How to grow a gerbera properly and take care of it
It's worth noting immediately that it is not easy to grow a healthy gerbera , which later will start to please you with luxurious flowers. It is more suitable sites with soft ground. And not every climate suits her. Best is stable moderate temperature and hot summer. But if you decide to grow gerbera in the harsh winter, do not despair. You can cover the plant for the winter with a thick layer of leaves or straw.
To ensure that the gerbera will grow in you for more than one season, it is better before the cold season to dig out the plants together with a clod of earth and store in special pots. The room should be well lit, but the temperature should not exceed eight degrees.
Soil and fertilizer
For gerbera, the warm climate and soft earth are best suited. Fertilize the land better than inorganic fertilizer varieties. To the plants were not too fragile and well bloomed, you need to choose a site that is evenly illuminated by the sun's rays.
Watering plants should be active only at the stage of active growth. When the plant reaches the desired size, watering should be treated more cautiously. You should choose the "golden mean", do not allow drying, but do not water too hard so that the soil does not become waterlogged. Watering the plant, too, must be very carefully. First, water must be at room temperature. And secondly, the flow of water should be directed so that it falls just under the root, otherwise excess moisture on the leaves or flowers will lead to the appearance of rot.
During the active growth of flowers, you should regularly, once every two weeks, feed the plant with mineral fertilizers.
Correct transplantation and reproduction
After the summer heat, the gerbera needs to be prepared for the family. The plant is transplanted into a large pot (a minimum of 20 centimeters in diameter). Make sure that the soil in the pot has good drainage, since the root system of gerberas is very sensitive to excess moisture and easily rot.
You can propagate gerbera in two ways.
- Division of the bush is considered the most common and easy way. In April or May, the adult bush is divided into several plants so that each of them has two or three full leaves. Often it is necessary to shorten the roots, about 10-15 centimeters. Put such seedlings in the soil, make sure that the rosette protrudes slightly above the surface of the soil and is not subjected to fungal diseases.
- Reproduction of gerbera from seeds is a longer process. The first landing in the pot is conducted from January to March. It is necessary to monitor the temperature stability in a room with gerberas. The recommended temperature is 18 degrees. After the young plants have ascended, and acquire five leaves, the gerbera is transplanted into separate containers. But with this method of reproduction, it must be borne in mind that plants will not bear maternal properties.
Diseases and pests gerberas
Despite its beauty, this flower is very sensitive to various diseases. Therefore, be sure to adhere to the following recommendations:
- the soil before planting must necessarily be treated with drugs that prevent the infection of the root system by fungal diseases;
- observe the watering regime so that stagnant water does not provoke the development of rot on the roots;
- excess moisture can also lead to the development of gray rot. Therefore, periodically treat plants with special preparations, but make sure that it does not fall on the flower itself, because it produces spots;
- In a particularly hot summer, powdery mildew may appear on the plants. In this case, use special fungicides;
- aphids, thrips and spider mites also often appear on gerberas. The first signs of the disease are yellowness and wilting.