A Gardeners Forum Forums Gardening Reference Gardening in 2005 Gazania care

I grew Gazania when I lived in California and they never seemed to need much care. Now that I'm in Michigan it seems they need more care? The flowers bloom further away from the green leafy part of the plant and it seems the energy taken by those stalks slows the new growth. Can I cut back the already bloomed flowers to enhance new blooms? They are growing beautifully, and the plants have tripled in size, but these tall, straggly stalks look strange and eventually die with the flower? Rambling...that's me!

That can happen if you over-fertilize. You may not even have had to have done it. The soil may be very rich from previous owners.

I never considered that! But, I don't think that is the problem this time. It is rather a mystery...there are two large oak trees in the front yard - one had a flower bed planted beneath it, the other had nothing. I thought it made the yard look odd, so I put in a planter last spring - new soil, etc. The older bed has plants just blooming like crazy - they are all healthy and growing strong. The new planter - well the plants look healthy, but they have not changed their size whatsoever...except the tall stalks on the Gazania.
A mystery for certain!
Thanks again.
Babs

I think they need full sun. However, I have mine on the deck and the stems do grow 6-10 inches above the leaves. Do deadhead them, it encourages more blooms. They seem to like sun, heat and I water them every other day here in KS.

Thanks....I'll trim them all back this evening. The canopy of the maple tree is very high, so the plants get plenty of sun. Again, my heartfelt thanks.
Babs

I have gazinias in a bed and in a container. The ones in the container have much bigger blooms, but less foilage. The ones in the bed have little blooms and way more foilage than blooms it seems. I water my container daily as it is on the front porch and it gets lots of sun. The gazinias in the bed I water a couple of times a week.