Indoor gerbera is a herbaceous perennial of the Asteraceae or Asteraceae family, with more than 70 species of flowers. They are shaped like a daisy, a small sunflower, or an aster with many colors except blue. Let's look at the basics of caring for it at home.

It's easy to care for her. This African beauty, for all her undemanding nature, has her own whims and characteristics.

Loosening the soil in a pot is a prerequisite for raising a pet.

Her care includes:

• Removing faded leaves.
• Disease and pest control
• Creating a cozy microclimate for the growth and flowering of gerbera

Gerbera will be bloom profusely even in winter, when creating a twelve-hour daylight hours for her. And in the period June - August she rests and increases the green rosette.

It is easy to grow a beautiful flowering plant if you follow certain maintenance conditions.

Humidity and watering

Soft, warm, settled water is used for irrigation. You need to decide on its quantity. An excess will lead to rotting of the roots, a deficiency will lead to the cessation of flowering and drying out of the leaves.

It is better to pour into a tray. Drops that fall on leaves or stems lead to rotting of the roots. Not drunk by the plant in 30 minutes. It is advisable to drain the water from the pan. Humidity is maintained with a humidifier or by spraying the bush.

You can use spraying, but water should not get on the flower.

Temperature and lighting.

Gerbera does not like sudden changes in temperature, but given its tolerant attitude towards drafts, it is quite enough to regulate the thermal regime by ventilation in the hot season.

Ventilation will not harm the flower due to its resistance to drafts

Temperature drop to +10 and below poses a threat to flowering, dropping buds. Even if the dormant period passes unnoticed, there should be a difference in temperature between winter and summer.

The room temperature should fluctuate between +16 – +20 in summer, +12 – +14 in winter.

The need for lighting is one of the main requirements for growing this flower. For growth, daylight hours must last 12 hours. Gerbere comfortable on window sills which face the eastern or western sides of the room.

By providing the plant with bright lighting, the right temperature, and fresh air, you can increase the amount of flowering up to twice a year.

Soil and fertilizers

There is ready-made soil for growing flowers at home, or you can prepare it yourself:

1. To do this, combine 2 parts of leaf soil with peat and sand in equal quantities.
2. Use only peat for planting.
3. Mix peat with overflow in equal proportions.
4. Add 1 part coke bark to 2 parts high-moor peat.

Any of these types of soil in combination with the correct drainage system will give good results. Feeding plants depends on their age.

It is enough for adult specimens one or two single application of fertilizer per year, young plants should be fed up to 3 times a month. Fertilizers serve as protection against diseases, accelerating flowering.

Fertilizing is carried out with a weak solution of complex mineral fertilizers. Organic matter harms gerbera. The flowering period requires more potassium, and dormancy requires more nitrogen.

Which pot to choose

To grow a beautiful flower, you still need to choose the right pot. Prerequisites:

• New, ceramic with holes for drainage.
• Free with a pallet.
• The pot must be made of breathable material.

Diseases, pests

Indoor plants are susceptible to the same diseases as garden flowers.

He appears like a consequence of insufficient hydration.

Having discovered areas with small cobwebs on the plant, you need to prevent the spider from appearing:

• apply insecticide several times
• Wash the leaves thoroughly under warm water.
• Wipe well on both sides.

Temperature changes, excess nitrogen, and the use of cold water for irrigation lead to fungal disease. Young gerberas are primarily susceptible to the disease.

Fungicides are usually used for control.

Whitefly, aphid

The appearance of these pests indicates lack of moisture. A sign of the disease is the appearance of small larvae and white bugs, yellowed and limp leaves.

Such a plant must be isolated to prevent spread to other indoor plants. Then the flower must be carefully washed with a solution of warm water and green or laundry soap and dosed with a preparation containing permethrin.

Watering interval– once every 3 days until complete recovery.

Example of aphid damage

Gray or white mold

May appear when the soil is waterlogged. When plaque appears, you need to stop watering, add dry substrate, and treat with fungicides.

Root neck rotting

It is called poor drainage quality and non-compliance with the watering regime. The appearance of brown spots on the leaves and their wilting indicates that the roots are affected by a fungus.

Such a plant requires urgent replanting with processing and compliance with all rules for planting gerberas.

Features of winter care

Reproduction

For propagation of gerbera indoors You can use three methods: growing a plant from seeds, cuttings, dividing the bush.

Seeds

Growing gerbera from seeds at home is the longest process, but quite simple. Optimal sowing time: mid-January – 1st decade of April.

Place a peat mixture (peat, fine sand, leaf soil) into the prepared pots and moisten well. Place the seeds on top and sprinkle with soil. Cover with film or glass, creating greenhouse conditions.

Approximately in 20 days the first shoots will appear. Once the seedlings have grown to 4-6 leaves, they need to be transplanted into separate small pots. The first color will appear in 10 months.

Cuttings

It is less time consuming and not complicated. From the mother plant you need to cut a cutting with 1 - 2 leaves, a growth node, part of the rhizome and plant it in a prepared pot with soil.

To improve and speed up the rooting process, you can cover the cuttings with a bag, placing them in a warm, bright place, making sure to water and ventilate. The strengthened plant is transplanted to a permanent place. Cutting period- May June.

Dividing the bush

The most reliable method that guarantees the preservation of varietal characteristics. An adult bush, at least 3-4 years old, is carefully removed from the pot. To protect against fungal diseases, disinfection is carried out with a manganese solution.

Dividing the bush is carried out with an adult plant

Trim the roots and divide according to the number of growing points. There should be at least two of them in each division. Reproduction in this way to be held in March, April.

Transfer

There is no need to rush to replant the purchased plant. It must bloom, overwinter, and in the spring it must be transported to a new place of life. This method includes:

• Complete replacement of the substrate.
• Inspection and treatment of the root system
• Laying drainage and soil.
• Correct placing a bush in a pot(do not cover the root collar by a centimeter with soil).
• Humidification and observation.

Description

Gerbera leaves, like those of a dandelion, are collected in a rosette near the root; leafless single peduncles support baskets - inflorescences with a diameter of 4 - 15 cm. They come in simple, semi-double, terry.

Varieties

Varieties of gerbera hybrids were obtained by crossing wild South African gerberas - green-leaved and Jameson.

They are divided into types according to their doubleness, the size of the bush and rosette, colors, and types of flowering.

The most common dwarf gerbera species. The variety is hardy wide leaves, large flowers.

It is famous for its large inflorescences of various flowers on a short stem and compact leaves. Loves warmth and a lot of light.

Aldebaran and Alcor

Features small flowers from 8 to 10 cm, narrow petals, stem height up to 50 cm.

Vega, Migar, Jupiter, Algol

Rosettes with a diameter of up to 13 cm. They are suitable for industrial cultivation.

Mars, Viola, two-color, Mix

How gerberas fall asleep and wake up

An amazing spectacle in nature, the opening and closing of petals. This action is like a delightful, eye-catching dance. In which all the petals synchronously bend towards the middle of the flower, as if protecting their small inflorescences.

And they open just as gracefully, exposing all their beauty to the light. In science this process is called nyctinasty – defensive reaction of the Mix flower

Gerbera is symbol of modest beauty and bright tenderness. She thanks for the good care with beautiful flowers. An amazing and varied range of colors pleases and improves your mood.

Gerberas have recently become the most popular indoor and garden plants. These flowers look like large daisies, only multi-colored and very bright.

There are many types of this beautiful flower. Dwarf varieties have been bred for indoor conditions, and now gerberas can be grown in pots. It reaches twenty-five centimeters in height. Flowers can be of different sizes, as well as simple and double. In color they are red, purple, yellow, orange, cherry, and white. And each flower is magnificent in its own way, the core, which has different shades, is especially impressive.

The plant is unpretentious, but not all flower lovers know how to care for gerbera in a pot. It is necessary to take into account some features of caring for this plant indoors.

Gerbera takes root well, but if it is placed in other conditions, it cannot be replanted immediately, and it should not be watered either. You need to give her about two weeks to get used to the new conditions. For those who do not know how to care for gerbera in a pot, you need to clarify that the plant is best replanted in the spring. This time is most suitable for her.

Gerbera is transplanted very carefully, without disturbing the integrity of the soil in which it grew. It is advisable to take a wide pot; the bottom must be equipped with drainage.

This flower does not tolerate fresh humus or compost. used for feeding no more than once every three weeks.

The plant is sensitive to fluctuations in air temperature. The optimal positive temperature is twenty-two degrees. Gerbera flowering in winter is also possible, but for this you need to increase the lighting and not let the temperature drop below twenty degrees.

In order to know how to grow gerberas on a window, you need to take into account some nuances. The flower feels comfortable on windows that face west or east. The plant must be protected from the scorching sun, as it experiences great discomfort. You also need to make sure the area is well ventilated. Drafts are also not a problem. The plant is also not afraid of the rising and setting sun.

If we talk about how to care for a gerbera in a pot, then we need to dwell in more detail on its watering, as this is of no small importance. The flower should be watered regularly and abundantly, but at the same time it should not be over-watered to prevent rotting of the roots. The water that has accumulated in the pan after watering must be poured out. The water must be settled and cold water can destroy the plant. Gerbera prefers frequent irrigation of leaves, especially in winter, because heating devices increase air dryness. It is advisable that no water gets on the inflorescence or branches.

Gerberas are propagated by seeds or by dividing the bush.

Seeds are usually propagated in the spring. For this, a mixture of turf, leaf soil, sand, and humus is used. The first picking should be done when there are two or three leaves, the second - when there are four or five, and immediately planted in separate pots. From the time of sowing until the flowers appear, approximately ten months pass.

To propagate a valuable variety, dividing the bush is used, since this preserves the maternal characteristics. The plant is taken at the age of three to four years, and two or three growth points should be left on each separated part. You need to plant it in such a way as to ensure that the rosette rises one to one and a half centimeters above the soil. This is necessary for further growth and flowering. It is best to divide in the spring.

If we take into account all the features of how to care for a gerbera in a pot, treat it correctly and with care, then this plant will delight us for a long time with its bright flowering and, of course, lift our spirits.

Nowadays, on the windowsills of city apartments and private houses, you can increasingly see plants that were customary to grow in the garden. Was no exception indoor gerbera, care for which at home should be comprehensive. This will allow you to achieve long-lasting lush flowering, pleasing the owner’s eye with its spring colors.

Gerbera, cultivated in greenhouses, front gardens and flower pots, is a herbaceous perennial plant from the Asteraceae family with a variety of colors, with the exception of blue. There are more than 80 species in the wild, found in South Africa, tropical Asia and Madagascar. Externally, the flower is very similar to chamomile, which is why in literature, especially in English, its second name is used - Transvaal chamomile.

In indoor floriculture, compact forms and varieties of Jameson's gerbera are grown, not exceeding 25 cm in height. The varieties most often used for landscaping apartments and offices are Happipot, Ilios, Hummingbird, Parade and Duroramix. The latter variety with semi-double inflorescences is characterized by a longer life phase compared to other forms.

How to care for indoor gerberas?

Caring for gerbera in a pot is not particularly difficult. However, when purchasing a flower or receiving it as a gift, the owner must know that the plant, of which he becomes the owner, needs proper care, which allows the tropical plant to fully develop and bloom.

Lighting and temperature conditions

The flower needs a lot of light, tolerates direct sunlight well in the morning and evening sun. In the summer, you should expose the gerbera to fresh air or organize systematic ventilation of the room where it is located. In the winter season, artificial additional lighting should be provided, which will increase the length of daylight hours and prolong the flowering period.

The temperature regime is provided depending on the time of year:

• in summer – 20-24°C;
• in winter – 16-20°C.

Important! Lowering the temperature to 12°C causes the flower to go into a dormant state, in which all processes slow down, and flowering becomes impossible until it awakens.

Watering

The tropical flower requires constant watering. Humidification should be carried out with settled water no cooler than 20°C. Watering with cold water poses a great danger: the plant can get sick and even die.

The procedure can be carried out in two ways:

1. The plant is watered along the edge of the pot to avoid water getting into the outlet.
2. Moistening using a tray involves placing the pot in a container of water for half an hour.

Attention! The soil should not be over-moistened: excess moisture can cause the development of rot on the root rosettes and dangerous pests - nematodes.

Air humidity

The exotic representative does not like dry air and will be very grateful for systematic spraying. However, the plant should be sprayed with a fine spray bottle that creates a water mist so that drops of water do not fall on the flowers.

Fertilizer application

Indoor gerberas require additional nutrition and enrichment of the substrate with various macroelements, depending on the phase of development:

1. During the phase of increasing green mass, observed from February to April and in the summer months, the plant is fed with nitrogen-containing mineral fertilizers.
2. During the flowering phase, gerbera requires fertilizing with a high potassium content, which ensures the splendor of the flower.

Important! When preparing a nutrient solution, it is necessary to reduce the concentration of mineral fertilizers by half from that indicated on the package. And also the use of organics is not allowed due to its intolerance by tropical plants.

Transplantation and soil requirements

Transplantation is carried out annually after flowering has completed, when the plant goes into a “dormant” state.

At that time:

1. Prepare a pot 2-3 cm larger than the previous one.
2. Drainage made of expanded clay or gravel is placed at the bottom.
3. The container is filled with special soil for growing gerberas.
4. The flower, carefully, so as not to damage the delicate root system, together with the earthen lump, is taken out of the old pot and placed in a new one.
5. The root collar should be 2-3 cm above the surface of the substrate.

Gerberas prefer slightly acidic soils. The substrate for the indoor representative of the crop is purchased in specialized flower shops or prepared independently from leaf soil, peat and sand in a ratio of 2:1:1.

Diseases and pests

The culture refers to plants that are resistant to diseases and pests. However, violation of the watering regime can lead to the development of rot, powdery mildew and viral diseases. With prolonged stagnation of moisture, not only in the soil, but also in the rosette of the flower, manifestations of late blight and fusarium are also observed. In this case, adjusting care measures, as well as timely treatment with a fungicide solution, will help protect the gerbera. But, despite the negative consequences of waterlogging, low air humidity and soil moisture deficiency can cause the plant to wither and die.

The plant suffers from greenhouse whiteflies and thrips. In dry air, the appearance of spider mites is also observed, which can only be gotten rid of by spraying with the insecticidal preparation Actellik or other analogues according to the manufacturer’s instructions.

Reproduction of indoor gerbera at home

Home gerbera reproduces in two ways: vegetative and generative.

Vegetative method

The main method of propagating gerbera is by dividing the bush: when cuttings, varietal qualities may not be preserved. When the flower reaches three or four years of age, it already forms several new bushes and can spread out. When separating bushes, it is necessary to ensure that each specimen has at least three growing points. Rooting of a new plant lasts about six months, and flowering occurs ten months after planting.

Seed method

The method consists of the following steps:

1. Seeds are sown for seedlings.
2. The seedlings pick up for the first time when one pair of true leaves forms on the seedlings.
3. After the formation of the second pair of leaves, the plants are picked a second time into separate pots.

The generative method is rarely used due to its labor intensity and low productivity.

Main problems when growing

Growing gerberas at home does not always go smoothly. Often, beginning flower growers face certain difficulties associated with ignorance of the nuances of care.

Why do the leaves turn yellow?

Among the reasons that can lead to yellowing of leaves are:

• excessive watering, leading to stagnation of water and provoking the development of rot;
• water getting into the plant outlet when watering;
• excessive soil and air dryness;
• non-compliance with spraying rules;
• watering with cold water.

By providing appropriate conditions of detention, problems can be avoided. If they have already arisen, then adjusting care measures will solve them.

How to achieve lush flowering?

The abundance of flowering is directly dependent on compliance with agrotechnical requirements for growing gerbera at home:

• Lighting. In order for a gerbera to bloom, it requires a certain length of daylight - 12 hours. It blooms most profusely from August to November, when this condition is fulfilled naturally. Also, the blooming state can continue until June, provided that additional lighting is provided. But from June to August, when the sun is at its highest point, gerbera stops blooming and increases its green mass.
• Feeding. Do not use too many nitrogen-containing plants. They should be replaced with mineral fertilizers, which include potassium and phosphorus - superphosphate, potassium nitrate.
• Transfer. When a plant is replanted, the size of the pot should be selected correctly: in a pot that is too large, the gerbera will not bloom, spending all its energy on growing the root system.

The tradition of giving flowers in pots is new to us, but it is gaining popularity every day. Potted orchids, cyclamen, impatiens and many other beautiful flowering plants are considered a stylish and elegant gift, much more useful than just cut flowers. One such magnificent gift plant is the gerbera.

Fashionable, spectacular, impeccable in its strict, refined beauty, it is also beautiful because even a person who does not understand the intricacies of indoor floriculture can preserve and make a beautiful gerbera bloom at home again and again.

Origin of gerbera

Gerbera belongs to the aster family (or asteraceae) and is very similar to an aster. And also a small sunflower or a large colored chamomile - which comparison is closer to whom. Botanists count several dozen species of gerberas, most of which grow on the island. Madagascar and southern Africa.

Gerbera flowers were first described in the 18th century by the Dutch botanist Jan Gronovius. He decided to name them in honor of the German doctor, biologist and his best friend Traugott Gerber, who lived and worked a lot in Russia, was the director of the Apothecary Garden - Moscow Botanical Garden (from 1735 to 1742) and studied the flora of the Volga region.

Gerbera began to be cultivated as a garden flower much later, only at the end of the 19th century. The famous Scottish breeder R. Jameson first grew it on the fertile lands of southern France, in the Transvaal province - hence the second name - Transvaal chamomile. Hybrid gerbera cultivars are now grown all over the world, in open ground and in greenhouses, as commercial flowering cut plants, and occupy 5th place in the world in terms of sales (after roses, carnations, chrysanthemums and tulips).

Description

Gerbera is a perennial flower crop with large inflorescences of pink, orange, lilac, cream, blue, burgundy (any color except blue). It has elongated, pointed at the tips and pinnately dissected leaves collected in a rosette, up to 35 cm long. The bases of the leaves and petioles of some varieties are heavily pubescent. Peduncles are tall, up to 70 cm, leafless. Gerbera flowers are collected in inflorescences-baskets.

The usual size of inflorescences is from 4 to 15 cm in diameter, but in some varieties it reaches 30 cm! The marginal flowers are reed-shaped, of a wide variety of colors, the middle ones are small tubular, up to several hundred in one basket. After flowering, fruits are produced - achenes (0.002-0.003 g) with a viability of up to 6 months after ripening and harvesting.

Types, varieties and photos of indoor flowers - gerberas

We invite you to familiarize yourself with a photo selection of the most popular varieties and types of gerbera.

The most popular type of indoor gerberas is the compact Jameson gerbera (gerberajamesoniiHappipot). Among them are G.hammingbird, G. Happipot, G. Parade, G. Llios. Their peduncles grow no more than 30 cm in height, flowers up to 15 cm in diameter. Due to its unpretentiousness and excellent decorative qualities, the Jameson gerbera has gained wide popularity in the world. Her image adorns the coat of arms and flag of the South African province of Mpumalanga (until 1995 - Eastern Transvaal).

Based on their decorative properties, gerberas are grouped into six technological groups:

• Race Diem (narrow-petaled small-flowered). Varieties: Alcor (dark cherry), Aldebaran (bright pink), flower diameter - up to 8-9 cm.
• American type (narrow-petaled large-flowered). Varieties: Algol (dark cherry), Vega (orange), Migar (pink), Jupiter (yellow). The diameter of the inflorescences is 10-13 cm.
• Medium-petalled, large-flowered (11-13 cm in diameter). Variety Mars (pale red).
• Large-flowered, broad-petalled (up to 15 cm). Alamak (bright red), Delios (red), Vera (pink), Markal (yellow-orange), Romeo and Peter (red).
• Narrow-petalled double and semi-double (up to 11 cm). Varieties: Viola (pink), Kalinka (yellow), Sonya (red).
• Semi-double and double wide-petaled - up to 14 cm in diameter. The most popular variety is Iskra (dark red, semi-double).

Gerbera is photophilous

When caring for gerberas at home, you need to remember that they are very light-loving and are able to grow and develop in direct sunlight, however, many experienced gardeners have come to the conclusion that the optimal temperature for them is moderate - about 20°C. Find the quietest and brightest place in the house for the flowerpot with gerbera (for example, a south-eastern window sill), always ventilated, but without drafts.

In the spring and summer, it is useful to take the “Transvaal chamomile” to the balcony, terrace or garden, perhaps even moving it into open ground. But be sure to get it back under the roof before nighttime temperatures drop to 8-10°C. Before wintering, thin out the leaves (each of them should have enough light). Keep the pot of gerbera until spring in a cool, bright place (12 to 18°C).

Watering and fertilizing the plant

Water carefully: not into the rosette or onto the leaves, but onto the edge of the pot. Avoid flooding, which can cause rotting of the root system (especially in winter). Use only warm, soft water.

Attention: gerberas are not sprayed! Despite the fact that this flower is quite tolerant of high air humidity, spraying is harmful to it. Instead, it is better to use a constantly moistened tray filled with sphagnum moss, gravel or expanded clay. During the growing season, from early March to November, add fertilizers for flowering plants to the water (divide the concentration prescribed in the instructions by 2). During the period of bud formation, gerberas require more nitrogen, and during the flowering period, more potassium.

Replanting and soil composition of indoor gerbera plants

If you have just been given a gerbera as a gift, do not rush to replant it, give it at least 2-3 weeks to adapt. Better yet, wait until the rest period so as not to disrupt the growth biorhythm. Even in a small pot, which may visually seem inappropriate for the size of the plant, gerberas feel great.

For transplantation, prepare a container (it should be only 2-3 cm larger in diameter and height than the previous one) and a slightly acidic (pH 5.5) nutrient substrate:

• leaf soil - 2 hours;
• peat – 1 hour;
• sphagnum moss or sand – 1 hour;
• pine bark.

Attention: humus and compost are contraindicated for gerberas!

When gerberas are propagated by cuttings, varietal characteristics disappear

The most popular type of gerbera propagation is rhizome division. If your flower is at least 2 years old, in the spring it can be divided into several bushes. Make sure that each new plant has at least 2-3 new growth points. Rooting takes a long time (up to six months), and you will get the first flowering in 10-11 months.

During vegetative propagation (cuttings), the varietal characteristics of gerberas almost always disappear, so this method is almost never used. But seed propagation of gerberas is worth doing, despite its labor intensity. With the right agricultural technology, you can wait for flowering already in the 2nd year:

• in January or March, sow gerbera seeds and cover with glass;
• ventilate the seedlings every day;
• Dive the sprouted plants into a large container at a distance of 6-8 cm;

When the seedlings become stronger, plant them for permanent residence in separate small containers.

The secret of the gerbera flower blooming

Gerbera flowering depends on the duration of lighting

How to care for gerbera to achieve lush flowering? - this question arises for absolutely all beginning flower growers. The answer is simple: the continued flowering of gerberas is directly related to the quantity and quality of light they receive. But, no matter how strange it may sound, if there is too much light, you may not see flowers. The secret is that for full flowering, gerberas need a certain amount of daylight - 12 hours. Therefore, their most magnificent flowering occurs from the beginning of September to November, when the daily illumination is + - 12 hours.

You can extend the flowering period until December, and possibly until the New Year, by artificial supplementary lighting. But since any flower, like a person, needs rest, then in the next season, after such a long flowering, it will last until mid-August: in the summer, the gerbera will actively increase its green mass, and leave the formation of buds for later. With proper care indoors, you can achieve continuous flowering of gerberas from April to December.

Reasons for weak flowering can also be:

• excess nitrogen fertilizers in the soil;
• the container is too spacious (all the plant’s energy will be spent on the formation of the rhizome, and it will not have time to flower).

Do not forget to remove faded inflorescences in time, completely breaking them out of the nest, otherwise the remaining pieces will rot and infect the entire plant.

Possible growing pains

Instead of a conclusion

There is probably no flower in the world about whose origin people would not create a legend. And gerbera is no exception. The once beautiful young nymph Gerba got tired of admiration and everyone's attention to her beauty and turned into a forest flower - as unassuming and lovely as herself. Therefore, gerbera flowers have long symbolized innocence and modesty. It is appropriate to give them to people for whom you feel respect, gratitude and sincere, not ostentatious, admiration for their human qualities.

Finally, take a few minutes to watch a video that tells you how to grow gerberas at home.

Gerberas are like the sun, giving its vital energy to others. Sunny flowers symbolize joy, goodness, positive emotions, but at the same time mystery and enigma. Flowers delight with their brightness and variety of colors. Giving a bouquet of gerberas is considered a stylish, chic gift.

But the flowers in the bouquet will soon wither, and an indoor gerbera in a pot will delight you for a long time. You can give it as a gift, or you can buy it for growing at home. These positive flowers will bring happiness and good luck to your home.

Having purchased a gorgeous flower in a pot, you need to learn how to care for it so that it will delight you for many years. Today we will tell you about what kind of indoor gerbera plant this is.

Caring for a flower at home must be correct so that its appearance attracts the attention of not only its owners, but also guests, delights, and evokes a storm of positive emotions.

There is a legend about the appearance of the flower, which passes from mouth to mouth. The forest nymph Gerba delighted both men and women with her beauty. They admired her, the boys paid a lot of attention to the girl.

Peduncles range from 60 to 80 cm in length. On one peduncle there is one inflorescence with a diameter of 14 to 15 cm. There are species whose flower basket is 30 cm in diameter. There are one or several peduncles.

The petals of the inflorescences are red, orange, lilac, yellow, dark cherry, cream, white pink. After flowering, the fruits and seeds ripen and germinate for six months.

Types and varieties of gerberas

There are about 80 varieties of gerberas. According to the shape of the petals, all varieties are divided into narrow-petaled and broad-petalled plants. And according to the number of outer flowers there are simple, semi-double and double.

Gerberas are also grouped according to the color of the plant. But the appearance of hybrid varieties is based on two species: Jameson and the green-leaved classic.

Gerbera Jameson has a short peduncle of 25-30cm. The sizes of inflorescences range from 4 to 15 cm. A rosette of pinnately dissected leaves hides a short stem on which they are arranged in several rows.

Gerbera greenleaf has a long peduncle up to 1 m and long serrated leaves, reminiscent of dandelion leaves. The inflorescence is large pink.

Of the selected varieties, the most popular are:

Home care after purchase

Typically, when purchasing a houseplant, repotting is necessary when you bring it home. But gerberas are delicate flowers and must adapt to new conditions.

Therefore, it takes time for the plant to get used to new conditions. As soon as the plant straightens its leaves and feels at ease, you can begin replanting. (in 2 weeks)

Take a pot, preferably a clay one. Place drainage at the bottom: expanded clay, pebbles, broken bricks or fragments of a clay pot.

Drainage is necessary in order to remove excess water outside. Preparing the soil for a houseplant.

For it you need to take 2 parts of leaf soil, one part of peat and one part of sand or sphagnum moss. It is not recommended to add fresh humus and compost to the soil.

Gerbera is a flower prone to fungal root diseases, so it is better to add when planting. It is resistant to fungi.

When replanting a plant, you should remove all the soil from the pot, take a container one size larger, pour boiling water over it and plant the gerbera. There is no need to remove stuck soil from the roots.

Care after purchasing a pot with a decorative flower also includes its correct placement. It is best to place the flower on western or eastern windows, where there is enough light and no direct sunlight.

On the northern window, the plant will be cold and dark, it will need additional lighting, and on the southern side it can get burned from the burning sun (unlike other plants, the flower is not afraid of direct sunlight). We'll have to shade it.

When caring for a plant, you should pay attention to the air temperature. The air temperature must be maintained at +22 degrees. Gerbera is indifferent to drafts, so during the heat of the summer you can arrange a little ventilation.

To harden a gerbera, you can keep it on the balcony or in the garden all summer, or plant it in a flowerbed, and transplant it back into a pot in the fall. But strong temperature changes will destroy it.

At a temperature of +10 degrees it does not bloom; if buds appear on it, then at this temperature it will drop them. You can achieve abundant flowering even in winter, but for this you need to maintain the temperature necessary for gerberas and provide it with additional lighting.

Watering and fertilizing

Gerbera is a moisture-loving plant, so it needs to be watered frequently, but moderately. It is necessary to ensure that the lump of earth dries out before the next watering.

It is better to water along the edge of the pot or into a tray. In the first half hour, the plant drinks the water it needs, the rest needs to be drained. It is necessary to water carefully so that water does not get on the leaves, otherwise the roots may rot.

It should be watered with warm water. In hot weather there is no need to water with cold water, the flower may die. If you do not water the plant enough, its leaves may turn yellow and dry out.

Dry air is the enemy of gerberas, so you need to spray the plant, just try not to get moisture on the flowers. Faded buds should be broken off, but under no circumstances cut off, so as not to rot the peduncle.

In order for gerbera to bloom all year round, it must be fed with microelements. The fertilizer should contain a lot of potassium and calcium, and iron.

You can add fertilizer to the water for irrigation. Fertilize should be 3-4 times a month with low concentration mineral fertilizers. At the beginning of growth, during the formation of a leaf rosette, gerbera should be fed with nitrogen fertilizers, and then with complex fertilizers.

Gerbera propagation

Gerberas are short-lived plants. After 3-4 years they bloom little. To extend their life and flowering life, you should replant them in a larger pot every spring. To prevent the mother flower, which you liked so much, from dying, you can propagate the plant.

Gerbera reproduces:

1. dividing the bush;
2. cuttings;
3. seeds.

When propagating by seeds, the soil should be prepared from leaf soil, peat and sand. To disinfect it, you need to steam it. Crops should be sprinkled with sand to a depth of 5 mm and sprayed with water. Cover the top with polyethylene.

Place the crops in a warm place with a temperature of 22 degrees. In 7-10 days they will sprout. You need to pluck the seedlings, pinching the taproot when 2-3 leaves appear. We plant the seedlings in the pot when 4-5 leaves appear.

The disadvantage of this method of propagation is that young plants do not always inherit the characteristics of the mother; they may have a different shade of petals, the size of the inflorescence, or a peduncle of a different height.

Growing new flowers is possible by dividing the bush. To do this, dig up the plant and divide it into several parts so that each has two growing points.

The flowers are cut, the roots are trimmed, they are disinfected by sprinkling them with crushed coal, and they are planted in pots so that the growing point is at the top. With this method of growing a plant, there is a high probability of preserving the characteristics of the variety.

Rooting occurs within a month. You don’t have to dig up the flower. Remove the top layer of soil with a sharp knife, cut the rhizome into 2 parts, disinfect the cut points, cover with dry soil and carefully water.

We replant the plots after sprouts appear and roots begin to grow. In this case, the rooting of the plant occurs faster.

A less reliable method, in which the characteristics of the variety are not preserved, is cuttings.

We cut off part of the stem with a node and leaves, plant it in soil or boiled water, cover it with glass or polyethylene and leave it for a while.

If you have an indoor gerbera in your apartment, caring for the flower at home should be correct, taking into account the peculiarities of growing plants.

We told you about planting indoor gerbera and its propagation. And it is better to prevent diseases and pests that may occur in your favorite flower, so that you do not have to watch the torment of a living creature, watch how a plant dear to your heart dies.

To do this, it is necessary to eliminate mistakes in caring for indoor gerberas.