Cineraria Flower Seeds - Vibrant Colors for Your Garden

Florist's Cineraria, known in Arabic as سنانير, is a tender clump-forming member of the daisy family that gardeners prize for its sheer colour. It forms neat mounds topped with masses of daisy-like flowers in red, pink, purple, blue and white, very often finished with a striking contrasting eye at the centre. Grown as a cool-season annual or a bright houseplant, it is a showpiece for winter pots, shaded borders and cool windowsills.

Planting

In Egypt treat cineraria as a winter flower. Sow from late summer to early autumn (about August to October) in a sterile seed mix, scattering seed shallowly at roughly 0.3 cm and barely covering it, since light aids germination. Keep at about 15.6-18°C, where sprouts appear in around 10-14 days. Transplant in October-November and space mounds about 30-45 cm apart in partial shade. In Upper Egypt sow a little later and shade plants in the afternoon.

Fertilizing

Enrich the soil with organic matter or a balanced NPK feed at planting. During active growth, apply a balanced liquid fertiliser roughly every two weeks, continuing until flower buds appear and then stopping.

Care

Give fertile, well-drained soil rich in organic matter and keep it evenly moist without waterlogging, which causes rot. Good airflow guards against grey mould; watch for aphids, thrips, whitefly and spider mites. Deadhead spent flowers to extend the winter-to-spring display.