The homeland of gerbera, a beautiful perennial herbaceous plant, is South Africa. Ancestor of all kinds - gerbera Jameson - gave an assortment of beautiful varieties that bloom year round with spectacular large flowers, like chamomile. Use the gerbera as a houseplant, with its help you can green the balcony or loggia.
For cultivation at home, varieties of gerbera of a short coat with compact bushes and low peduncles are most often used. Color of flowers of the plant is very diverse: white, cream, salmon, raspberry and others. Recently brought varieties of gerbera with double flowers.
Features of care of a room gerbera in a pot
Like any plant, gerbera requires care and attention. Therefore, you need to know how to care for the gerbera in the pot. The plant likes bright, but diffused sunlight and a ventilated room. Watering gerbera room should be abundant regardless of the season, and water - warm, about 20 ° C. Especially does not tolerate gerbera watering with cold water in the hot season. This can lead to the death of the flower. When watering, we must ensure that the water does not fall on the flowers themselves. The best variant of watering - in the pallet, it will help to avoid decaying the roots. Excess water from the pan is best drained. The plant feels well with regular spraying of leaves, however, water should not be allowed to fall on the flowers.
The temperature in the room should be moderate, up to 20 ° C during the flowering period. In summer, it is useful to take the flower to fresh air, but after the flowering and until the end of winter, while the plant is at rest, the gerbera must be kept at a temperature of no higher than 14 ° C. This period of rest is very important, as in the autumn-winter time the gerbera builds up the leaves and prepares for the future flowering.
Many growers are interested in why the indoor gerbera does not bloom. The thing is that this plant is very photophilous, therefore, if it feels a lack of bright illumination, then the blossom ceases. Arrange the plant in winter with good additional lighting, and your gerbera in the pot will bloom in the winter.
Transplantation of room gerbera
Transplant gerbera in early spring as needed. The soil for transplantation is made up of peat, earth, sand or sphagnum. No compost, no fresh humus in the soil for gerberas can not be added.
To feed the plant follows complex mineral fertilizers: during the growth of the plant - once every three weeks, and during flowering - after two weeks.
It is important to know which pot is needed for gerbera. Immediately after buying the plant, it is better not to transplant it into a new pot. Do not touch it for 1-2 weeks, so that the gerbera acclimatized, and only then you can transplant it into a deep pot with a wide top. In this case, do not forget that the root neck of the flower should be located just above ground level.
Beginners are sometimes asked why the gerbera withers in a pot? It should be remembered that transplantation is a great stress for any flower. Violated the integrity of the roots, and therefore, and the nutrition of the plant is deteriorating, and the florist notices that the gerbera in the pot wilted. To prevent wilting, one should not drench the plant very much during this period. Gradually the flower will get accustomed and grow stronger.
Reproduction gerbera room
You can propagate gerbera with cuttings, bush division or seeds. Especially valuable varieties are best multiplied by dividing the bush. Do it better in the spring, when the bush will reach the age of 3-4 years. On each delenka it is necessary to leave on 2-3 points of growth. After planting and before the flowering begins, the delenok can pass from 10 to 11 months.
Seeds to propagate gerbera room is best in the spring, when the air temperature reaches 18-20 ° C. When 2-3 leaves appear, shoots are dived for the first time in boxes, and when 4-5 leaves appear, they are put into pots.
Gerbera diseases of room
Excessive watering and stagnation of moisture in the soil can cause powdery mildew and fungal diseases in Gerbera room. Lack of moisture can lead to the defeat of gerbera aphids , whitefly or spider mite .
Knowing how to water a gerbera in a pot and how to properly care for it, you can achieve a long flowering of this beautiful plant at home.