About 70 types of colorful, beloved flowers by all - this is gerbera. Caring for her is much easier than it might seem. It belongs to the genus of perennial grasses of the Asteraceae family. Its peduncle leafless, can reach up to 60 cm in height. Flower baskets have a diverse color, they are single, large, semi-double or simple (depending on the variety), diameter - up to 15 cm. The fruit of the flower is achene. Indoor View - Jameson's Gerbera.
Gerbera care requires compliance with certain rules. The flower is very photophilous, it can even tolerate a small number of direct rays of the sun. It grows well in eastern and western windows. In summer, you can take the plant to fresh air. It must be gradually accustomed to this level of lighting in order to avoid sunburn. Additional illumination with
fluorescent lamps is necessary in autumn and winter.
Since gerbera is a heat-loving plant, the air temperature must be appropriate for it - not lower than 20 ° C. At the height of flowering, it is important not to allow a large temperature difference (day-night), because this affects negatively the inflorescences. In winter, when the gerbera fades, it is better to move it to a room where the air temperature is not lower than 12 o C.
During the
growing season, gerbera care requires the most caring. You need to water it with warm water, in moderation. It is necessary to ensure that the temperature of the water and substrate does not differ much. Otherwise, the plant may become ill. Watering should be carried out only when the upper ball of the substrate dries. Use water that is well-kept and soft. In no case should it fall into a leaf outlet, otherwise the plant will die. High air humidity is what the gerbera needs. Spraying is not recommended, you can only spray a fine dispersion around the plant. To increase humidity, you can put the pot on a pallet with small wet pebbles or expanded clay.
An interesting feature of the plant is the dependence of flowering on the duration of daylight hours. Gerbera begins to produce a flower during the period of active reduction of the day (from August to September). At this time, hunters for original and exclusive (as well as simply beautiful) shots use precisely them - gerbera flowers. A photo on their background, as well as a photo of the flowers themselves, is a real treasure. This is used by many photographers.
Gerbera, the care of which requires a certain amount of fertilizer, is a pretty unpretentious flower. Complex mineral compositions are needed during the period of active vegetation. Feeding with some magnesium sulfate is also desirable. If the temperature is low, phosphorus is also added.
Gerbera is propagated by dividing the bush and seeds. The latter method is best used in spring. The substrate is needed nutritious and loose. The first pick is carried out in the phase of two or three true leaves, and the second - in the phase of 5 leaves (in individual pots). A month after planting in different containers, the first fertilizing with complex mineral fertilizers is carried out . Possible difficulties with this plant arise with such signs: loss of leaf brightness, fungal diseases, pallor, waterlogging. But if the gerbera care gets caring and reverent, then nothing like this will happen to her!