Firewheel (Gaillardia Pulchella mix) 100 seeds (#1795)

Annual blanketflower grows readily from seed and is native to the southern United States and Mexico. Its upright, toothed or lobed, bushy gray-green foliage beautifully sets off the showy, daisy-like flowers from creamy white to tan-purple through bicolour or yellow-brown. The blooms seem to dance on wiry stems spring to fall.
It is easily grown in sun and well-drained soil, but they also tolerate poor soils, heat and drought. They propagate and establish easily from seed. Mulch until planting fills in to suppress weeds. Deadhead to encourage a neater appearance and more flowering, however a few flower heads left in the stand to mature will attract seed-loving birds and re-seed the planting. Annual blanketflower is great addition to summer displays, good for ground cover, in mass plantings, along beach boardwalks, attracting butterflies to the garden and for cutting.
Information source: http://learn2grow.com/plants/gaillardia-pulchella-sundance-bicolor/
Approximately 100 seeds in 0.5g packet.

Genus - Gaillardia
Species - Pulchella
Variety - mix
Common name - Firewheel
Pre-Treatment - Not-required
Hardiness zones - 3 - 9
Height - 0,30 - 0,50 m
Spread - 0,30 m
Plant type - Annual
Exposure - Full Sun
Growth rate - Fast
Soil PH - Neutral, Alkaline
Soil type - Average garden soil, well drained
Water requirements - Average, drought tolerant
Landscape uses - Bedding Plant, Cutflower, Groundcover, Mixed Border, Rock Garden / Wall, Tropical, Wildflower
Bloom season - July - September
Leaf / Flower color - Green / Yellow, Red, Dark Red, Orange Red

GERMINATION INSTRUCTIONS
Sow inside from March to April inside or in Mayimmediately after the last frost.
Sow in cell plug trays filled with a growing medium that provides both good aeration and water-holding capacity or in the prepared flower bed outside. The seed should not be covered at sowing, as light is required for germination.
Germination will occur in 5-10 days at temperatures between +18-22C.
Starting inside a germination chamber will increase both the germination rate and percent germination, while decreasing the time necessary for all of the seeds to sprout.
During the germination process it is important to keep the growing media uniformly moist but not wet. Once germinated, it can be grown with temperatures of +16-20C. At these temperatures, it will finish the plug stage in approximately 5-7 weeks.