Gerbera is often called Transvaal chamomile or daisy. It belongs to the herbaceous perennials of the Asteraceae family. Almost all species of this plant come from the island of Madagascar and from South Africa. Often gerberas are found in the tropics of Asia. Flower growers around the world grow this plant in greenhouses for bouquets. And gerberas are great for growing in pots as a houseplant. Flowers look like chamomile, their coloring can be very different. There is no blue gerbera.
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 the gerbera appeared: legend and facts
According to legend, a magnificent flower with a variety of petal colors (from snow-white to dark cherry) appeared after a forest nymph named Gerba wished to turn into a modest and inconspicuous flower. The thing is that she was so pretty that everyone aroundconstantly admired her. This state of affairs only annoyed the nymph. Of course, it turned into a flower of the Coat of Arms, but it has not lost its charm. That is why flower growers from all over the world 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 18th century. The flower got its name from the famous German herbalist Traugott Gerber. Gerbera appeared on the territory of Russia only 150 years after it spread in Europe.
Types and varieties
Usually at home, gardeners grow compact, low-growing forms of the Jameson gerbera, for example, the Happipot gerbera. Ilios, Hummingbird and Parade gerberas are no less popular. They are characterized by low growth - about 25-30 cm. Gerber varieties differ in the shape of flowers. Of course, they all resemble chamomile, but variations such as twisted, double and needle-shaped petals are possible. The variety of shades is also striking: there are pink, red, white, salmon, burgundy, cream, raspberry and other gerberas - for every, even the most demanding taste.
Nature cycle
You should start your care by studying the natural cycle of exotic chamomile. This will create natural conditions for indoor gerbera. Here is what the development cycle looks like:
- from the end of summer to the end of autumn, the plant pleases with its delicate flowers;
- from November to February the plant is at rest, while gaining strength for the upcoming flowering;
- from mid-February gerberaenters a period of active growth, at this time it is necessary to increase the frequency of watering, start fertilizing.
Of course, you can deprive the plant of a dormant period, but after two years in this mode, it will get tired and will be unsuitable for further cultivation.
Gerbera room: 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 Celsius. Immediately after purchase (and preferably during), it is recommended to check the plant for pests. If there are any, the gerbera must be treated with "Fitoverm" or "Aktara".
Most plants need to be repotted right after the flower shop. But this does not apply to room gerbera. This flower is very delicate, and therefore it needs time to adapt to new conditions. Transplantation should be carried out only after two to three weeks. Determining that the plant is ready for this procedure is quite simple: the plant itself will noticeably perk up, and its leaves will no longer be sluggish. It is worth noting that in the store the gerbera was most likely in temporary soil, so after transplanting it is necessary to feed it regularly - once every three days you can makecomplex fertilizers. The earth should be completely changed, you can leave only the one that is on the roots. Consider the process of transplanting a room gerbera and caring for it in more detail.
Choose a pot
The first thing to do when preparing a plant for transplanting is to find a suitable container. What kind of pot does a gerbera need? Breathable! The best option is a clay pot. Its volume should be 1-1.5 liters, and the diameter must be 2-3 centimeters larger than the previous container.
Soil
Gerbera prefers slightly acid 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 for indoor gerbera is not suitable. At the bottom of the flower pot, be sure to lay out a drainage layer of 1-2 cm. Expanded clay can be used for this.
Gerbera should be taken out of 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 transplant into a larger container is required for a gerbera annually.
Gerbera room: care at home. Temperature and lighting
Caring for indoor gerbera includes ensuring the correct temperature. In spring and summer, the temperature should be maintained at about +24 ° C. ATduring the flowering period, any differences between day and night temperatures are highly 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 ° С.
Growing indoor gerbera is impossible without choosing a location and lighting. This flower is photophilous, but does not tolerate a large amount of direct sunlight. Flower growers recommend placing gerbera pots on east or west windows. If the only option is a window on the south side, at noon the flower should be shaded. In warm weather, the plant can be taken out to the balcony, as it loves fresh air.
Irrigation
Caring for room gerbera (in the photo in the article you can see its different options) is hard to imagine without such a procedure as watering. Water must be at room temperature, soft. It is important to ensure that it does not fall into the rosette of leaves. You need to pour water into the edge of the pot. Another way of watering is through a pallet. You can pour water into it, and after half an hour drain what is left. The soil in which the gerbera grows should be moist, but you should not flood the plant, otherwise fungal diseases or powdery mildew will 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),exotic chamomile loses its decorative qualities, 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 fall on the petals and in the outlet.
Feeding
It is difficult to imagine indoor gerbera and caring for it without regular fertilization. The best option is complex mineral fertilizers. They need to be applied 3-4 times a month. But what you should not add is organics. During the growth of 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 the dormant period, it is better to refuse top dressing. Phosphorus should be added to the fertilizer when the room temperature is below the recommended.
Cutting
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. Flower growers recommend not to cut them off, but to carefully break them off. You can remove extra leaves - this will stimulate the emergence of new flowers.
Reproduction
How can gerberas be propagated? A houseplant at home can be propagated by seeds, cuttings and dividing the bush. Seeds need to be sown in the spring. After the first two or three leaves appear on the sprouts, it is recommended to pick and thin out the seedlings. After the appearance of the fifth leaf, seedlings can be plantedin individual pots. A month after this, 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 it? Propagate gerbera by dividing the bush! A 3-4-year-old bush should be divided in the spring, it is necessary to care for seedlings in the same way as for an adult plant. New flowers will appear on them after a year.
Pests and diseases
If the plant does not have enough water, and the air in the room is dry, then a spider mite can start on it. You can determine the appearance of a pest 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 cause the plant to rot or become ill with powdery mildew. By the way, temperature changes and excessive use of fertilizers with nitrogen can lead to powdery mildew. The leaves will again give the first signals: they will turn yellow and become covered with spots. You can remove powdery mildew, which usually appears in the form of white fluffy spots, with your hands, after which you need to spray the gerbera with Fitosporin-M.
Frequent watering also leads to the appearance of white and gray mold. Caring for room gerbera at home in this situation involves removing diseased leaves, reducinghumidity and spraying the plant with a solution of copper sulfate.
Harm to an exotic flower can be caused by pests such as scale insects, aphids and whiteflies. Experienced flower growers suggest ways to fight:
- 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 the whitefly without spraying with drugs that include permethrin.
Problems and errors
If a room gerbera lacks heat and light, its leaves may stretch out and lose their rich green color. But at the same time, it is important to know that similar symptoms can also appear during the adaptation of a plant that has entered the house from the conditions of the store. The brightness of the foliage can also disappear with a lack of nutrients.
Wilting, yellowing and drying of gerberas are usually caused by such reasons as excess or lack of moisture, fusarium. During the dormant period, it is important for the plant to maintain a low temperature. With proper care, the plant grows green mass until August and only after that it begins to bloom.
And now let's look at the main mistakes that beginner flower growers make.
- One of the most serious mistakes is watering, during which water enters the plant outlet, which leads to decay and death.
- In a particularly hot time, the foliage of a room gerbera may be a littlewither or wilt, but this does not mean at all that the flower urgently needs watering. You just need to move it to a place where it is a little cooler, or give it shading with tulle.
- Sometimes flower growers do not pay attention to the yellowing of the leaves. However, this symptom can speak of several problems at once - a lack of light or its excess, the appearance of pests. If the foliage of the plant began to turn yellow, it is urgent to reconsider its care.
- Inexperienced flower growers may forget that the gerbera needs to be fed. Lack of it leads to exhaustion.
- Be sure to loosen the topsoil. If this is not done, crusts will form on the ground, and aeration will be disturbed.
It is enough to follow all the rules for caring for a bright chamomile, ensure it is watered and fertilized regularly, and it will delight you for more than one year!
