Gazania Sunstopper Orange, also known as African Daisy or Treasure Flower, is an annual or tender perennial native to South Africa. It has a mounding habit 6-10" tall and 10" wide with orange flowers that bloom from late spring through early summer. Hardy in zone 8-11, Sunstopper Orange offers high heat tolerance and attracts bees and butterflies. African Daisy flourishes with little more than average, well-drained soil and regular water. The stunning colors and attractive foliage look lovely in containers, borders, rock gardens, and as flowering groundcover. Sunstopper is a slightly smaller variety with simpler colors than Gazania Rigens Giant. Create a rustic landscape border by pairing Gazania with California Poppy, Prairie Gentian, Pentas, Salvia, and Scabiosa.
Sunstopper Orange Selling Tips
Sell Sunstopper Orange to customers looking for a stunning, low-maintenance annual flower for landscape borders or containers. Treasure Flower has many benefits to offer your customers, from simple care to compact foliage and attractive flowers. This plant brings bright daytime color to the landscape, attracts pollinators, and is simple to grow. Gazania flourishes in full sun with average soil and minimal water. In containers or landscape borders, grow Gazania alongside perennials and overwinter it in warm climates. Combine Sunstopper Orange with Giant Yellow Red Striped and Sunstopper Lemon to create a visually delightful landscape, especially in mass plantings.
Coach Your Customer
1. Space plants 8-10 inches apart in well-drained soil in full sun. Water regularly to establish roots and then water weekly or less in wet weather.
2. Gazania is a tender perennial in zone 8-11. Grow it annually in colder climates, or you may choose to overwinter containers indoors. Bring containers in before the first frost and store them in a bright, cool place; water sparingly, just enough to keep the soil from being completely dry.
3. Deadhead to keep this plant blooming continuously. Feed once a month during the flowering season.
General Growing Tips For Your Rooted Cutting Liner
For best results with Sunstopper Orange, use well-drained soil with medium feed (175-225 ppm N), a pH of 5.8-6.2, and an EC of 1.2-1.5. Provide daytime temperatures of 65-70 degrees and nighttime temperatures of 55-60 degrees. As a facultative long-day plant, Gazania has a longer crop time grown in low light levels. Plants grown during long days will flower earlier. You may see aphids, mealybugs, spider mites, and thrips. Gazania can be prone to fungus and root rot.
Flowering
Orange flowers bloom from late spring through early summer.
Pinching
This plant doesn't require pinching.
Spacing
Space containers to allow for adequate airflow and sunlight penetration between plants. This plant can grow to an 10" spread. We don't recommend planting them in 1801 trays as they can develop fungus when grown too close together.
Height Control
This plant typically doesn't require chemical growth regulators. If you do choose to use PGR, use a spray of Daminozide 2-3 weeks after transplanting. Use 3,000 ppm on 4-inch containers or 3,500 ppm on 5-inch, 6-inch, or gallon containers.
Pests
You may see aphids, mealybugs, spider mites, and thrips.
Disease
Sunstopper Orange can be prone to botrytis, downy mildew, and root rot. Avoid oversaturating the soil. If the plant sits in moist soil at length, you could end up with root rot or botrytis. Botrytis grey rot tends to occur in wet or humid conditions. Take these steps to prevent fungal infections and root rot: water in the morning and allow the plant to dry out between waterings; provide good airflow in your greenhouse; space plants so the sun can penetrate to the soil level and air can get completely around each container. The most common chemicals used to treat root rot are Medallion and Banrot. Use either as a drench according to the label's instructions.
Planting Sunstopper Orange Liners
We recommend planting one rooted plug per 4-inch container or three rooted plugs per 5-inch, 6-inch, or 1-gallon container. Use well-drained soil and completely bury the ellepot in the center of the pot or equally spaced. Plants grown for spring sale take 8-9 weeks to finish; plants grown during longer days for summer take 7-8 weeks.
Rooted Cuttings
Cuttings vary in size between different plant families. These rooted starter plants will arrive ready to be transplanted in to your final container. If they are to be used in a landscape application, you will need to establish them in a 4 inch pot or an 1801 before planting outside.
Gazania Sunstopper Orange Quick Reference Guide
4 Inch crop time | 7-9 Weeks |
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10 Inch crop time | 7-9 Weeks |
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Bloom Period | Summer |
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Color | Orange |
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Habit | Mounding |
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Height | 6-10 inches |
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Light | Full Sun |
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Minimum Temp | 55 |
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Perennial Zone | Zones 8-11 |
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Water Needs | Light, Moderate |
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Patented Plant | Yes |
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