I haven't gotten a single sprout of Gaillardia either. I have several containers from a couple sources including seed cataloges. Nothing. What I had a sprout of turned out to be a huge weed. I wonder if they're just really late.

Gaillardia like warmth. Re-Sow. Also make sure the seeds are viable. The little shuttlecocks should have a hard egg at the point.

Hammonds, check your drainage.

Hammonds,

Are your pots being kept moist? Did they dry out?
I planted Gaillardia on 3/4 and have very tiny spouts.
Maybe 3-5. So my germination is not great. But don't give
up. That don't mean they are through yet.

It won't be too late to get in some color and still
have a pretty garden with annuals.

I ordered these from Seedman.

Chippendale Zinnia
Persian Carpet Zinnia
Red Spider Zinnia
Improved Persian Carpet Zinnia

I just can't say enough about these old fashioned
flowers. They are non stop and can fill up a bed
cheaply until you can get all of your perennials
grown up.

What else are you adding to your beds??
Any bulbs? Iris, Tulip?

Would love to hear your plans.

Mary

Here is a link that might be useful: Seedman dot com

I have sprouts of Gaillardia almost 3+ weeks now. HollyHock based from what I witnessed is the fastest. I don't know where my Bachelor's button is. :P

Oh no, I haven't sowed any dianthus yet.

Ah, come on Hammonds, buck up! Don't be discouraged. Take a look at a few things:

1. Process. Did you follow basic tenants of WSing? Ventilated containers, bottom drainage, potting mix (not soil), at least 3" of mix, keeping them moist, etc?

As for the Gaillardia, I'm assuming you meant March 09. If it's truly over a year ago, I would say they're already living a different life somewhere, but not in your containers.

2. Seeds. Were they viable? Where did you get these? Commercially purchased, or in trades, or collected? Fresh? Despite the best processes, if the seed is poor, you won't have exceptional germination.

3. Exposure. Have you placed the containers in sheltered spots? Could too much sun/heat have affected them? Did you "fry" them by leaving tops on during warm spells? Alternately, did you leave tops off and maybe froze them?

I'm a newbie, too, and no expert by any stretch, but I use these general rules to keep me on track. Even then, recognize that failures are part of this whole gardening experience.

Get excited again, and start over if you have to. That's how you learn.

Prof

Well here you are!!!! :O) (Waving at you from Prospect Bay.)

Now don't you fret. I have about 200 containers out there and having done this for a few years I have learned that we Bluenosers have to be patient. Especially when you come to this forum and see that a lot of our fellow American and Ontario zone 5ers and 6ers are reporting sprouts.

I am getting a few but his year have moved things out to the sun and find that it is making a big difference. We are also still getting good frosts at night and those won't disappear until the end of April and into May.

Right now I do have about 7 or 8 things sprouting, but some are expected (Sweet Williams is always early) and others are new to me so I'm quite excited. I did sow Gaillardias one year and they sprouted late April/early May if I recall correctly.

Got some spare time this weekend? You are more than welcome to contact me via e-mail (just go to my page) and come visit. I also have too many plants in my gardens and could certainly help out a fellow gardener who is trying to get some colour going on a new property. We might have to wait a few weeks for things to get divided, but that's OK.

I don't think anyone's first year was perfect. Mine certainly wasn't but the learning experience was great. Hence the reason I'm still at it.

Hammonds, Token, do you want some yellow Gaillardia seed? I have quite a few left. I'm seeing volunteers left, right and center here from last year's fallen seed. They have even grown between the gravel. Tough as nails.

hammond
Would you like some more seeds? I have more than I can use. If so
send me an e-mail, and I'll send you my address , then you can send me a self address stamped envelope, I think I still have some Gallardia of some kind, but I know I have some things that will give you some color this summer. People on this forum have been very kind to me-I'd love the chance to be kind to someone else--but the seed exchange forum confuses me! So you'd be helping me out, if you'd let me send you a few seeds!

Audrey

Thanks for all your responses, they have lifted my spirits :) I am not giving up just yet and had planned to do about half perennials and half annuals so I would get some colour this summer - FriesFan - I have an order in for some Zinnias as well, and those are one of the plants I am counting on for some colour! (other annuals I have planned are several varities of Cosmos, salvia, petunia, bachelor buttons etc.) The Gaillardia seed 'looks' ok to me but maybe I will do another container and try again in case nothing happens with the two containers I already sowed (on March 08, 2009, not last year, retiredprof or I would have long given up on those!) I prepared all my milk containers the same way, have good drainage holes in the bottom, used a seedstarter mix, etc. We get good rain here so I assume they were well watered and not washed out (any heavy rains we received I covered them), never left the lids open so the seed fried etc. and they are all lined up on my deck which is south facing. Maybe I am just being too impatient! My Gaillardia seed was purchased from a local commercial operation, "Halifax Seed" (Tiffy would know about them) Tiffy I will definitely take you up on your offer to visit someday, I have seen pics of your 'work' and you have some beautiful gardens!! Would love to see everything once we get some good weather going around here! Thanks for the generous seed offers as well, everyone here is too kind!

"We get good rain here..." Now there's an understatement. :O) It's been rather torrential lately I must say. Glad to hear you covered them. Good move. I never usually do but those 40mm scared me and I had too many to move them back under the veranda.

Halifax Seed products should be good. Looking forward to meeting you someday!

The gaillardias at my house would like to take over. I have so many self-sown ones that I am pulling them out. Most of my wintersown ones have already been planted out. I can't mail them to Canada, but I could send some to NC, token.

Becky

Becky, the ones I sowed were from you in the blackjack swap. I kept a pack of seed from each player and from yours, I chose the yellow gaillardias. I'm going to give them another couple weeks. If they don't sprout, I'll let you know.

Thanks for the offer shemeows, too. I have more than I really need this year. Maybe I'll add it to my wants for next year. I think I overdid it this winter. Maybe it was just newbie jitters.

I'm having mixed germination on my gaillardia. I planted four or five varietes several cups of each. So far the gold is doing the best but I do have fanfare and something unspecific. Many of my others are the same seed and haven't shown much germ. I'll give them more time. I do know germ is supposed to be better if you planted the seeds point down whiskers up. My cups are in an assortment of containers, such as bins, comforter cases, large pop cups with lids and chinese takeout bins. So many chances for them overall.

Token, that is odd, because those are one of the varieties that self-sowed. I did not WS any this year, but I did last year and had good germination. In any event, I will probably pull more of them this weekend and will put them in pots. I have a daughter who just moved into a house with no flowers, so I am setting some extras aside for her, too. I also have a ton of salvia lyrata 'Purple Volcano' and I felt a bit guilty about tossing the little ones on the compost pile. I saved a couple for my daughter.

Becky

Well if it helps any I just checked my containers and I have 1 gaillardia sprout. Out of several containers. And several seeds. So maybe they are just holding out until a little later. It has been raining like crazy here in Va Bch so maybe that helped or the fact that the nighttime temps are reaching around 50. When more come up they should be super strong and ready for anything. Best of luck to you.

My gaillardias have had mixed germination. The best are the ones from Bakemom and some I got from Paulan70. The commercial ones were much spottier.

Lynda

The gaillarda seeds I tried have sprouted pretty well, and pretty quickly, back when it was sunny. It was a packet of Martha Stewart seeds I got at KMart, sown in a milkjug, seeds on top on soil.
Not too late to try another pack if you happen to pass by Kmart?

These seeds take a while. Once they sprout and you plant them out and it gets hot, they really are blankets! Wait till next year if you get them to sprout this year. They are very hardy!

Patience!

Not giving up yet. It will happen.

Here are the dates I have for the gaillardia seeds that I planted:

Gaillardia 'Tokajer' WS on 1/16, germinated 3/3/09
Gaillardia 'Burgundy' WS on 1/16, germinated 3/14/09
Gaillardia 'Goblin' WS on 3/7/09, germinated 3/19/09

The germination percentage isn't great, probably around 50%, but more may germinate once the temps warm up consistently.

What I love about all of my Gaillardia plants, and I already have about a dozen, is that they are blooming machines, but mine don't usually bloom until the second year. Oh, and I've found if I move them in the fall, they don't come back, but if I move the plants in the spring, it just sets them back a few weeks on the bloom time.

In zones 6 and 7, I would think they would be up by the end of April, unless the containers are in a shady location.

Bonnie

Thanks lgslgs seeing that made my heart sing that the seeds sprouted good for you.

The new Gaillardia seeds that I started this year have yet to sprout yet. But the plants overwintered are already getting a few leaves. So I am just playing the wait and see game. There is still plenty of time left for them to sprout. Just make sure that your jugs are kept moist but not soaked.

Paula

I went and checked my containers. One cup that hasn't germinated is too dry, and the other that has no germ. is sodden. The others I could fine have one or two sprouts or a good half of them have. Apparently the moisture really matters here.

Its funny what everyone has as thier problem seeds..

I have a few, joe pye weed, yvonnes salvia, silver dollars, kmotgg.

But ive never have had any gaillardia not germinate at least a little. They usually do and flower for me in the first year. I think fresh seed might be a key, but Ive sown them early or late and have had excellent results with both. I have a new batch for my new house coming up here.

They are colorful!

Below are some from arizona sun wintsown in either 06 or 07 I cant remember...

{{gwi:353527}}

Silverkelt, wow that is one gorgeous picture - you are so lucky to get results like that with them!

I had no idea my original post would create such a discussion about Gaillardia! Interesting to see so many people seem to be hit or miss with them - I decided to keep waiting (and hoping) on mine - My DH swears that he sees a tiny sprout in one of the containers (I don't) so I think he is just doing that to make me feel better :) I found the time last night to try another set of Gaillardia seeds that I had (Grandiflora) so I sowed them and put them out last night.