Indoor gerbera - care at home, growing in a pot

Even in the most modest interior of an apartment, luxurious bright gerbera flowers can create coziness and a festive mood. You can, of course, grow garden gerberas in the summer, cut them and collect them into bouquets that will stand in a flower vase in your room for a couple of weeks. But, nevertheless, it is much more interesting to grow this beauty at home in a pot and enjoy its amazing flowering for several months. Good lighting, a mild microclimate in city apartments and knowledge of some of the nuances in caring for indoor gerberas at home will allow anyone to achieve the desired results.

Location

Gerbera loves sunny window sills facing east or west, but will also thrive in other places well lit by diffused sunlight. It should be shaded from direct midday sun, but at other times it simply needs sun. Thanks to its compactness and the chic appearance of its inflorescences, gerbera can decorate any corner of your home. You can find a place for it in the bedroom, in the living room, in the living room and even in the kitchen. It is safe for allergy sufferers. She’s not afraid of drafts, but she loves fresh air - so don’t forget to ventilate her corner regularly. In the summer, the plant can be taken out onto the veranda, balcony or even into the garden, where it will have a great time in the warm season in the open ground.

Lighting

Gerberas really respect direct sunlight. This is a prerequisite for the formation of a lush crown of leaves and flowering. Only, if the flower is on a south window, it is better to protect it with a curtain or blinds at midday.

The optimal length of daylight for comfortable maintenance of gerbera throughout the year is at least 12–13 hours. Therefore, from approximately mid-autumn to mid-spring, we recommend illuminating the flower to these levels using conventional fluorescent, LED or special phytolamps, placing them at a slight angle at a distance of about 80 cm above the pot. Sufficient lighting is a necessary condition for flowering.

Bloom

The flowering of a plant directly depends on the microclimate of the room and on lighting. In order for flowering to occur on time, you need to know the growth mode of the flower:

with short daylight hours in winter, the plant enters a dormant phase;
with lighting 11-12 hours a day in spring and summer, gerbera grows green mass;
From August to November the plant is in the flowering phase.

When the buds open, it is necessary to feed the gerbera with a solution with a high potassium content. After 3-4 years of active growth, flowering noticeably decreases and the bushes are replaced by young plants. This can be done by dividing the bush.

Some gardeners deliberately provoke crops to bloom in winter by artificially increasing the length of daylight hours. Under such conditions, the gerbera quickly becomes depleted and grows for no more than two years.

Important! After the flowers wither, you need to break them completely to the ground. This will prevent the rosettes from rotting and encourage new growth.

During the flowering period, a large difference between night and day temperatures should not be allowed.

Why doesn't it bloom?

In order for the plant to enjoy flowering next season, it is necessary to provide it with a full rest period in winter. Reasons why gerbera does not bloom:

The pot chosen was too large when replanting the plant. In this case, the rhizome actively grows, and this draws the flower’s strength away from other processes.
A pot that is too small is used. The roots do not have enough nutrition.
The flower is rarely replanted (less than once a year), and the roots do not have time to develop.
Nitrogen fertilizers are used for feeding. In order for gerbera to bloom well, you need to use potassium and phosphorus.
The room temperature remains below 12 degrees. In this case, the plant enters a dormant state.
The plant is over-watered or cold water is used for irrigation. The consequence of such a procedure can be not only the lack of flowering, but also the death of the plant.

Temperature

The optimal temperature during the growing season and flowering is considered to be 20–25 degrees. in the daytime and 18-20 degrees. at night. This corresponds to natural indicators in its homeland. During the winter holidays, the temperature in the room is reduced to 14–16 degrees, while reducing the watering rate. At 12 gr. In warm temperatures, gerberas go into “hibernation”: almost all processes slow down, flowering is excluded. Temperature 8-10 degrees. is critical for home gerbera, although in its native places it can withstand lower temperatures due to the fact that the roots there are, after all, in warmer and more humid layers of soil.

The flower does not like sudden changes in temperature, especially during flowering. The heat is 30 degrees. Gerbera also does not tolerate higher levels well - the inflorescences quickly wither, the leaves lose their tone. On such days, remove the flower to cooler places, shade it, and ventilate the premises more often.

general information

Gerbera is a perennial plant that you will probably recognize by its long stem with a large, bright flower. The rosette of leaves spreads out to the sides near the ground, and the peduncle extends upward by 60 cm. The basket inflorescences reach up to 15 cm in diameter, for which they are highly valued by flower growers and florists.

Although gerbera is common in all our flower shops and markets, in fact it is an exotic guest. In nature, it grows in Africa, in tropical and subtropical latitudes. Despite this, the flower has taken root well here too.

Photo: my.mail.ru

Watering

During the growing season and flowering, gerberas in a pot need to be watered regularly, and the amount of liquid with each watering should be approximately the same. The soil in the depths of the pot should be kept slightly moist and slightly dry on the surface of the soil. The ideal watering scheme is as follows: the soil should be damp for 4 days, and then dry for 2 days. On cool days, the dose of water is reduced accordingly, and on hot days – increased.

It is best to pour water around the edges of the pot using a watering can with a long spout. It is not necessary for water to directly fall on the roots, much less on the leaves and inflorescences.

Watering through a tray is also allowed. Just remember to remove excess water that has not been absorbed into the soil from the pan approximately 20-30 minutes after watering.

We recommend loosening the soil in the pot between waterings so that the roots have free access to oxygen.

Water for irrigation should be soft (rain, snow, boiled or standing for 24 hours), at room temperature, not lower than 20 degrees, to avoid the development of fungal infections. Even in the summer heat, you cannot water this plant with cool water - the roots will rot.

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In autumn-winter, watering should be significantly reduced, as well as the temperature of the flower. Water only after the top layer of soil has dried at least 2-3 cm. You can determine the need for watering using a match or a toothpick, as well as by the appearance of the plant: if the gerbera is “thirsty,” its leaves droop and lose tone.

Diseases and pests

As a result of improper care, the plant may become sick. The most common diseases include:

Mold . If moldy deposits are detected, you must immediately transplant the plant into new soil and normalize watering.
Powdery mildew . It is a whitish or grayish coating that spreads throughout the plant. As a result of the disease, buds may fall off. Powdery mildew appears when there is excessive soil and air moisture, increased temperature and excessive fertilizing. To combat the disease, fungicides should be used: Topaz, Previkur and Fundazol. To prevent the appearance, you can use a soda solution, settled onion peels or kefir.
Late blight . It appears as brown spots on the leaves and their drying out. Late blight is caused by excess moisture and a hot microclimate. To eliminate the disease, you need to replace the soil, stop watering and treat the flower with drugs: Previkur, Profit Gold or Ridomil. The disease can be prevented by spraying the soil with garlic infusion.
Gray rot . Appears as a result of excessive soil moisture and due to excess nitrogen in the soil and is characterized by the presence of fluffy gray mold on the leaves. In this case, the plant should be treated with fungicides or insecticides: Fundazol, Rovral, Topsin-M.
Chlorosis . It is characterized by the appearance of a yellow space between the veins on the leaves as a result of impaired chlorophyll formation and a decrease in photosynthetic activity. To eliminate the problem, you need to change the soil, water the plant with acidified water and add chelated iron to the diet. For treatment, the flower bushes are sprayed and the following drugs are applied: Antichlorosis, Ferovit, Iron Chelate, etc.

Lack of moisture can lead to a plant being attacked by pests:

Whitefly . It is an insect similar to a moth. As a result of its damage, the leaves become deformed and the stems stop growing. The following drugs are used to fight: Aktara, Vertimek, Kinmiks. As a preventive measure, it is necessary to loosen the soil of the plant more often, and you can also use adhesive tape.
Aphid . As a result of an aphid invasion, the leaves dry out and curl, and flowering stops. Plants are treated with Actofit, Aktara, Vertimek, Iskra, etc. Prevention is treated with infusion of wormwood or lemon.
Spider mite . Cobwebs appear on the plant, and small dots appear on the leaves. This leads to drying out, falling leaves and stopping flowering. All infected greenery is torn off from the gerbera and the flower is washed with soap and soda solution, then treated with Nissoran and Actellik.

The video details possible diseases and pests of gerbera, as well as methods of control and prevention:

Air humidity

Gerbera does not tolerate dry air well. The optimal humidity level for it is 70–80%. If the indicators are greatly reduced, especially during the heating season, the humidity must be increased by all available means. It is not advisable to spray the plant itself - neither the leaves nor the flowers like it. But regularly spraying the space surrounding the flower, creating a water suspension or fog around the gerbera, is very necessary. There are other ways to increase indoor humidity, for example:

place the pot in a deep tray, at the bottom of which is a layer of wet expanded clay, pebbles, sphagnum moss or coconut fiber;
cover the radiators with wet towels;
create a gerbera “company” of other plants that evaporate moisture from the leaves;
Place wide containers of cool water around the gerbera;
Buy a household humidifier and use it.

If the humidity in the room, on the contrary, is too high, above 80-85%, this will make the gerbera vulnerable to fungal and other infections, especially in winter. In this case, ventilation, reducing the amount of watering, and canceling spraying will help.

The soil

To grow indoor gerbera, it is best to purchase ready-made store-bought universal soil for flowering indoor plants. In the wild in South Africa, gerbera grows in soils rich in minerals but almost devoid of organic matter.

It is also possible to prepare the substrate yourself. It should be nutritious, loose, with a slightly acidic reaction. Mix leaf soil, peat chips, coarse sand (or sphagnum moss), small pieces of charcoal in a ratio of 2:1:1:1. Add some pine bark. It is important that the soil does not contain humus or compost - a minimum of organic matter! (They may burn the tender gerbera roots). The soil mixture of the specified composition will be quite fertile and permeable, it will provide free access of air to the root system of the plant.

Gerbera transplant

The bright life span of indoor gerberas is short, only 3–4 years. Then the bushes lose their decorative properties and bloom less frequently and sparingly. Through reproduction, young specimens are grown, and old ones are thrown away. Therefore, you will only have to do the transplant a couple of times.

Replanting after purchase

The first transplant is carried out soon after purchasing the flower, since a store-bought transport pot and the substrate in it are not suitable for long-term cultivation of the flower. Plan this procedure 2-3 weeks after purchase - this time is enough to adapt the gerbera to new conditions. You will need to remove the flower from the shipping pot and shake off or scrape off as much of the store-bought substrate as possible with a wooden stick. Do not trim or pick off the gerbera roots. It is better to disinfect the prepared pot, even if it is completely new.

There should be drainage holes at the bottom of the pot, then a layer of drainage made of expanded clay (pebbles, crushed stone, pieces of polystyrene foam, small ceramic shards) at least 2-3 cm thick. Next comes a layer of fresh, preferably sterilized substrate (about a third of the pot) . Place the bush on the substrate in the center and carefully fill the roots along the edges of the pot. Make sure that the root collar is not buried. The root rosette should rise 2-4 cm above the ground surface.

The transplant should be done during the dormant period, when the gerbera does not bloom. If you were given a pot of blooming gerbera, then it is better to leave it in the same pot so as not to disturb the flowering process and not spoil your pleasure. Replant after the plant has finished flowering.

Planned transplant

You will have to plan the next transplant for next year, when the gerbera has grown enough. The optimal time for transplantation is the end of the dormant period. This is approximately from the end of February to mid-March. Some gardeners recommend replanting after flowering has ended, somewhere in late autumn. We are for the first option.

Replant the gerbera using the transshipment method, while trying to disturb the roots as little as possible.
After transplanting, compact the substrate and water it moderately. Place the flower pot in the shade for 3–5 days to prevent direct sunlight.
If after a week the transplanted gerbera bush does not look cheerful, as if it has not yet recovered from stress, spray the surrounding air and build a greenhouse around the flower, for example, from polyethylene. Let the plant in it grow stronger and begin to grow. Get rid of accumulating condensate in a timely manner by ventilation, so as not to provoke the development of rot.

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Carry out the first feeding no earlier than a month after transplantation. Use mineral nitrogen-containing fertilizers that stimulate the flower to actively grow green mass.

What kind of pot do you need?

The diameter of the pot should not be too large, only 2–3 cm wider than the root system of the flower. Crowding in a pot is one of the conditions for abundant flowering of gerberas. Volume - approximately 1–1.5 liters.

A deep pot made of unglazed ceramics is best suited for gerberas - this will allow air to pass well to the roots of the plant. But in winter, on a cold windowsill, the roots of the gerbera in such a pot can become hypothermic. This should not be allowed, because gerbera is very sensitive to this. In this case, foam or a wooden stand under the pot for thermal insulation will help.

Folk signs

The colors of gerberas are very diverse. But you need to know which color is preferable in a given situation. So, they usually make up a bouquet:

of white gerberas for the bride;
orange ones are suitable for your beloved guy;
terry ones will be needed for a gift for a girl;
A multi-colored bouquet is carried to the birthday boy.

Cut flowers will last in a vase for a week or more. Pour a little water so that it only slightly covers the stem.

Capricorns definitely need to have at least one flowerpot with gerbera. If not at home, then at the workplace for sure. It will help you move up your career ladder.

Fertilizers

Fertilizing is applied only during the active growing season. From the beginning of spring to the end of November, the plant is fertilized every 1.5–2 weeks. Indoor gerbera does not like natural organic matter. It is preferable to feed with mineral supplements. Purchased complex fertilizers for flowering plants (Master, Uniflor, Florovit, Agricola) are suitable. We recommend halving the concentration of the product in the solution compared to the instructions.

Pay attention to the composition. During different periods of gerbera development, use a specific composition of fertilizer. For example, during the growth of green mass, fertilizers should contain more nitrogen components. During flowering - potassium and phosphorus. It’s good if iron is included in the fertilizer, since indoor gerberas also need it. You will learn about its deficiency in the soil by pale yellow spots spreading on the leaves, indicating the development of chlorosis. Rusty nails buried in a pot help. Among chemical agents, you can use Micro-Fe and Ferovit preparations.

Why do indoor gerbera leaves turn yellow and dry: what to do?

Gerbera leaves turn yellow and dry if they are attacked by pests :

Whitefly . The plant should be treated with a preparation containing permethrin.
Spider mite . To get rid of it, spray the leaves 2-3 times a day with clean water. If this does not help, you need to use the drug Actellik

Important: Yellowing occurs when overwatering. Reduce watering if your gerbera begins to wilt and turn yellow.

Reproduction of gerbera at home

Gerbera readily reproduces in captivity in several ways. Let's look at them in order.

Dividing the bush

This is the easiest way to get a new gerbera bush from a healthy plant at the age of 3-4 years, on which several basal rosettes have formed. In the spring, when replanting a flower, it is divided into parts so that each has 2-3 growth points (at least one) and part of the root system. The root system should first be soaked for 2–3 hours in warm water, slightly pink from potassium permanganate. Afterwards, the roots should be carefully cleaned from the soil and unraveled, if possible, by hand. Divide the roots with a clean knife or scissors. Sprinkle all cuts with crushed charcoal (activated) charcoal or cinnamon.

Transplant the bushes obtained by dividing into separate small pots filled with a substrate suitable for adult gerberas, and water. Carry on with your care as usual. When replanting, make sure that the growing points are 2-3 cm above the soil surface. Rooting takes a long time, from six months to a year, then flowering can occur only 10-12 months or the next year after replanting.

By cuttings

This method is less effective - the cuttings often rot. But you can try. Cut a part of the stem diagonally from the plant, about 10 cm in length, with 2-3 leaves. It is possible to root the cuttings in sand, perlite or vermiculite, covering the container on top with a plastic bag or glass cup (jar), maintaining high humidity, a temperature of 25–27 ° C and, if possible, bottom heating. When a new leaf appears on the cutting, we can assume that rooting was successful. Now the cutting can be transplanted into a pot with suitable soil and cared for as an adult plant.

Growing from seeds

Growing gerbera at home from seeds is a rather complex and time-consuming method. Moreover, it does not guarantee the preservation of the main varietal characteristics of the flower, such as dwarfism, double petals, their shades and other “highlights” of the variety. However, you can collect the seeds yourself or purchase them at the store. Seeds retain good germination rate (more than 50%) for six months. If the seeds are more than eight months old, there is no point in planting them. Gerbera specimens grown from seeds will bloom only after two years.

The optimal time for sowing seeds is from late January to March. Sow seeds in containers or other containers from which you can build a greenhouse. As a substrate, use a mixture of sand and peat chips, which must be well moistened before planting.

Spread the seeds over the surface without burying them, sprinkle with a thin layer of fine sand on top.
Close the lid of the container (cover the container with glass or film). Keep in a dark, warm place until germination. Ventilate daily to remove condensation. After 8-10 days, the first shoots will begin to appear.
Now move the greenhouse to a bright place at a temperature of 18-20 degrees. Protect from direct sunlight.
When the second true leaves appear on the seedlings, they should be planted in small plastic cups (drainage holes and a drainage layer are required!), and into the same substrate. Try to harm the roots as little as possible.
When young gerberas have 4–5 leaves, they should be transplanted into pots with a diameter of 9 cm in a substrate suitable for adult gerberas. Then take care as usual.

Beneficial features

Gerberas are colorful flowers with a delicate aroma that, at home, will not harm even allergy sufferers or asthmatics. This flower serves as a natural air purifier, filtering oxygen from harmful impurities. In addition, a useful property of gerbera is its ability to maintain a blooming decorative appearance for about a month.