This amazingly beautiful plant arrived in Europe from the shores of South Africa. The culture is unpretentious, but the gerbera room care at home will appreciate and thank the owner with a lush, long flowering.
What does a gerbera look like?
In the natural environment, the flower reaches impressive size. Large inflorescences of gerbera outwardly look like a garden chamomile, but only with bright petals of warm shades. A variety with double flowers from a distance can be mistaken for an aster.
Indoor Gerbera
The culture refers to perennial plants. For indoor cultivation, breeders brought an indoor gerbera - a compact bush with a height of not more than 0.3 m.
Flowers grown for home use differ among themselves in the form of inflorescences and shades of petals. But the basic structure of all representatives of this species of Astrov is the same.
External signs of gerberas
| Specifications | Description |
|---|---|
| Stem | A single shortened stout peduncle, the average height of which is 20-25 cm |
| Leaves | Large, elongated, pubescent, light green in color. Collected in a basal outlet. Cirrus dissected plates have notched wavy edges |
| Flowers | Large, up to 5 cm in diameter, in the form of a bright colorful basket. Almost all colors of the rainbow (except blue) are present in shades. By the number and arrangement of inflorescence petals, gerberas are simple, terry and semi-double. In some varieties, the core is light (usually yellow), in others it is dark |
| Rhizome | Powerful, consisting of a large number of cord-like roots |
After flowering, the plant gives a fruit-seed, in 1 g of which there can be from 300 to 500 small grains. They can be collected for subsequent propagation of new bushes.
Varieties for home growing
Dutch botanist Reman brought to Europe Gerbera Jameson. It was she who became the founder of modern varieties of potted flowers. In total, there are more than 80 species of gerberas in nature. At home, hybrid varieties grown by breeders are grown. To get them, Jameson was originally crossed with another species - the green-leaf gerbera.
Gerber Jameson
Ancestors of domestic gerberas
| View | What does it look like |
|---|---|
| Jameson | A shortened stem of a herbaceous plant can hardly be seen behind a dense rosette of cirrus-dissected leaves. Chamomile baskets of various shades can be small - 4 cm in diameter, or large - about 15 cm |
| Green leaf | The foliage is a bit like a dandelion - the plates are just as long, with notches. Their surface is rough and hard. Naked pubescent stems can reach a height of 1 m. A large inflorescence with delicate pink narrow petals is formed on the crown. |
Alcor and Aldebaran, which are distinguished by narrow leaves and small flowers; Thanks to the crossing of species, flower growers have the opportunity to enjoy a variety of varieties of gerbera home. Particularly popular are:
- Vega, Megar and Jupiter also have narrow plates, but the inflorescences are medium in size;
- the festival is characterized by short stems with large inflorescences of various shades;
- also stands out gerbera Durora (another spelling - Durer), represented by bright multicolor on short stems.
Among the mix varieties you can find shades for every taste: bright raspberry and red, lilac and cream, salmon and yellow, delicate white. The shape of the petals is also diverse: needle-shaped, rounded, with twisted tips.
What is the popularity
The question "why is gerbera in a pot so popular" is not even worth looking for an answer - everything is already obvious:
- there is no difficulty in caring for a gerbera - this is the most unassuming plant;
- for the summer, home bushes can be safely transplanted to garden beds - they easily adapt to new conditions;
- the plant is bright, decorative, capable of blooming for a long period.
Note! Even compact stems can be used to cut into a bouquet. He will stand in a vase for a long time without losing freshness.
Room Gerbera Care
Growing this houseplant is a pleasure. But, despite the tolerance of culture to inconvenience, it is better to create comfortable conditions for the gerbera. The owner will only benefit from this, having received a bright lush flower bush.
Where to place in the house
Favorite places of gerbera in the apartment are well-lit window sills. Although direct sunlight can harm the plant. The best choice is east or west oriented windows. If you have to keep on the south windowsill, then at noon the window should be tinted.
The plant loves fresh air and is not afraid of drafts. Therefore, in summer pots with a gerbera can be transferred to the yard. If you don’t own your land, then a balcony is perfect.
Note! On a closed loggia, a gerbera even in winter will feel comfortable at rest if she maintains a temperature of at least + 12 °.
Choosing a pot for planting
Hybrid varieties arrive at flower shops in shipping containers. They are not suitable for continuous cultivation. Therefore, having acquired a new plant home, it must immediately be transplanted into a suitable pot.
The capacity should be spacious so that the rhizome during growth does not squash and does not go beyond the pot. But too spacious containers should not be taken.
In the sun
To stimulate active flowering, it is recommended that the gerbera be transplanted every year. In this case, the next pot is taken more than the previous one in diameter by only 2-3 cm. As for the depth, the optimal parameter is 30 cm.
Temperature
A native of Africa loves warmth, but does not tolerate extreme heat. Spring and summer temperatures in the room are maintained within 22-24 ° C, in the fall they are lowered to + 14 ° C, in the winter - up to + 12 ° C.
Important! During the flowering period, sharp changes in temperature indicators of day and night should not be allowed.
Lighting
Gerberas belong to plants of short daylight hours - no more than 12 hours. Therefore, in the summer, when the sun rises early and sets late, the practical bushes do not bloom, but build up green mass.
In winter, on the contrary, the gerbera requires additional illumination, which will be provided by fluorescent lamps aimed at the windowsill. The same lighting devices will be appropriate at any time of the year if the flower is located on the north window.
Watering
A tropical plant does not like drought, so there should be plenty of water. But in such a quantity that moisture is completely absorbed into the soil, and not stagnate on the surface, otherwise the lower leaves will begin to rot and the bush will become sick.
Cold water can also undermine plant immunity. Therefore, they take only a warm liquid (+ 20 ° C), a soft composition, filtered or settled.
How to gently water a plant
In the hot season, watering is carried out daily, in winter - as needed. If it is difficult to determine the amount of moisture the plant needs, it is recommended that the water be poured into a sump, after 15-20 minutes removing excess.
Humidity and spraying
If a gerbera grows in the house, care implies increased humidity in the room. Water should not fall on the foliage, so spraying from the spray gun is excluded.
If it is not possible to purchase an air humidifier, you can put a wide basin of water near the windowsill or keep wet pebbles in the pallet.
Priming
For exotics, the most suitable soil is with a ph level of 5-6 units. Of the purchased substrates, soil for roses is suitable. You can cook a homemade mixture of sheet, peat and sand (in the same proportion). It is recommended to introduce a little chopped pine bark into the ground.
Top dressing
Gerber home care is aimed at maintaining the strength of the bush. It has a long flowering period, so it is advisable to apply a complex set of fertilizers throughout the season:
- from April to the end of August - every 2-3 weeks;
- during rest, do top dressing 1 time per month.
Mineral complex for gerberas
As soon as the gerbera blooms, preference is given to fertilizers with a high content of potassium. In winter, nitrogen should prevail.
Organic fertilizers can not be used so as not to burn the roots of the plant. Of the minerals, Biosad, Forte, etc. are best suited.
Gerbera blossom
How the flowers of a tropical plant look is described above. Particular attention should be paid to the process of fragrance of the bush. Gerbera biological cycles depend on daylight hours:
- if it is too short, the plant enters a state of rest (in the winter months);
- with a duration of more than 12 hours, the bush is engaged in the growth of greenery (from spring to the end of summer);
- buds appear in August, and the gerbera blooms profusely until the end of November.
Inexperienced gardeners try to maintain flowering in the winter. But under such conditions, the bush will last no more than 2 years. Without sleep, he will be exhausted and die.
Important! The wilted flower is broken out, completely removing the stem from the nest. This will prevent the plant from rotting and will ensure the development of new buds.
Why does not bloom
Even with good care at home, a gerbera in a pot will delight only the first 3-4 years of life with flowers. Then the intensity of budding decreases or is completely depleted (this is a feature of the plant).
Note! If the bush is not rejuvenated by dividing it into parts, it ceases to bloom. Then you have to replace the plant with a fresher one.
There is another reason for the lack of color - the bush aimed all its strength at building greenery in the wrong time. This can be provoked by a high nitrogen content in the soil or a too spacious pot.
How room gerbera breeds
Even knowing how to properly care for a gerbera in a pot, you need to tune in to the fact that the bush will eventually die. Therefore, you should timely worry about how to propagate a favorite plant.
Seed germination
Gerbera is sown in March, using containers or seedlings (under film shelter). As soon as 2-3 leaves appear on the seedlings, the plants dive. When forming the 5th leaf, seedlings are settled in separate pots. Water is immediately plentifully watered, seedlings will need to be fed in a month.
Note! Propagation by gerbera seeds will not ensure the conservation of the maternal traits of the variety.
Rooting cuttings
Cuttings are a more laborious process and less reliable. So that the bush can reproduce in this way, it must have healthy roots. It is necessary to cut off a piece of rhizome with a stem from the uterine plant.
Cut the cuttings, leaving 1-2 sheets. It is necessary to shorten by 1/3 and the plate. Planted immediately in a separate pot and cover with a glass jar. The cuttings are aired daily and soil moisture is checked. If it is dry, add water to the pan.
Gerbera breeding
When new leaves appear on the stem, the gerbera must be fully opened.
Pot Transplant Guide
If the need came to rejuvenate the plant, it is removed from the pot and the bush is divided into parts. This procedure is best performed after flowering, before the gerbera goes to bed. The planned annual landing in a larger tank is held in the spring. At the same time adhere to the step-by-step algorithm:
- a layer of expanded clay, broken brick or ground stones is placed in a new pot;
- the plant is carefully removed from the old container by transshipment and relocated with an earthen lump;
Important! In the process of transplantation, it is important not to damage the roots, otherwise the gerbera will get sick or not at all in the new pot.
- the space between the earthen lump and the walls is filled with a fresh substrate.
In the process of transplantation
It remains to water the plant and put in its permanent place. The first days after transplantation, the bush requires special attention.
Possible problems in growing
Even an unpretentious gerbera can get sick. The plant signals its health by external signs.
Growing problems
| Name | Causes |
|---|---|
| Turn yellow, wither leaves Plant drops buds | · Excess or lack of moisture; Fungal disease |
| The sheet plate turns pale | Due to the abundance of sunlight, green loses its brightness |
| The bush stretched too far | The plant lacks daylight |
Gerbera is sick
Any violation of the regime will lead to illness. Unpretentious gerbera can suffer from:
- powdery mildew and putrid gray plaque (the reason is poor ventilation and waterlogging);
- Fusarium and phytophthora, provoked by a violation of the temperature and light conditions;
- invasion of aphids, whiteflies and spider mites, appearing with increased dryness.
The treatment is carried out with fungicides. Pests are controlled by insecticides.
Having studied the topic of how to care for a gerbera, it will not be difficult to grow it. To make the bush a true decoration of the interior, it is recommended to plant the plant in pots of the same shade as the inflorescences on the stems.
