Blanket Flower Seeds

Sow Gaillardia Aristata seeds directly outdoors after the last frost. Press them lightly onto the soil 1/4 inch deep, but don’t cover too much, as seeds need light to germinate. For earlier blooms, start indoors 6–8 weeks before the last frost at 70–75°F (21–24°C). Under proper conditions, seeds germinate in 20 days, however, in rare cases it can happen even in 70 days. Once seedlings hit about 3 inches, thin to 12–18 inches apart. 

Blanket Flowers are full sun plants. They require at least 6 hours of sunlight daily. Flower can grow in sandy, rocky, or lean soil. Once the roots are established, it is genuinely drought-tolerant and rarely needs watering. Don’t add any fertilizer, as rich, heavily amended soil produces tall, floppy plants with fewer flowers.

Deadhead regularly if you want continuous flowering. Cut plant by one-third in midsummer, and it will grow a new foliage. Divide clumps every 2–3 years in early spring. In zones 3–5, add a thin layer of mulch over the crown through winter to help the plant survive cold temperatures.