How to Grow Gaura From Seed
Commonly known as beeblossom or white gaura, Gaura lindheimeri is a species of perennial flower native to the Gulf Coast region of Louisiana and Texas. Gardeners sometimes include gaura in native plant landscaping for its dainty white or light-pink flowers, which attract a variety of beneficial pollinating insects such as butterflies and bees. Seed propagation is the best and most reliable way of growing gaura plants. Seeds can be planted after the soil warms to 70 degrees Fahrenheit. Does this Spark an idea?
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Instructions
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Choose a planting site in a sunny area with good drainage. Avoid sites with overhanging shrubbery or boggy soil.
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Remove all weeds, sticks and stones from the bed. Break up the soil using a cultivating fork or a rotary tiller, depending on the size of the bed.
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Amend the soil with a 4-inch-thick layer of compost if the soil is clay-based or very sandy. Integrate the compost into the soil to a depth of 6 inches using the cultivating fork.
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Spray the bed using a garden hose with an adjustable nozzle to settle the soil. Moisten the soil to a depth of 2 inches.
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Plant the seeds 1/4-inch-deep in groups of three. Space the seed groupings 12 to 15 inches apart across the bed. Make sure the seeds are covered, since light exposure inhibits germination.
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Water the seeds to a depth of 1 inch after planting to settle them. Water again once the soil feels dry in the top 1/2 inch. Maintain moisture at that level for 14 days, which is the germination period for white gaura.
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Thin the white gaura seedlings once they grow to 1 inch in height. Remove all but the healthiest and largest seedling from each group of three.
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Tips & Warnings
White gaura grows best in USDA hardiness zones 5 to 10.
