Gerbera is a beautifully flowering plant that blooms continuously throughout the year. Color inflorescence is varied, the length of the peduncle is up to 20 cm. The plant was named after the German doctor and botanist F. Gerber. Gerbera has 80 species, they grow in Australia, South America, Japan, Mongolia, China, India, Madagascar and in southern Africa.
How to grow a gerbera at home
Gerber is appreciated for decorative qualities and for the fact that it can be stored in cut form for up to 3 weeks. Now it has become fashionable to have a gerbera in the house. Very popular are "room" - stunted and miniature varieties. In shops specializing in the sale of plants, there are ready-made gerberas and her seeds. On the windowsill in the apartment it is very difficult to grow gerbera. The plant needs a certain microclimate and requires additional lighting. Gerbera can be grown outdoors from mid-June to mid-August.
The development of plants is determined by moisture and substrate nutrition, temperature and light conditions. If the temperature of the soil drops to 8 degrees, the growth of the roots also decreases. A short-term frost can cause the death of gerbera. The plant is very moody to the light. She suffers from low light intensity and a short day in winter and from strong light intensity, as well as from a long, light day in the summer.
The first period of growth begins from the second decade of February and continues until the third decade of May. When there is intense lighting and a long light day, this has a bad effect on the quality of flowers and on flowering. The best air temperature for the development of gerbera in spring and summer should be from 20 degrees to 25 degrees Celsius.
The second growth period begins in August, the growth and development of peduncles is coming, it continues until October. If you create good conditions, then you can prolong the continuous flowering until the spring and more. In the winter months, the plant is better to rest, and also in summer in the heat from June to July.
The soil
For gerbera, there will be enough pot of 2 liters. The best substrate for the plant will be sphagnum peat with an acidity of 5.5 pH.
Substrate number 1
Make 1 cubic meter of dolomite flour and peat 2 kg, 2 kg of chalk. And also add a kilogram of superphosphate per cubic meter. Peat is moistened and mixed well, to reduce acidity, peat should stand for 5 days. Then add mineral fertilizers at the rate of 1 cubic meter of peat - 2 grams of ammonium molybdate, 5 grams of zinc sulphate, 5 grams of manganese sulphate, 30 grams of copper sulphate, 0.1 grams of ferrous sulphate, 1/2 kg of magnesium sulfate, ½ kg of ammonium nitrate , 1 kg of potassium nitrate. These fertilizers are introduced into the soil as aqueous solutions. 7 days after the preparation of the substrate, the gerbera can be planted. The best time for planting, transplanting will be the period before the period of plant growth. If in the spring, then it can be landed in early February, if in the summer, then landed at the end of July.
Additional fertilizing
Gerber is starting to be fed after 4 weeks after planting. During the formation of leaves and at the beginning of growth, the plant needs nitrogen nutrition. During the flowering period, it needs intensive potassium consumption and does not exceed 0.2%.
Reproduction by seeds
They are sown in peat, which is prepared, as for planting adult plants. Concentration of those fertilizers that are introduced should be less than half. At a temperature of 20 to 22 degrees Celsius, sprouts appear on day 10. Four weeks later, a pick is held. The distance between the plants should be 6 cm. As soon as 5 leaves appear, the seedlings are transplanted into pots that have a diameter of 9 cm, using substrate number 1 for this.
Gerbera is responsive to good care. With regular fertilizing and good conditions, the plant rewards its mistress with an abundance of beautiful and amazing flowers.