Gaillardia

Family. Asteraceae or Compositae.

Origin, where it grows. The natural habitat of gaillardia is North America. Occasionally, plants can be found in South America.

Description. Gaillardia is a flowering herbaceous perennial (less commonly an annual plant), the genus includes approximately 25 plant species. The bushes have strong, erect shoots branched at the base.

The leaves are narrowly lanceolate, sessile, green, with arcuate veins, arranged alternately. The edges of the leaf blades are entire or with small teeth, the surface is often covered with long white hairs. In the lower part the leaves are petiolate and large, but on the shoots they become smaller and sessile.

At the tops of the shoots, tall erect peduncles are formed, often covered with small light pubescence. Large inflorescences appear on the peduncles, resembling a chamomile in appearance.

What people usually mistake for a single flower is actually an inflorescence consisting of many ligulate (located on the edge) and tubular (in the center) flowers. Gaillardia inflorescences are often painted in several shades at once - burgundy, brown, yellow, orange, red, brown. Flowering is very abundant and long lasting. 

After flowering, the bushes form rounded inflorescences with oblong seeds.

Modern varieties are compact in size and form dense, low-growing, abundantly flowering bushes. The inflorescences differ not only in color, but also in shape and size.

Inflorescences can be simple, semi-double or double. Simple flower heads have one row of reed flowers along the edge of the inflorescence, while semi-double ones have two or three rows of reed flowers. Double flower heads bear only central tubular or funnel-shaped flowers.

In its appearance, gaillardia often resembles some varieties of gatsania, helenium and rudbeckia. The plant was named in the 18th century in honor of the French scientist, botanist Gaillard de Charentoneau. 

Height. The height of the plant, depending on the specific variety and growing conditions, can be 30 - 50 cm. The tallest varieties can reach a height of 90 cm.

When does gaillardia bloom?

The first buds can appear as early as May - during this period flowering will be most abundant, individual flowers are formed throughout the summer. The flowering period is very long and can last for 2 months.

With the timely removal of faded flowers and the onset of warm weather in the fall, re-blooming is possible, but it will not be as abundant. In open ground, the flowering period is often interrupted only by the onset of frost.

Planting and care in open ground

When grown in the garden, gaillardia is unpretentious and requires only the most minimal care and attention for abundant flowering. Only well-lit places are suitable for growing; with insufficient lighting, flowering will become less abundant, and the bushes will become loose and elongated.

The flower easily tolerates direct sunlight, and even quite strong heat can only benefit the plant. The southern side of any buildings and structures is excellent for planting.

You should not place gaillardia in places where rain or melt water stagnates and there is no well-drained soil. In this case, it is better to choose an elevated place for the plant.

If the soil on the site is clayey and easily compacts over time, then before planting it is worth adding components such as light turf and leaf humus, river sand. Such additives will enrich the soil with nutrients and help maintain a loose structure that allows moisture and air to pass through.

The soil pH level should be slightly acidic - ideally, the pH level should be between 6.0 and 6.5. The flower easily tolerates a substrate poor in nutrients and does not require a lot of fertilizer.

In southern regions, you need to approach the choice of a planting site very carefully. The fact is that in a warm climate, the plant produces a large number of seeds, which, when fully ripe, crumble and germinate, often filling up empty areas of the garden.

How and when to plant

Planting in open ground can be done either with seeds or directly with seedlings. When grown from seeds, a leaf rosette is formed in the first year after sowing, and the first flowering occurs in the second year. Only the strongest specimens will be able to boast of flowering during the first year of life. Sowing is carried out approximately in mid-May, when the last returning night frosts have receded.

Gaillardia seedlings are planted in late summer - early autumn. Such timing is due to the fact that before the first night frosts the bushes should take root well in a new place. 

To plant, dig up a section of soil and remove weeds by the roots. Depending on the height of adult plants (information can be found on the package with seeds), planting holes are prepared.

For low-growing border varieties, holes are dug along the edges of the flowerbed - near walkways and garden paths, at a distance of 25 - 40 cm from each other. For tall varieties, it is worth preparing a place in the center of the flower bed and leaving about 60 - 70 cm between the planting holes. The depth and width of the planting holes should exceed the root ball of the seedlings.

It is better to plant in cloudy and even rainy weather. If the days are sunny, then it is better to plant flowers in the evening, when the scorching rays of the sun do not fall on the area. Thus, the bushes have every chance to quickly adapt to new conditions and begin to grow. 

The day before planting, water the seedlings generously with warm water to soften the root ball. Plants are transferred to the holes using the transshipment method, keeping the root system intact. In order to get lush and powerful bushes, 3-4 bushes are often placed in one hole at once.

When planting, seedlings should be at the same level as in the flower pot - the root collar is placed flush with the soil surface.

The bushes are sprinkled with earth in a circle and lightly compacted to remove air pockets. The planted plants are watered abundantly with warm water and the base is mulched to prevent the development of weeds. 

How to care

Gaillardia is extremely undemanding and can tolerate different living conditions. Young and newly planted plants require timely watering - the soil at their base is kept evenly moist, but not waterlogged. The plants are kept in this mode for about a month.

As the bushes adapt to their new habitat, the frequency of watering can be reduced - adult gaydardia are much more tolerant of dry soil than constant flooding. 

Water the flower in the morning and evening with plenty of warm water. You should not water the plants during the day - the sun's rays passing through the water droplets can leave burns on the leaves.

It is not advisable to get moisture on flowers and buds - they quickly lose their attractiveness in such conditions. Plants are always watered at the roots. 

After watering, the soil around the base of the flower is loosened to a depth of several centimeters and weeds are pulled out. After all the work, a layer of mulch is renewed around the plant. For mulch, you can use non-flowering grass clippings, straw, tree bark or sawdust.

If the plants are impressive in size, then they should not be planted in open spaces with strong gusts of wind, and to support tall shoots it is worth organizing support. 

When and how to prune

Gaillardia does not need formative pruning - only sanitary pruning is carried out as needed. Fading flowers are removed along with the peduncles immediately after they appear. Such pruning will prevent self-seeding, the plants will not waste energy on the formation of seeds and will form new buds.

The cut is made with a sharpened sterile tool - a garden knife or pruning shears.

If the bushes are grown to obtain bouquets, then pruning is carried out early in the morning or late in the evening, separating the shoots with buds that have just begun to open. Such flowers will not lose their attractiveness in a vase with water for 7 - 10 days, gradually opening.

In mid-autumn, preparing the plants for winter, they are cut, leaving 2-4 cm of growth above ground level.

Feeding

Abundant flowering in gaillardia does not require a large amount of fertilizer - on the contrary, nutrient-rich soils provoke an abundant growth of green mass to the detriment of the formation of buds. Only in sufficiently poor soil can you feed gaillardia 2-3 times per season.

The first fertilizing is done with the appearance of the first buds - a little mineral fertilizer is added for flowering plants. The second feeding is carried out at the very peak of flowering, and the third - immediately after flowering, in preparation for wintering. 

In addition to standard mineral compositions, well-rotted organic materials - humus, cow and horse manure - can be used for fertilizing. Fresh organic matter will do nothing but harm - the bushes will stop blooming, begin to form a large amount of greenery and become vulnerable to many fungal diseases.

Gaillardia responds well to the use of wood ash as fertilizer. 

Shelter for the winter

Plants belonging to the Gaillardia pulchella species are grown as annuals and do not need shelter. After complete flowering, such bushes are simply dug up and sent to a compost pit.

Hybrid varieties are grown as perennials and require special preparation for successful wintering. Young bushes grown in the garden for one year are characterized by weak frost resistance. In the second and subsequent years, such plants become more resistant to negative temperatures and do not need to be covered at all. When grown in harsh northern regions, where winters are harsh and there is a lack of snow, shelter can be organized annually.

In harsh climates, young plants are pruned before the onset of negative temperatures at night in the fall, cutting off the entire above-ground part almost to the base. A layer of peat, humus or dry leaves is poured on top of the bushes. Spruce branches can also be used as a shelter.

In early spring, as soon as the snow cover melts in a given place, the shelter is completely removed. 

How and when to replant

Transplantation is carried out after flowering and is often combined with the division of large adult specimens. This procedure is described below. If the transplant is associated only with a change in location, then it would be advisable to carry it out by transshipment, keeping the root ball intact.

For transshipment, a planting hole is prepared into which the flower will be transferred, and a piece of polyethylene is placed near the gaillardia bush to be transplanted.

Plants are dug in a circle, gradually going deeper under the root system. The plants are taken out of the ground and, together with a lump of earth, placed on polyethylene and taken to a new place. After planting, the flower is watered abundantly and protected from direct sun for 5 - 6 days. 

Reproduction

Gaillardia is quite easily grown from seeds, either using seedlings or directly in the open ground. For seed propagation, you can use material collected with your own hands, but the result obtained may be surprising.

Only natural species plants will inherit the characteristic appearance of the parent bushes, while most cultivated varieties are hybrids and, when propagated by seed, often do not inherit the declared varietal characteristics.

Perennial species are also propagated vegetatively - for example, they are divided during transplantation and propagated by root or stem cuttings. 

Growing from seeds

For seed propagation, you should be patient - in the first year after sowing, plants will often only form a leaf rosette. The first buds will appear on gaillardia grown from seeds only in the second year. Only the strongest specimens are able to produce buds within a year.

Sometimes, instead of seedlings, plants that appeared as a result of self-seeding under mature bushes are used. As they grow, they are first thinned out, leaving the strongest and strongest specimens, and then simply planting them in a permanent place. 

How to collect seeds

In order to preserve and plant the best planting material, the early opened, largest and brightly colored flower heads are selected and marked with colored threads. As they wilt, all inflorescences are cut off and the marked ones are left on the plants.

To collect your own seeds, choose a warm, sunny day. It is worth collecting only fully ripened planting material - unripe seeds simply will not sprout.

After collecting and removing debris, the seeds are dried for 2 - 3 days in a warm and ventilated room, spread on a sheet of paper in a thin layer.

Planting material prepared in this way is collected in fabric bags or paper envelopes and stored in a cool, dry place for 1 - 2 years, using as needed. 

Planting seeds

Sowing seeds for seedlings is carried out at home, using seedling boxes - greenhouses with drainage holes and transparent plastic covers. Sowing is carried out in late February - early March.

A layer of expanded clay, broken brick or clay shards is placed at the bottom of the containers to quickly remove moisture after watering. Fill the boxes with a peat-based soil mixture with the addition of up to half the volume of river sand.

The soil surface is moistened with warm water using a spray bottle and the seeds are sown. The planting material is only slightly pressed into the soil - there is no need to cover it with a layer of soil on top. Gaillardia seeds require light to germinate.

Seedling boxes are covered with a plastic lid or covered with transparent plastic film to maintain high air humidity and create a greenhouse effect. 

Caring for seedlings

Leave the seedlings in a warm place with a temperature of 22 - 25 degrees, with good lighting, but without access to direct sun.

The main difficulty in growing seedlings is maintaining long daylight hours. To prevent the bushes from stretching out and remaining compact, they require at least 16 hours of light daily. For additional illumination of seedlings, LED lamps or fluorescent lamps are used.

Every day, the seedlings are ventilated and water condensation is wiped off the lid. With the appearance of the first shoots, and this usually happens within 2 - 3 weeks, the shelter is completely removed. To harden seedlings, the air temperature during this period should be reduced to 18 - 20 degrees Celsius. 

When each flower can boast 2 - 3 real leaf blades, a dive is carried out - the bushes are planted in their own separate pots or small plastic cups. When diving, they try to minimally injure the root system of plants.

To avoid diving, gaillardia seeds can be sown immediately in separate cups, 2 - 3 seeds per cup. If 2-3 sprouts appear in each container, then the weaker ones are simply cut off at the base with scissors, leaving only one plant in each pot. 

Dividing the bush

Adult plants that have reached the age of 2 - 3 years can be propagated by division, which is carried out immediately after flowering, in the first half of summer.

Dividing will help rejuvenate the bushes, which may bloom less profusely with age. When dividing, the appearance of the flower is completely preserved.

The bushes are dug out of the ground immediately after flowering and separated by hand. This is quite simple to do, since with age such plants often disintegrate into several parts themselves.

When dividing, you should not leave too small divisions - it is better to have 3 - 5 bushes in each. If you leave one plant in each division, they will develop too slowly.

You should not divide during flowering - plants spend a lot of energy during this period to form flowers and replanting can negatively affect their well-being. 

Cuttings

When replanting, you can separate the largest rhizomes from the main bush and cut cuttings 5 ​​- 7 cm long with garden pruners. The wound surface on the cuttings is treated with charcoal powder or ash for drying, and then planted horizontally in seedling boxes with a lid or individual flower pots, covered with plastic wrap.

The cuttings are covered with a layer of soil about 3-4 cm thick on top and the surface of the soil is kept evenly moist by spraying it with warm water from a spray bottle. During the first year, such plants are kept at home, and are planted in open ground only in the second year. 

Stem cuttings are obtained by cutting shoots in late spring or early summer. Each cutting should have 2 - 3 internodes and reach a length of 7 - 10 cm.

Before planting, the bases of the cuttings are treated with growth stimulants, and the lower leaves are removed. To reduce moisture loss, the upper leaf blades are shortened by half their length and the cuttings are planted in a loose substrate to a depth of about 1 cm at a slight slope.

Keep such plants under cover in a warm and well-lit place without direct sunlight. Even if the above agricultural techniques are followed, the rooting percentage does not exceed 50, and young plants take a long time to grow and develop slowly. 

Diseases and pests

If there is stagnation of moisture in the soil and excessive watering, plants may suffer from horse rot. With high air humidity and insufficient air movement, the bushes can develop powdery mildew or other fungal diseases. Leaf spot. Rust. Gray rot.

Among the harmful insects, aphids can attack the flower; sometimes slugs and snails, thrips, leafhoppers, garden bugs, and whiteflies appear. 

Interesting facts about the plant

In its natural habitat, gaillardia forms entire colonies with age, spreading by self-seeding and ultimately capturing impressive areas of fields, forming a continuous flower carpet. The buds blooming everywhere resemble a steppe fire, which is why the flower has its own name in English - “firewheel”.

The flower's distribution area is especially wide in states such as Texas and Oklahoma - and since 1985, the flower has even become a symbol of Oklahoma. 

There is a legend according to which two girls lived in the same village and on the same street. One was hardworking and became a needlewoman - she could weave carpets with floral patterns, which people from distant cities came to admire. Carpets were often bought to decorate their homes.

The second was a slacker and did not learn anything, she was jealous of her hardworking neighbor, because they began to respect her and paid her a lot of money. She also tried to become a weaver, but out of envy all the patterns turned out gloomy and dark - such carpets were not popular with buyers.

Then she turned to the witch and she cast a spell on the needlewoman - her hands were taken away, and soon the girl became completely ill and died. After some time, beautiful plants with bright, showy flowers grew on the site of the grave.

The fruits dried after flowering have an attractive hemispheric shape and can be used as dried flowers that will decorate the premises for 1 - 2 years. 

Varieties and types of gaillardia:

Gaillardia aristata

 Attractive flowering perennials up to 70 - 90 cm high with lanceolate green leaves up to 15 - 18 cm long and tall erect shoots. The inflorescences consist of burgundy-orange or yellow reed flowers and red or brown tubular ones, reaching a diameter of 8 cm. Flowering occurs in May and lasts until September.

Gaillardia pulchella

Annual plants 30 - 30 cm high with pubescent shoots branched at the base. During the summer, the shoots become lignified and are covered with brown bark at the roots. The leaves are narrow, lanceolate, green, the surface of the leaf blades is covered with sparse light pubescence. The inflorescences are simple, with wide reed flowers, the edges of which have 3 denticles; the inflorescences are painted in a burgundy-orange hue. Flower heads reach a diameter of 3–6 cm and are formed from May to August. This species was widely used in the breeding of cultivated hybrid varieties.

Gaillardia Arizona Sun

 Compact flowering perennials up to 30 - 40 cm high with strong, low-growing stems, often grown as border plants. During the flowering period, which begins in June and lasts throughout the summer, the bushes decorate themselves with numerous large inflorescences. The reed flowers of plants of this variety are located in 2 rows and are colored yellow-burgundy.

Gaillardia Burgundy

 A herbaceous perennial with bright burgundy inflorescences reaching a diameter of 7 - 8 cm. Interestingly, the center of the inflorescence is capable of changing its shade from yellow, during the opening of the flowers, to brown as the flowers fade. The bushes reach a height of 70 - 80 cm and bloom in late spring - early summer.

Gaillardia Mesa Yellow

 Another attractive perennial with monochromatic yellow inflorescences. The bushes reach a height of 40 - 45 cm and form inflorescences throughout the summer months. The inflorescences can reach 7–8 cm in diameter.

Gaillardia grandiflora Arizona Apricot

 A distinctive feature of plants of this variety is their abundant and long-lasting flowering. Often the buds simply completely hide the foliage underneath. These large-flowered gaillardias form orange-yellow colored inflorescences with a diameter of up to 8 cm. The advantages of this variety also include the fact that flowering often occurs already in the first year after sowing the seeds. The bushes are compact and often do not exceed 30 cm in height, and are often grown as border plants.

Gaillardia aristata Goblin

 Large-flowered gaillardias with simple inflorescences colored burgundy-yellow. The tips of the reed flowers have 3 large denticles. Even adult bushes remain compact in size and reach a height of 25 - 30 cm.

Gailardia Kobold

 A large-flowered variety with compact dimensions - plant height does not exceed 30 cm. During the flowering period, which lasts throughout the summer, it forms bright inflorescences of a burgundy-orange hue with brown tubular flowers in the middle.

Gaillardia grandiflora Arizona Red Shades

 Miniature flowering perennials 25-30 cm high, the distinctive feature of which is spectacular inflorescences with burgundy reed flowers. Often the bases of reed flowers have a darker, brownish tint. Grown as a border plant, serving as the edging of a flower bed or garden path.