Seed sown in spring, as described, should produce plants which have been potted into their final pots by mid-summer and these will bloom from the beginning of autumn onw-ards. Plants from the same sowing do not all bloom at the same time, and if you grow, say, a dozen plants from a spring sowing, they will probably cover a period of about three months, i.e. from the end of the summer until early winter. Seed can be sown any time between mid-spring and early summer inclusive; consequently, by sowing at different times, plants can be had in flower throughout the autumn and winter months.
Cinerarias can be grown in soilless compost, but in my experience they grow better in compost E6. Having large leaves, they require frequent watering in hot sunny weather and should always be shaded from direct sunlight. Even so, the leaves will nearly always flag during the heat of the day despite the compost being well watered, but in the cool of the evening they will recover and will be none the worse. It is, however, better to grow the plants outside in the summer, as soon as all danger of frost has passed. Any situation where the light is good, but out of the direct rays of the sun, is suitable. Before the end of the summer the plants should be taken indoors or preferably into a greenhouse.
As the plants make considerable growth in their growing period, feeding should commence after the plants have been in their final pots for some four or five weeks.
Cinerarias tend to attract greenfly and whitefiy in the summer months so, from time to time, inspect the undersides of the leaves and spray with a suitable insecticide if it is necessary. After the plants have finished flowering they should be discarded as they do not make satisfactory flowering plants in the second year.
