Cinerarias have been very popular plants since early Victorian times and during the latter part of the nineteenth century, when many professional gardeners were engaged in raising new and improved cultivars or hybrids, there were many named varieties offered by nurserymen. It is not surprising that they have always been popular plants because not only are they attractive and colourful flowering plants, but with careful planning they can be flowered from autumn to spring; also, in a cool atmosphere of say 45 - 55 ° F ( 7 - 13°C), some varieties will remain in flower for six to eight weeks.
Although they are perennials, cinerarias are usually treated as annuals and are grown from seed each year, the plants being discarded after flowering. Most seed growers or merchants offer their own strains, which are usually mixed colours, and these vary from dwarf plants, about 10 in (25 cm) in height, to large plants, 18 in (45 cm) tall. It is, however, not so much the height as the width which makes the plant large, because the taller varieties have large leaves and well-grown plants measure about 2 ft (60 cm) in diameter, taking up a considerable amount of room on the greenhouse bench. Unless you have a lot. of room to spare it is better to grow the largeflowered dwarf varieties, which are in any case more useful for house decoration.
Sow the seed in either a soilless compost or in seed compost covering lightly with a fine layer of the compost or fine sand. Cover the seed pan with a sheet of glass or enclose it in a plastic bag. Seed sown in mid-spring should be kept in a temperature of about 60-65°F (15 - 18 °C) and germination should take about seven days, in which case a fortnight after sowing the seedlings should be ready for pricking out into trays using compost E6.
In a further three to four weeks the seedlings should be ready for potting into 3-in (7.5-cm) pots and when these are well rooted in mid-summer pot on into АЧг or 5-in (11.5 or 13-cm) pots, depending on the size of the plant.
