Gerbera garden planting and care for which gardeners are increasingly interested, looks like a big daisy. Until recently, they were wary of this beauty and considered her capricious and demanding care. Recently, the situation has changed dramatically, gerberas are increasingly taking pride of place in flower beds, breeders replenish collections with new varieties from year to year. A variety of colors is amazing. Even the most demanding connoisseurs of beauty are sure to find a variety that meets their needs.
What does a gerbera garden look like?
Gerbera decorative street is a representative of the Astrov family and has a powerful root system. It comes from African countries, like garcinia, as well as gardenia. The plant has a shortened stem and compact bush sizes. In the root zone is a rosette of light green leaves.
Outwardly, a gerbera resembles a daisy or a large daisy
Flowers are formed single, large. The core of the baskets is light or yellowish-green. Gardeners often compare gerberas with daisies or echinacea. However, unlike the last two plants, they have a wider color gamut. There are not only ordinary, but also terry, semi-double species.
Attention! In vivo gerbera (gerbera) will never have a blue color flowers.
Breeders are constantly working on the development of new varieties and hybrids
In total, today more than 80 species of this flower are known, but gardeners prefer hybrids and varieties with high decorative qualities. At the same time, they are grown not only in the garden, but also in indoor conditions. Breeders have already bred more than a thousand varieties, which were based on the green leaf and gerber Jameson. Most of all, gardeners liked:
- Romeo;
- Mars;
- Alcor;
- Parade;
- Elegance;
- Vincent;
- Migar
- Jupiter et al.
Popular varieties of garden gerberas
There are not so many varieties of this flower as varieties, but they are the ones that form the basis of the choice for the gardener. Their description and characteristics make it possible to determine whether a plant is suitable for growing under certain conditions, and what specific features of agricultural technology it has. After all, gerberas in the garden, the cultivation and care of which require certain skills, can deliver not only aesthetic pleasure, but also certain chores.
Gerber Jameson
This species is actively grown not only in the garden, but also in indoor conditions. Strong bush, cirrus foliage, collected in a socket. Peduncle is not very high. Externally, the flower looks like a daisy.
Gerber Jameson is suitable for growing in the garden and in the room
The diameter of the hat reaches 10 cm. The flowering period lasts 3 weeks. The colors are attractive, bright.
Hybrid view of Garvinea Sweet Dreams
This species belongs to the novelties presented to the attention of gardeners. The height of the bush reaches 0.45 m, its diameter is 0.4 m. Each gerbera simultaneously produces up to 20 peduncles.
Garden gerbera Garvinea Sweet Dreams blooms from spring to fall
The color scheme is rich. The flowering period lasts from spring to autumn frosts.
Klondike
A large plant with a bush height and diameter of about 0.45 m. During the season, each plant forms up to 50 peduncles. The variety of shades is huge.
Klondike differs in large bush sizes and abundant continuous flowering
The flowers are semi-double, their diameter reaches 12 cm. The flowering period lasts from July to October.
Abyssinian
The basal rosette of this perennial consists of elliptical leaves. A characteristic feature is that the young foliage has a slight pubescence.
Abyssinian gerbera has a delicate color scheme
Flowers of reed type, most often painted white, sometimes have reddish hues.
Gerbera orange
A rosette of a flower consists of elliptical leaves. The bush is small in height, the rhizome is thick. Inflorescences of a basket type are painted in the following colors:
- Orange;
- bright red;
- pink;
- dark scarlet;
- yellow.
Orange gerbera is distinguished by a compact bush size and a bright color of flowers
The middle flowers are sometimes painted black or dark purple.
Gerbera Wright
The rosette in this species consists of cirrus or lobed leaves. The peduncle is long, at the end of it a flower is formed that looks like a large daisy. The middle of it is painted in yellow or white. The color of the petals can be:
Gerbera Wright is characterized by a rich color scheme
- in red;
- orange
- purple
- yellow;
- pink.
Gerbera Vega
This species was bred by American breeders. It differs from other varieties in large inflorescences, which reach 13 cm in diameter, and narrow long petals.
Vega hybrid has a very large size of flowers
Peduncle length - about 0.7 m. The color of the flowers is yellow-orange.
Outdoor Gerbera Care
Many beginner gardeners have a question: how to grow gerbera flowers? They are heat-loving species of plants and require some care and attention. In response, they will thank with lush and long flowering and become a worthy decoration of the flowerbed.
Suitable lighting
Gerbera is a very photophilous plant, therefore, when planting in open ground, the most well-lit areas are allocated under it.
Attention! Even the slightest shading negatively affects the growth and development of the flower.
In the summer, when the sun's rays are especially scorching, you need to organize a slight shading. In spring and autumn, it is difficult for gerberas to adapt to a short daylight, so garden gerberas are often preferred to plant in pots and organize additional lighting for them.
Gerbera loves bright lighting
In a greenhouse, the plant blooms actively from spring to late autumn.
Watering and humidity
Gerberas love air with high humidity, but you should not spray moisture directly on the inflorescences. Also unacceptable is stagnation of water or excessive soil moisture.
Attention! It is unacceptable to use cold water for irrigation.
Gerberas do not tolerate the contrast of ambient temperature and water used for irrigation. The frequency of watering depends on the ambient temperature and the established weather. With frequent rainfall, irrigation is reduced to a minimum and oriented to the state of the upper soil layer.
Spraying
Like other flowers, gerberas are negatively affected by pests and pathogens. In order for the flower to remain beautiful and healthy, it is necessary to timely carry out preventive spraying with special insecticides and fungicides, which can be purchased at gardening stores. Work is carried out in dry and calm weather in the evening or early in the morning so that drops on the leaves do not provoke the appearance of burns from scorching sunlight.
Attention! Care should be taken to avoid frequent spraying so that excess moisture does not cause decay of the leaf outlet.
Choosing the right soil
Many gardeners love gerberas. However, how to grow such beauty in the country? This is best done on soils with a neutral level of acidity and a high level of moisture, and air permeability. The pre-selected site is dug up, cleared of weeds and peat and sand are introduced.
Attention! It is impossible to bring humus to the garden with gerberas, since the flower is very susceptible to root rot.
To exclude the possibility of disease, the soil should be shed with a hot solution of weak potassium permanganate.
For growing gerbera suitable soil with a neutral level of acidity
Feeding Methods
It is unacceptable to use manure or humus as dressings for gerbera, since they provoke the development of fungal diseases. Use exclusively complex mineral preparations intended for flowering plants. During the build-up of green mass, the garden gerbera is fertilized mainly with nitrogen-containing agents. With the beginning of the appearance and opening of buds, the flower needs potassium and calcium.
Attention! Potassium and calcium contribute to abundant flowering.
Top dressing is carried out with a frequency of 1 time in 14 days, however, the dose indicated on the package is halved.
How to ensure gerbera wintering
If gerbera is grown in a southern climate, where mild and warm winters can be left in the open ground, providing good protection. After the flowering period ends, all the flower stalks are cut, the number of irrigations is reduced, the fertilizers are completely stopped. The root zone at the end of September is carefully covered with straw, hay or fallen leaves.
Attention! Collect fallen leaves should only be under healthy trees.
Now winter-hardy gerbera hybrids have appeared that can withstand even lower temperatures in the open ground to -10 ° C, but even they need good shelter.
For winter, it is better to send a gerbera to a room with a stable temperature and low humidity
Due to the climate in the middle belt, this plant is cultivated mainly as an annual. Gardeners feel sorry for ruining such beauty. They prefer that their favorite gerbera variety delight with paints for more than one year and cultivated as a perennial. In connection with this fall, a flower is dug up together with a lump of earth and transplanted into a suitable size container. You can place it in a basement with low humidity and a stable temperature. The last indicator should not increase more than to + 15 ° C. Occasionally watered a gerbera.
Attention! If there is no suitable basement, then the gerbera can be placed in the coolest corner of the apartment, protected from bright light.
Standard home conditions are not very suitable for wintering a flower.
When and how it blooms in open ground
Gerbera is characterized by a long flowering period, which lasts almost all summer. Flowers are terry, ordinary or semi-double. They are a solitary type, large, in shape resembling a daisy or chamomile.
The optimal conditions for the beginning of flowering of gerbera are considered to be a stable warm temperature (about + 22-28 ° C) and a sufficient level of humidity. A sufficient supply of nutrients and trace elements is also needed.
How gerbera propagates in the open ground
There are several proven methods that allow gardeners to propagate a garden gerbera on their own.
Seed germination
Florists call the main disadvantage of this method that it is not possible to maintain the varietal qualities of the mother plant. The new flower changes color, size and other important characteristics. Therefore, to obtain a gerbera with already known and desired characteristics, it is better to purchase seeds in trusted stores.
Attention! Hybrid seeds cannot be harvested independently; it is imperative to purchase them from manufacturers.
Plants grown from seeds will please the first flowering only after 10-11 months. For sowing, you need to mix 2 parts of turf, 1 part of humus and leaf soil, as well as coarse sand. As a container, use low elongated pots equipped with drainage holes.
Picture 15 Seeds for growing should be purchased only in trusted stores.
Gerbera seeds are planted to a depth of 0.2 cm. It is even better to simply spread them on previously moistened soil, sprinkle a little dry on top. After this, the vessel must be covered with glass or cellophane. This condition must be met for successful germination of seeds. After 10 days, shoots should appear. When the seedlings form 3-4 real leaves, it can be dived into separate pots.
Rooting cuttings
Using this technique, it will not work to get a large number of seedlings, but varietal characteristics will fully correspond to the mother plant. In addition, young gerberas will have high growth potential. To root the plantings, it will be necessary to create special conditions, namely to maintain a constant temperature and high humidity.
Rooting cuttings allows you to save the varietal qualities of the mother plant
A gerbera bush is dug up, a leaf outlet is cut and the roots are planted in a greenhouse. After a couple of weeks, shoots will begin to grow from the air buds, which will serve as material for future cuttings. As soon as at least 2 leaves are formed on the shoots, they are carefully cut so that the length is about 1 cm. After this, the stalk must be planted in a nutritious soil mixture of peat, river sand and perlite.
Attention! To root gerbera cuttings, it is required to maintain the temperature at + 24 ° ะก.
After 2 weeks, roots form on the cuttings, however, they can be planted in separate pots only after a month.
Possible problems and mistakes when growing
Even the many years of experience of flower growers do not insure them against errors associated with the cultivation of gerberas. A flower sometimes, for no apparent reason, begins to drop its buds and loses its decorative qualities. You should immediately understand what caused such consequences, and take measures for the prevention and treatment of plants.
Discards buds and leaves
Such symptoms can be caused by several reasons:
- lack of light;
- moisture deficiency;
- temperature mismatch.
It is necessary to carefully analyze all the factors and try to eliminate their negative impact.
Leaves turn pale
Blanching of the leaves of a gerbera can be triggered by an excess of sunlight. In order for the flower to feel good, at noon it needs to organize light shading from direct sunlight.
Even experienced gardeners face problems and make mistakes when growing garden gerberas
The tips dry on the leaves
This problem sometimes occurs due to a deficiency of calcium in the soil or due to insufficient moisture in the air. Feeding with a calcium-containing preparation should be done, open containers with water should be placed near the gerbera.
Lower leaves fall off
This symptom often occurs due to excessive soil moisture or lack of light. Gerberas planted in the garden cultivated under trees, begin to hurt and lose their decorative effect. It is necessary to adjust irrigation so that the topsoil has time to dry out.
Gerbera will definitely thank you for your work and care with long and beautiful flowering
Garden gerbera flowers planting and care for which can cause troubles, both for beginners and experienced gardeners, become the real pride of a flower bed. All costs and efforts are fully justified by luxurious flowering and riot of colors. You just need to properly care for the garden beauty and surround her with love.
