Gerberas: varieties and cultivation at home

Gerberas are popular ornamental plants of the Compositae family. They are bred both in pots and outdoors. The cultivation of these plants has its own characteristics.

Gerberas are found in southern Africa and tropical regions of Asia. Until recently, they were only grown in greenhouses. Potted species and royal varieties are now emerging. These flowers have the following properties, characteristics and characteristics.

• The stems are leafless, and the leaves are directed downward. Flowers are collected in baskets. The petals are narrow, long and tubular. Flowers have different colors, but most often they are yellow.

• Gerbera is a bulbous plant. A flower that resembles a huge chamomile blooms on a high stem. It usually has a diameter of about 10 cm, under its weight, the stem bends strongly. There are also varieties that produce smaller flowers - about 5 cm in diameter.

• The middle of a flower (called a loop) - yellow, black or dark brown. Gerbera petals are white, cream, with shades of yellow, orange and red. The stem protrudes above a dense rosette of leaves, and is covered with delicate pile from below.

• The leafless flower stems are hollow. Inflorescences grow at the top of the stem. The flower basket consists of multi-colored flowers filling the center of the inflorescence. The length of the day does not affect the gerbera bloom. Flowers of potted species appear from early spring to late autumn.

• Gerberas in a flower pot love well-lit places. However, the flower should not be exposed to direct sunlight. In addition, it does not tolerate too high temperatures. In summer, temperatures of 20 degrees during the daytime and 17 degrees at night are best suited, and in winter, respectively, 12 and 10 degrees above zero. Such conditions will allow the gerbera to grow steadily and beautifully.

• These flowers are quite picky about the composition of the potted soil. The ground should be light, well-permeable and ventilated. Indoor gerberas do not tolerate heavy soil, which slows down its growth. The soil mixture should be slightly acidic - pH about 5.5-6.5.

• Properly grown and cultivated gerberas bloom for six months (April-October) and even much longer - from the earliest spring to late autumn. Therefore, plants can become a very graceful and beautiful decoration for any interior. In summer, they can also be successfully displayed on a balcony, terrace or garden, choosing for them well-lit places, but protected from direct sunlight and strong gusts of wind.

• Gerberas are perennials by nature.but in pots they are often considered annuals that we throw away after flowering. However, if it is possible to provide a flower in winter with a bright room with a temperature of 10-15 degrees, then the plant can bloom again and fully reveal its beauty in the next season.

• Interesting that in addition to potted gerberas, there are varieties on the market that are suitable for seasonal gardening... This can delight every lover of these beautiful flowers.

• Potted gerberas are bought in the form of seedlings or already flowering plants. At home, gerberas bloom from April to October.They can be grown on sunny windowsills, on open terraces and balconies, where they can grow alone or be in a composition with other vegetation. However, it should be borne in mind that due to special requirements, they must grow in separate containers.

• Gerberas help purify the air. Quite large gerbera leaves are an excellent natural air filter. The plant effectively cleans the air of toxins and chemicals from furniture, carpets, paint, cigarette smoke, or cleaning agents (including benzene, formaldehyde, trichlorethylene). Gerbera leaves also moisturize the air well, as they have a high transpiration rate.

Gerberas are found in the entire color palette, they are decorative and durable. For several decades, these plants have been among the most popular flowers. As already noted, previously it was possible for them to reproduce only in greenhouses, since they required greenhouse conditions (the plant originates from hot regions of the world), and high stems needed to be protected from wind and drafts. But since dwarf varieties have also been created, they are grown in pots or directly in the open field. Gerberas are usually classified into two main groups, which have been bred respectively from the two main South African species:

• green-leaved gerbera;

• Gerbera Jameson.

Gerberas are usually considered annuals. But if the indoor varieties after flowering and wilting are left for one month without watering, and then resumed irrigation and fertilizing, the gerbera will again release the stem, leaves and bloom. Although potted mini gerberas do not have such large flowers (2-4 cm in diameter)like their greenhouse cousins, but this does not mean that they are less attractive and adorable. Moreover, we can choose from a number of extremely beautiful varieties of flowers of different colors, including white, pink, cream, burgundy, red, blue, blue, purple, yellow, mix, as well as with different inflorescences: single, double, full, needle-like, hybrid.

Gerbera Jameson is an ideal, albeit slightly forgotten, plant. After cutting, its flowers last up to 14 days. Gerbera has inflorescences, typical for Astera, - baskets. It is a perennial plant that produces numerous random roots growing at the base or side of the shoot. The leaves are lobed, densely pubescent below. Flowers - typical of the Asteraceae family - are collected in a basket-type inflorescence. The petals are long and slightly bent, forming one or more curls. The color is very diverse, but pastel colors prevail.

A relatively large amount of planting material can be obtained in a fairly short time by means of generative reproduction of gerberas. Of course, we get plants that are slightly different from each other and require intense selection. This method is often used to breed indoor varieties. To obtain seeds, flowers must be artificially pollinated. Gerbera seeds are quite large (220-400 seeds / 1 g) and germinate best immediately after they are harvested. Treated seeds germinate in the dark at 20 degrees for 7-10 days, and after about 3 weeks (the appearance of the first true leaves), the seedlings should be cut separately in pots. When 2-3 leaves appear on the plant, you can transplant to a permanent place.The sowing date depends on the cultivation method and the planned harvest date. The growing period for seedlings lasts about 12-15 weeks.

The most common method is vegetative propagation of these flowers.

• Currently, in vitro (behind glass, in a test tube) is an important method for breeding greenhouse plants. The method allows obtaining a large number of identical plants without diseases, but this requires special equipment and a laboratory.
• Work process - remove the mother plants from the ground and rinse the root bulb thoroughly. Next, you need to cut the leaf blades, shorten the roots and remove the shoots of the inflorescence. It is necessary to cut the root into fragments with a knife. After decontamination in a solution such as a foundation, the plants should be transplanted directly to the target growing area.
• After carefully tearing off all leaves and flowers, the mother plants are placed next to each other in a multiplier so that the root collar is 2-3 cm above the ground. The soil should be slightly calcareous and rich in peat nutrients. It is necessary to maintain the air temperature at least 25 degrees and high soil moisture (80-90%). After about 7-10 days, new shoots begin to grow from the buds. And after about 3 weeks, when the third leaf appears, you can collect the seedlings.

Mother plants are used for about 3 months, collecting seedlings three times. From one such plant, you can get an average of 20-50 seedlings. The seedlings are placed in a permeable and sterile substrate and provide conditions similar to those required for the production of the shoots. After 2-3 weeks, root formation begins. The period of production of seedlings before planting them in a permanent place takes about 5-7 weeks.

Planting is carried out in two periods: in summer (June-July) for autumn-winter flowering, and in March for summer flowering. The planting interval is 20x30 cm for one-year cultivation, 30x30 cm for two-year cultivation. After planting, typical care procedures are applied - watering, protecting and maintaining the appropriate temperature and humidity. Special procedures for growing are reduced to the following operations.

• Removal of inflorescence shoots - is carried out primarily after planting gerbera in a permanent place in order to strengthen the vegetative part of the plant. This delays flowering, but affects the quantity and quality of flowers. Flowers are also removed prior to the resting period.
• Cleaning plants - removal of old leaves, which gradually turn yellow and dry, which limits the development of fungal diseases. It is necessary to repeat the treatment every 2-3 weeks.
• Rest - used for two-year cultivation. This implies a gradual limitation of watering and fertilization (in November-December) and a decrease in temperature to about 15 degrees above zero.

Growing potted gerberas is not easy since quite high requirements are imposed on plants.

• First of all, they love very bright light, but without exposure to direct sunlight, which can burn their delicate leaves and flowers. They do not tolerate shade well and are therefore not suitable for growing on north-facing windowsills.
• Gerberas also require a fertile, permeable and slightly damp substrate that should never be dry or too wet. Flowers do not tolerate overdrying and are very sensitive to overflows, because in both cases they quickly begin to lose their beautiful appearance.Their leaves dry up and turn yellow, and the plant may even die.
• It is advisable to take care of the plant in such a way that drafts do not arise, which have a very bad effect on its development.
• It is advisable to use fertilizer, because it gives a long flowering. It is especially important that it contains phosphorus.
• In order to facilitate the absorption of micronutrients by the plant, the water used to irrigate the gerberas can be acidified with citric acid.
• Gerberas growing in the garden must be protected from the wind. They require intensive watering.
• Once purchased, the flowers can be stored for several days in room temperature water or dry for 2 weeks wrapped tightly in foil in a cold room at 1-2 degrees above zero.

Gerberas should be protected from pests and diseases. Let's consider the main types of these dangers.

Signs:

• in the greenhouse where gerberas are grown, there is a characteristic sweet smell;
• individual shoots, and sometimes whole plants, wither and die;
• at the base of the leaves there is a characteristic white foamy secretion that changes color to brown;
• large numbers of fruit flies float above diseased plants and around secretions.

This is one of the most common and dangerous gerbera diseases. The loss can be more than 60% of the plants. Symptoms begin from the start of planting to the liquidation of the plantation.

• Diseased plants, despite the required amount of water in the substrate, lose their natural shine, turn yellow, turn black and die. At air temperatures below 18 ° C, the leaves change color to red. The pathogen develops in the substrate, from where it infects the shoot base. It curls up and dies off. It usually takes 2-6 weeks from infection to the onset of symptoms, depending on the age of the plants, the type of substrate and environmental conditions.
• The leaf still looks healthy, but when you try to pull it out, it separates very easily from the root system. The development of the pathogen is facilitated by an organic substrate with a high peat content, as well as its high humidity and a temperature of 25-28 degrees.
• The pathogen is spread through water during irrigation or by soaking in containers. The spread of the pathogen can also occur when dust is present in the air currents. The source of the pathogen can be an infected substrate used for planting plants.

Older leaves have small oval watery spots. Over time, the spots quickly increase in size, changing color to yellow-brown. Heavily infested leaves turn yellow and die off. A thin layer of pathogen spores is visible on the underside of the leaf blade. The released spores are transmitted by air currents or insects to neighboring plants, infecting them. The development of the pathogen is facilitated by high humidity, wetting of leaves during watering and a temperature of 12-22 degrees (optimally 15 degrees). Spores form a few days after infection.

Symptoms appear on the upper side of the leaves as spots or white powdery bloom. Soon the spots join each other, covering the entire surface of the sheet plate. Symptoms of the disease in the form of the described plaque may appear on the peduncles and parts of the bowl. Plaque is formed from mycelium and fungal spores. The secreted spores are carried by air currents to neighboring plants and infect them. The development of the fungus is facilitated by moisturizing the leaves during watering, fluctuations in air humidity in the greenhouse and insufficient light. Usually, it takes 5-7 days from the moment of infection to the formation of spores.With a high degree of severity of the symptoms of the disease, plants have slow growth, flower stems do not lengthen, but very often break off at the site of infection.

Single, dark brown and round or oval spots appear on the surface of the leaves. Black fungus spores form on the surface of the spots. During irrigation of plants, spores are transmitted by air currents or insects to neighboring plants, spreading the disease even further. The development of fungi is facilitated by: high air humidity, high plant density and wetting during watering. The main methods of treating gerbera are removing excess leaves, damaged inflorescences and spraying plants with antifungal and anti-infectious agents.

Dry and favorable temperature conditions favor the rapid emergence of pests such as spider mites and aphids. Therefore, it is recommended to carry out intensive air irrigation in the summer. This is necessary to maintain high humidity. But try not to spray water directly onto the plant. Pathogens of mold and other diseases can begin to grow on wet gerbera leaves.

The big advantage of gerberas is that they are not associated with a particular event or symbolism. These are flowers for universal use. They can appear in all events - from wedding bouquets to funeral compositions. And no one will blame us for using this flower. It is also worth mentioning that varieties with large inflorescences are ideal for large compositions (for example, in a flower bed), since a relatively small number of plants is enough to fill a large space.

Red roses tell us about our deep feelings, lilies of the valley are a symbol of innocence and shyness. Gerber is difficult to compare with a rose, but its beauty cannot be denied. In addition, the flower itself is a sign of the highest respect and admiration. This makes gerbera bouquets in demand as a gift for teachers at the end of the school year or doctors for their help. In general, they are quite a worthy gift for all those who deserve our special recognition. That is why these seemingly inconspicuous flowers are so willingly chosen for bouquets that we give to someone on special occasions.

Respect and admiration is also the exclusive meaning that gerberas are very often chosen as a wedding bouquet. In addition, even if a young couple does not know the secret language of flowers, the beauty of gerberas will give the newlyweds a lot of joy. Beautiful flowers and fresh fruit in a basket is a fantastic idea if you want to make a big impression and surprise. Lilies and gerberas are an aromatic mixture that, thanks to fresh fruits, will acquire a unique character and emphasize their beauty. You can not only admire this gift, but also taste it (of course, the edible part of it). Feel free to choose a floral arrangement with fruits.

This is a basket with gerberas, rose sprigs, carnations and ivy. Enchant your loved ones with the beautiful meaning of flowers and be with them with all your heart. They will definitely understand and accept your bouquet with joy.

Typical for potted flowers are leaves growing from the ground, which are covered with small villi from the bottom. The crown of flowers closes at night and opens in the morning when the gerberas feel the light of day.

For information on how to properly care for a gerbera at home, see the next video.