Gaillardia aestivalis grow and care – herbaceous of the genus Gaillardia also known as Lanceleaf blanketflower, Gaillardia aestivalis perennial evergreen or deciduous plant, used as ornamental plant for the flowers, as ground cover, the plant attract pollinators and can be drought tolerant plant, can grow in temperate, subtropics or mediterranean climate and growing in hardiness zone 6-10a and with the right overwinter care in hardiness zone 5a.
How to grow Gaillardia aestivalis growing and care:
Well-drained soil, mulch, the plant doesn’t like high humidity
How to care: When the plant deciduous better to cover mulch in the winter and also in hot location in the summer better to put mulch it’s keep the soil moist, better to fertilize in the spring before blooming season
What is the best way to start growing? Plant / Seed / Vegetative Reproduction
How to propagate by division: Propagating by division – before start division it’s better to water the ground for few days it’s make easier to move the soil, dig the plant with the hand (better not to destroy the roots system) in the connection between the plant better to use cutter to cut the root connection
Is it necessary to graft or use vegetative reproduction? No it’s easy to start from seeds, propagating by division easier and can ensure the color of the flowers
Difficulties or problems when growing: ?
Planting season – When to plant: Spring as in hardiness zone 5, spring to summer in hardiness zone 6-9, spring to autumn in hardiness zone 10a, in hot summer better not in the summer
How to plant: Dig a hole bigger than the root ball at least 50-150% bigger, if it’s heavy soil make bigger hole and add the light soil to make the drainage better, add organic matter, dead leaves, compost and humus.
Pests and diseases: Powdery mildew, slugs, mealy bugs
Pruning season: All year
How to prune: Dead leaves and deadhead, unless there need for the seeds
How to deadhead blanket flower: Deadheading flowers as the flowers color fade away cut off the flower stem above the leaves.
Size of the plant: 30-60 cm, 12-24 inches
Growth speed in optimal condition: Fast growing / Medium growing
Water requirement: Average amount of water, can grow in small amount of water and the plant can survive drought but better to give the plant regularly water
Light conditions in optimal condition for growing: Full Sun, can grow in less than full sun but will bloom less
Is it possible to grow indoor as houseplant? No
Growing is also possible in a pots, planter, flowerpot, containers: Yes, start with pots that bigger than the root ball at least 100-200%, possible to grow the plant in pot of 10-15L (2.5-4 gallons), use potting mix or peat soil with perlite and mix it with humus and organic matter, if use bottom for the pot let the bottom of the pot fill in water but dry in the same day, drainage of the soil is important and need to make enough holes, when the plant grow in the same container few year need to consider to switch the soil usually potting mix or other kind of soil lose their viability and also the soil become heavier and prevent the drainage of the soil
Blooming information
Bloom season: All the year
General information about the flower Yellow, purple or white flowers, the inner (stamen) darker red-brown
