osteospermum is often used to decorate flower beds. The plant has a bushy shape and erect stems. The leaves are arranged on them alternately. The plant blooms not only beautifully, but also for a long time. In this case, the buds open only in sunny weather. They remain closed on rainy days and evenings.

There are now over 50 different varieties of osteospermum. Let's list the most common ones.

• "Cool". This flower is a cut flower. Such plants are grown specifically for making voluminous bouquets. Compositions with them look very beautiful. The flowers of the plants are white, and their center is purple.

• "Passion". The basket of this hybrid can be either pink or purple. The hybrid plant is small in size. Therefore, it is often grown in pots or pots.

• Eklona. It is the most common garden flower variety. For planting on your site, you can choose plants of different shades - from white to purple. They all look great in flower beds.

• "Pink lace". Such miniature flowers can be seen on windowsills or balconies. They have beautiful embossed petals with pink edging. It was this feature that gave rise to such a name for the flowers.

• "Osteospermum is pleasant." This plant differs from others in that the shade of the flower petals changes in the process of blooming a voluminous bud. Initially light flowers can turn scarlet after a while. 10 days after the plant blooms, the petals change color again. In less than a week, the flower withers.

• Aquila Sunset Shades. Plants bloom very early. Their tough flowers retain their attractiveness for a long time and are not attacked by pests. Very often they are planted in pots. Different varieties of exotic plants go well with each other.

These flowers are also called gatsania. The plant has a compact rosette and elongated leaves. They can be either smooth or pubescent. The color of flowers can be different. Their middle is usually dark. The choice of varieties of gazania is also very diverse. Therefore, it will be easy to find something interesting for your garden.

• "Revelation". This is a beautiful annual hybrid that can be planted both on an alpine slide and in a large flower bed. Its flowers can be reddish, orange, beige, or yellow. The middle is usually black.

• "Sky and Ice". The flower with such a beautiful name has snow-white petals and a deep blue core. In height, it can grow up to 70 centimeters. This plant blooms from June to October. Therefore, it can be planted in any country house. It will look organic everywhere.

• "Shiny". This is a lower variety of flowers. The leaves of the flower are smooth and dark green. The inflorescences can be red, orange or yellow.The surface of the petals is shiny and almost glossy. It is for this reason that the plant received such a name.

• "Hybrid". This variety is not seed-propagated. It is ideal for growing in cold regions.

• "Snow white". A perennial variety can be planted in flower beds near the house. Its flowers are compact and beautifully colored. The surface of the petals is covered with short whitish villi.

• "Muse". The annual variety is distinguished by its large and bright flowers. When opened, their size can reach 5 centimeters. Plants look great in both single and combined plantings.

• "Peacock". The height of mature bushes almost never exceeds 15 centimeters. Therefore, the flower is usually used for planting in pots or pots. The size of the flowers is 6-8 centimeters. The leaf plates of such plants are narrow and long.

• "Mahogany". A low-growing plant with scarlet flowers is suitable for planting both in flower beds and on balconies. It is often used to create beautiful voluminous bouquets. Even cut flowers retain their attractiveness for a long time. All of these varieties of exotic flowers are now easy to find on sale.

Before planting plants in open ground, they are usually grown. The planting time of seedlings of these flowers depends on the characteristics of the variety. This is usually done at the end of winter. In this case, the plants have time to grow up before being transplanted into open ground. For planting seeds, you need to choose suitable containers.

The soil for flower seedlings is also prepared in advance. You can buy it at a gardening store, or mix it yourself. To prepare universal soil, peat, compost and clean sand are placed in the container. These products are combined in a ratio of 4: 1: 1. It is desirable to additionally steam the resulting mixture or warm it up for disinfection. The process of sowing African chamomile seeds consists of the following steps.

• First, the container must be treated with a weak solution of potassium permanganate, and then dried.
• After that, it is filled with soil. It needs to be compacted and poured with warm water.
• Next, seeds are sown into the soil. The planting material is sprinkled with a thin layer of earth.
• The soil is carefully sprayed from a spray bottle, and then covered with foil or glass.
• Pots with future seedlings are left in a well-lit place.

Taking care of your seedlings is pretty simple. The main thing is that she is in a warm and well-lit room. After the seedlings grow up, you need to add earth to it. If the seedlings were grown in large containers, they must be dived at this time. After two weeks, the seedlings are fed. For this, you can use any complex mineral fertilizer. The main thing is to carefully read the description on the packaging, and use the product according to the instructions. An excess of nutrients is just as bad for young plants as a lack of them.

Seedlings need to be watered regularly. At the same time, it should not be allowed to become waterlogged. When the seedlings grow up, it is important for the gardener to harden them. Otherwise, she will not be able to adapt to new conditions. During this period, the plants begin to gradually take out to the balcony or yard. At first they are left there for just a couple of minutes. Over time, the period of stay of seedlings in new conditions increases. For planting seedlings, you need to find a suitable place. When looking for it, pay attention to the following points.

• Illumination. First of all, you should make sure that the place for planting African daisies is sunny. These flowers do not respond well to lack of light.On the contrary, in illuminated areas, they grow beautiful and bloom for a very long time.
• Soil quality. Soil quality also plays an important role. This crop does not grow in areas with heavy soil. The nutritional value of the soil does not play a special role. African daisies grow even in areas with poor soil.
• Neighborhood. African daisies look good both in single plantings and next to other flowers. They are often planted next to arctotis or ursinia. These plants go well with each other.

Seedlings are planted in dug up soil. The flower planting holes must be deep enough. The plants in them must fit together with the soil in which they grew. The distance between individual holes is usually within 20 centimeters. After planting the flowers, they must be well watered. Gardeners living in the southern regions prefer to plant plants directly into the soil. Sowing seeds is done after the temperature rises to 15-16 degrees. Before planting, the soil is carefully dug up, fertilized and watered. By the same principle, plants are planted in pots or pots.

It is quite easy to care for these exotic flowers. In fact, it all comes down to regular watering, loosening the soil and applying top dressing.

First of all, flowers need to be watered regularly. They do this every one and a half to two weeks. However, do not use too much water. Watering the flowers too often can cause the roots to rot. Water for irrigation should be used warm and settled. It is best to water the flowers in the evening. If done correctly, exotic daisies will look very beautiful.

In order for air and nutrients to reach the roots, the soil in the area is loosened. This is usually done once a month. At the same time, the site is cleared of weeds. Plants can be thrown away or used to create top dressing. It is recommended to pinch the osteospermum. This procedure helps to make the flowers more lush and larger. Gatsania does not need such a procedure at all.

For abundant color, African chamomiles need to be fed several times. If the soil on the site is fertile enough, this is done every six weeks. Fertilizers are applied to poor soil twice a month. You can feed the flowers with any universal mineral fertilizers. You can also use organics instead.

African chamomile can be grown by seeds or vegetative cuttings. The first method is more popular. It should be noted that not all varieties of exotic chamomiles can be bred in this way. You need to cut flowers in the summer. At this time, cuttings are carefully cut from the side shoots. Places of cuts are treated with a stimulant that accelerates the process of root formation. After that, the cutting must be planted and covered with a jar. When it takes root, it can be replanted. Flowers grown in this way do well both outdoors and in small pots outside or on the balcony.

Gazania and osteospermum have good resistance to most common diseases. As a rule, only gray rot affects them. This happens when there is a lack of sunlight or waterlogging. Knowing these causes of the disease, it is enough just to properly care for the flowers. If the plant is still sick, it must be dug up and burned. Flowers growing nearby need to be treated with Fitosporin. Pests such as spider mites and aphids are also dangerous for African daisies. To combat a small number of insects, you can use folk remedies. If there are a lot of pests on the site, it is worth using any proven insecticides.Snails can also harm flowers. They are usually harvested by hand. If there is no time for this, the soil next to the flowers can be sprinkled with ash. This will scare them away.