Germination temperature
About 18-20 °C (65-68 °F); warm days and cooler nights also work well.
Flower growing guide
Blanket flower thrives in heat, sun and poor, dry soil, and gives red-and-yellow daisies for months. The seed germinates best on the surface or with a very thin cover, so do not bury it.
About 18-20 °C (65-68 °F); warm days and cooler nights also work well.
On the surface or only lightly covered.
Starts in 5-7 days; can take up to about 20 days.
Light helps: surface-sow or barely cover.
None needed; no cold treatment required.
Either; start in trays 4-8 weeks before planting out.
Gaillardia seed carries a tuft of stiff bristles. Leave it as it is: rough cleaning that strips the bristles damages the seed and reduces germination.
Not needed. Untreated seed has germinated at 85% or better in USDA plant materials centre trials.
Not needed. The USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service states that blanket flower seed does not require cold stratification.
Not needed. Sow dry seed onto moist compost or soil.
The University of Alaska chart gives 18-20 °C (65-68 °F) for annual blanket flower. In a laboratory test of Gaillardia aristata, alternating 20 °C and 30 °C (68 °F and 86 °F) gave 84% germination.
In trays, press the seed onto the surface or cover it with only a dusting of fine compost or grit so it does not float when watered. In open ground, USDA field sowings place seed no deeper than 6-13 mm (1/4-1/2 in); in a garden bed, shallower is better.
A light, free-draining seed compost. In the garden blanket flower grows in sandy, loamy or stony soil as long as it drains well; it does not need rich soil.
Keep the surface evenly moist until germination. A thin layer of grit on top helps hold surface-sown seed in place.
Sources differ in emphasis. The University of Wisconsin says annual types need light and should be scattered on the surface, and the Alaska chart marks gaillardia as needing light and not covered. A USDA laboratory test of G. aristata found 84% germination with light and 80% in darkness, so light helps but is not essential. For a mix, surface-sow or cover very thinly.
In USDA nursery trials germination began in 5-7 days and was complete in 14-16 days; the Alaska chart gives 15-20 days.
Start annual types 4-6 weeks and perennial types 6-8 weeks before planting out. Annual blanket flower begins flowering about three months after sowing; perennial types take about 4-5 months, so they may flower only lightly in the first season.
Plant in full sun, at least six hours of direct sun a day, on well-drained soil. Where the soil is heavy, use raised beds, mounds or containers.
Seedlings look like young dandelions, so mark direct-sown rows to avoid weeding them out. Once established, water only in long dry spells and feed lightly.
Cause: seed buried too deep. Fix: resow on the surface or under a very thin cover and keep it moist.
Cause: root rot in poorly drained or waterlogged soil. Fix: grow on free-draining, sandy soil or raised beds and never let water stand around the crown.
Cause: aster yellows, a disease spread by leafhoppers. Fix: remove and destroy affected plants promptly; they do not recover.
Cause: powdery mildew in humid weather, or fungal leaf spots. Fix: space plants for airflow, water at the base and clear away infected leaves.
Cause: the hairy leaves contain compounds that can irritate skin. Fix: wear gloves when deadheading or dividing.
Blanket flower tolerates heat, drought and poor soil better than most bedding flowers, which makes it useful for Indian summers. In the plains sow in late winter for summer flowers, or after the monsoon for a cool-season display; avoid sowing just before heavy rains.
Deadheading is not essential but keeps plants tidy and prolongs their life. Hybrid blanket flowers bloom so heavily that they often live only about two years.
Rich soil and heavy feeding give soft, floppy growth. Little or no fertiliser is needed once plants are established.
Gaillardia often self-sows. Leave a few seed heads if you want new plants next season, or cut them off to prevent spreading.
Sow blanket flower for long-lasting red and yellow daisies that thrive in heat and dry soil.
Light helps. Sow on the surface or under a very thin cover of fine compost. In a USDA test, seed still germinated well in darkness, so a light cover is fine; deep burial is the real problem.
Annual types flower about three months after sowing. Perennial types take about 4-5 months and flower fully from the second season.
Usually root rot from wet soil. Blanket flower needs sharp drainage, so grow it on raised beds or sandy soil and do not overwater.