Gerbera is often called a transvaal daisy or daisy. It belongs to the herbaceous perennials of the aster family. Almost all species of this plant come from the island of Madagascar and from South Africa. Gerberas are often found in the tropics of Asia. Florists all over the world grow this plant in greenhouses for bouquets. And the gerbera is great for growing in pots as a houseplant. Flowers look like chamomile, their coloring can be very different. There are only blue gerberas.
Caring for a room gerbera (you can see it in the photo below) is very simple. She loves light and warmth. Under these conditions, the plant will delight the owners with large bright flowers. We will introduce you to all the rules of care today.
How Gerbera appeared: legend and facts
According to legend, a magnificent flower with a diverse color of petals (from snow-white to dark cherry) appeared after a forest nymph named Gerba wanted to turn into a modest and inconspicuous flower. The thing is that she was so pretty, that everyone around her was constantly admiring her. This state of affairs of the nymph was only annoying. Of course, it turned into a flower of the Coat of Arms, but it hasn’t lost its charm. And therefore, flower growers from all over the planet grow this amazingly beautiful plant.
For the first time, the Dutch saw the gerbera on the shores of South Africa. It happened at the beginning of the XVIII century. The flower got its name after the famous German herbalist Traugott Gerber. Gerbera appeared on the territory of Russia only 150 years after it spread to Europe.
Species and varieties
Typically, home growers grow compact, low-growing forms of Jameson's gerbera, for example, the Happipot gerbera. No less popular are the gerberas Ilios, Hummingbird and Parade. They are characterized by low growth - about 25-30 cm. Gerbera varieties differ in the shape of the flowers. Of course, they all resemble chamomile, but variations such as twisted, terry and needle petals are possible. The variety of shades is also striking: there are pink, red, white, salmon, burgundy, cream, raspberry and other gerberas - for any, even the most demanding taste.
Natural cycle
Start care with a study of the natural cycle of exotic chamomile. This will create a natural environment for indoor gerbera. Here's what the development cycle looks like:
- from late summer to late autumn, the plant delights with its delicate flowers;
- from November to February, the plant is at rest, while gaining strength for the upcoming flowering;
- since mid-February, gerbera has entered a period of active growth, at this time it is necessary to increase the frequency of irrigation, to begin to fertilize.
Of course, you can deprive the plant of a dormant period, but after two years in this mode, it will become tired and will be unsuitable for further cultivation.
Gerbera indoor: photo, home care after purchase
Moving from the greenhouse to the flower shop, and from there to the apartment is a serious stress for the flower. Therefore, in the first two weeks it is necessary to surround the plant with care. When choosing a place, you should stop at where the lighting is bright enough, but at the same time the sun's rays do not fall on the leaves and petals. The room should be regularly ventilated, maintaining the temperature in it at least 20-24 degrees. Immediately after the purchase (and preferably during) it is recommended to check the plant for pests. If any, the gerbera needs to be treated with Fitoverm or Aktara.
Most plants require transplantation immediately after the flower shop. But this does not apply to gerbera room. This flower is very delicate, and therefore it needs time to adapt to new conditions. The transplant should be carried out only after two to three weeks. To determine that the plant is ready for this procedure is quite simple: the plant itself will perk up noticeably, and its leaves will cease to be lethargic. It is worth noting that in the store, the gerbera was most likely in temporary soil, so after replanting it is necessary to regularly feed it - complex fertilizers can be applied every three days. The land should be changed completely, you can leave only the one on the roots. Consider the process of replanting room gerbera and caring for it in more detail.
Pot selection
The first thing to do when preparing a plant for a transplant is to find a suitable container. Which pot is the gerbera needed? Breathable! The best option is a clay pot. Its volume should be 1-1.5 liters, and the diameter must be larger than the previous capacity by 2-3 centimeters.
The soil
Gerbera prefers slightly acidic soil. Leafy soil, sand and peat in a ratio of 2: 1: 1 are perfect. You can add a small amount of pine bark. If you are used to buying land in specialized stores, opt for rose mixes. Please note - humus or compost in a room gerbera is not suitable. At the bottom of the flower pot, it is necessary to lay out a drainage layer of 1-2 cm. For this, expanded clay can be used.
Remove the gerbera from the old pot as carefully as possible. The soil from the roots can be gently shaken off, after which the plant can be placed in a new container. It should be sprinkled with fresh soil, leaving the root neck above the ground. By the way, a transfer to a more spacious container is required by the gerbera annually.
Gerbera room: home care. Temperature and lighting
Caring for a room gerbera includes ensuring the correct temperature. In spring and summer, you should maintain a temperature of about +24 ° C. During the flowering period, any differences between day and night temperatures are extremely undesirable. But when flowering ends, it is necessary to gradually lower the degree: at the end of autumn, the temperature should be no more than 14 degrees, and in winter - about 12 ° C.
Growing room gerbera is impossible without choosing a place and lighting. This flower is photophilous, but does not tolerate a large number of direct sunlight. Florists recommend placing pots with gerbera on the eastern or western windows. If the only option is a window on the south side, the flower should be shaded at noon. In warm weather, the plant can be taken out to the balcony, as it is very fond of fresh air.
Watering
It is difficult to imagine caring for room gerbera (you can see its different options in the photo in the article) without such a procedure as watering. Water must be at room temperature, soft. It is important to ensure that it does not get into the leaf outlet. Pour water into the edge of the pot. Another way to water is through the pan. You can pour water into it, and after half an hour, pour what is left. The soil in which the gerbera grows should be moist, but you should not fill the plant, otherwise fungal diseases or powdery mildew will begin to develop.
Spraying
Inexperienced gardeners often wonder about indoor gerberas: how to care for this plant. Particular attention should be paid to spraying. The fact is that when the air in the room becomes dry (especially during the heating season), an exotic chamomile loses its decorative qualities and begins to grow worse. To prevent this, you need to spray the plant daily: water should be sprayed around the pot and on the leaves, making sure that it does not get on the petals and the outlet.
Top dressing
It is difficult to imagine indoor gerbera and care for it without regular fertilizing. The best option is complex mineral fertilizers. They need to be made 3-4 times a month. But what should not be added is organics. When building green mass, fertilizers containing a large amount of nitrogen should be added. True, there is one caveat: the solution should be weakly concentrated. During flowering, fertilizers containing potassium can be applied. In winter, during dormancy, it is better to refuse feeding. Phosphorus should be added to the fertilizer when the room temperature is lower than recommended.
Pruning
Indoor gerbera does not need pruning. However, it is necessary to remove flowers that have already faded so that they do not inhibit the growth of the plant. Florists recommend not to cut them off, but to gently break them off. You can remove excess leaves - this will stimulate the appearance of new flowers.
Breeding
How can gerbera be propagated? A houseplant at home can be propagated by seeds, cuttings and dividing the bush. Sow the seeds must be in the spring. After the first two or three leaflets appear on the sprouts, it is recommended to carry out picking - to thin out the seedlings. After the appearance of the fifth leaf, seedlings can be planted in individual pots. A month later, you can carry out the first top dressing. This method has one drawback: such a plant may not retain the characteristics of the mother plant. How to avoid this? Propagate the gerbera by dividing the bush! A 3-4-year-old bush should be divided in the spring, it is necessary to take care of the seedlings in the same way as for an adult plant. New flowers will appear on them a year later.
Pests and diseases
If the plant does not have enough water, and the room has dry air, then a spider mite can get on it. The appearance of a pest can be determined by the following signs:
- leaves turn yellow;
- the surface of the leaves is covered with small transparent dots;
- as a result, the plant loses foliage and dies.
As a preventive measure, you should regularly spray the leaves and wash them with water. Abuse of watering, poor ventilation and high humidity can lead to the fact that the plant will begin to rot or become infected with powdery mildew. By the way, temperature drops and excessive use of fertilizers with nitrogen can lead to powdery mildew. The first signals again give leaves: they turn yellow and become covered with spots. You can remove the powdery mildew, which usually manifests itself in the form of white fluffy spots, with your hands, after which you need to spray the gerbera with the Fitosporin-M preparation.
Frequent watering leads to the appearance of white and gray mold. Caring for a room gerbera at home in this situation involves the removal of diseased leaves, a decrease in moisture, and a spraying of the plant with copper sulfate solution.
Pests such as scale insects, aphids and whiteflies can cause harm to an exotic flower. Experienced flower growers suggest ways to combat:
- The soil should be disinfected.
- Affected parts of the plant must be removed in a timely manner.
- The plant is recommended to be treated with drugs.
Anabazine sulfate, nicotine sulfate and other similar drugs will help in the fight against aphids. It is impossible to get rid of whiteflies without spraying with drugs that include permethrin.
Problems and errors
If the room gerbera does not have enough heat and light, its leaves can stretch out and lose a saturated green color. But at the same time, it is important to know that similar symptoms can appear during the adaptation of a plant, which from the conditions of the store got into the house. The brightness of the foliage can disappear with a lack of nutrients.
For withering, yellowing and drying of the gerbera, such causes as excess or lack of moisture, fusarium, usually lead. During dormancy, it is important for the plant to maintain a low temperature. With proper care, the plant builds green mass until August and only then begins to bloom.
And now we will consider the main mistakes that beginner growers make.
- One of the most serious mistakes is watering, during which water enters the outlet of the plant, which leads to decay and death.
- In a particularly hot time, the foliage of a room gerbera may fade or wilt a little, but this does not mean at all that the flower urgently needs watering. It just needs to be moved to a place where it’s a bit cooler, or arrange shading from tulle for him.
- Sometimes flower growers do not pay attention to the yellowing of the leaves. However, this symptom can speak of several problems at once - lack of light or its excess, the appearance of pests. If the plant begins to turn yellow, it is urgent to reconsider caring for it.
- Inexperienced gardeners may forget that the gerbera needs to be fed. Its absence leads to exhaustion.
- Be sure to loosen the topsoil. If this is not done, crusts form on the ground, and aeration is disturbed.
It is enough to follow all the rules for caring for a bright chamomile, provide it with watering and regularly fertilize, and it will delight you for more than one year!