Rules for planting and caring for a garden gerbera, especially growing

Garden gerbera is a popular culture with excellent decorative properties. In order for a plant to develop normally, it must receive comprehensive and high-quality care. It is recommended to water and feed the flower in a timely manner. Protection against dangerous diseases and attacks of harmful insects, as well as weeding and loosening the soil, is not insignificant.

Description and characteristics of the plant

It is a delicate and beautiful culture that decorates the flower garden with bright colors.At the same time, it is important to provide comprehensive care for the flower. Gerbera belongs to the Asteraceae family. Its flowers are gathered in the center of the rosette and form a whole. They can be of different sizes. But most often they have a diameter of 10-12 centimeters.

The plants are short and tall. Some specimens reach 1 meter in height. At the same time, flowers no longer than 30 centimeters are most often grown in the garden. Gerberas have a long flowering period that lasts about a month.

How to plant in the ground

This flower is considered demanding. It needs enough heat and high humidity. The proper execution of planting work is not negligible.

Time recommendations

It is recommended to plant a culture in the open ground in the spring, when the threat of frost passes. Even a short cold snap will kill the crop. The plant is usually planted in late May or early June.

Selection and preparation of planting material

When buying seedlings, it should be borne in mind that it should not be elongated. It is important that the leaves have a rich green tint. There should be no stains or deposits on the trunk. Before planting, plants must be adapted to new conditions. To do this, they must be kept outside for 1 day.

Site and Soil Requirements

When choosing a site, it is worth assessing whether it is protected from the wind. It is best to choose a location protected by a fence or wall. It is allowed to place the flower in a small hollow. At the same time, water should not accumulate in it.

It is important that the site is lit as much as possible during the day.

The soil should be light and nutritious.For self-preparation of the substrate, peat, sand and sod should be mixed in equal proportions. You can also add chopped pine bark. A drainage layer should be placed in the depression and a substrate should be added.

Landing scheme

To plant a plant in the ground, you must follow these steps:

1. Carefully remove the culture from the container. In doing so, it is important to try not to damage the leaves and roots.
2. Make a recess in the landing zone.
3. Place the flower in the center and sprinkle around the edges. In this case, the outlet should not be located below the surface of the earth or rise sharply above it.
4. Water the plant with lukewarm water. Then add Fitosporin solution, which will help disinfect the floor.
5. Finally, treat the leaves with Epin's solution.

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Breeding methods

There are several breeding methods, each of which has certain characteristics.

Cuttings

This is a method of vegetative propagation. To do so, follow these steps:

• unearthing the mother culture;
• cut the rosettes and treat the cut area with chopped charcoal;
• plant a flower;
• cut young shoots with a root and plant in the ground;
• cover the cuttings with a transparent cap.

Divide the bush

If you need to increase the number of gerberas in the open field, you can use the method of dividing the bush. To do this, you must do the following:

1. Choose a tall crop with developed roots.
2. Dig up a bush.
3. Cut the roots 15 centimeters long.
4. Divide the roots into several fragments, leaving 2-3 leaves on the separate parts.
5. Sprinkle the sliced ​​areas with charcoal to prevent disease.
6. Plant the separated specimens directly in the ground. In this case, the sockets should be raised by 10-15 millimeters.
7. Shade and water planting. In a month they will take root and begin to actively grow.

Root shoots

In this case, it is worth finding the strongest and largest plant and separating the root shoots from it. After which it should be transplanted to a new place.

General rules of care

To successfully grow a crop, it must be provided with comprehensive and quality care.

watering mode

Gerbera has wide leaves that actively evaporate water from the surface. Therefore, the culture needs active watering. 25 liters of water are spent per square meter of flower garden.

It is recommended to water the plants at the root to avoid soil erosion and root exposure.

It is important that no liquid spills onto the outlet as this will cause rot.

top dresser

It is recommended to feed the culture 2 times a month. A perennial plant tolerates minerals well. At the same time, an excess of organic matter leads to a loss of decorative culture. To stimulate growth, it is permissible to use cow dung - this is done no more than once per season.

For gerbera, magnesium sulfate is good. If the plant is planted in a place with insufficient light, it is worth using an agent containing phosphorus.

It is not recommended to fertilize gerberas with chlorine-containing substances. The use of potassium chloride is particularly dangerous. For abundant flowering, the culture needs phosphorus, magnesium, manganese, potassium. In the fall, it is allowed to add support compositions once a month. After the end of flowering, feeding is stopped.

Loosening and weeding

Planting is recommended to weed occasionally. This manipulation will help get rid of competitors that absorb moisture and nutrients. In addition, pests are found in grass, which can infect a cultivated plant. After each watering, the soil should be loosened. This will help oxygenate the root system.

Protection against pests and diseases

One of the disadvantages of cultivation is susceptibility to disease. This is due to damage to the soil and stagnation of moisture. To prevent decomposition processes, the following measures should be taken:

• treat seedlings with a special solution;
• use complete drainage;
• properly water the crop, preventing it from drying out;
• when you wet the ground, avoid getting water on the foliage.

Sometimes the culture is affected by pests - mainly thrips, ticks and aphids.To combat pests, it is worth using insecticides.

In winter

It is recommended to cover the gerbera for the winter. It is best to use straw or dry foliage for this purpose. In regions with a cold climate, the gerbera is grown as an annual or dug up before winter with a clod of earth and transplanted into a large pot.

Keep the flower in a bright, cool room at + 7-8 degrees Celsius.

Size

To prolong the flowering of gerberas and activate the bookmark of new peduncles, it is worth quickly getting rid of faded peduncles. At the same time, it is recommended not to cut them, but to break them in the base area or twist them out of the foil funnel.

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Possible growth problems

When growing a garden gerbera, there is a risk of various problems.The plant often encounters diseases and pests.

Diseases

Sometimes the culture is affected by fungal and bacterial infections. In such a situation, you need to act in time.

Root rot

At the same time, the rotting of the root rosette begins, the leaves wither. As a result, the culture can die. The cause of problems is excessive watering, stagnation of liquid in the soil or at the exit of the plant. The use of too cold water for irrigation also leads to a violation.

The culture should be treated with Fundazol or Maxim. If the plant dies, it must be dug up and destroyed.

gray rot

With the development of pathology, all fragments of the culture are covered with a gray bloom. The cause of gray rot is increased soil or air humidity. This also leads to stagnation of liquid on the plant and lack of fertilizer. Rovral and Fundazol will help to cope with the problem.

Powdery mildew

In this case, the stem is covered with a whitish bloom. As the pathology progresses, the leaves and peduncles are affected. The problem is caused by excessive amount of minerals in the soil and calcium deficiency.

A solution of Topaz or Fundazol will help to cope with the disease. Compliance with the temperature and humidity regime is not negligible.

Mosaic

Initially, the leaves are covered with yellow-green spots that look like marble streaks. After that, they deform and die. In this case, only preventive measures are possible. Before planting, it is worth processing the soil. If the culture is sick, it is impossible to cope with the pathology.

pests

Sometimes the plant encounters attacks of harmful insects. To cope with it, insecticidal preparations are used.

Whitefly

In this case, the affected leaves acquire a yellow tint and dry out. Then they are covered with sticky substance and larvae. Insecticides help with whiteflies - Confidor, Aktara.

Maintaining optimal humidity and temperature parameters is not insignificant. You can plant peppermint or nasturtium near the gerbera.

Aphid

When the plant is infected, brown bumps appear on the soiled side of the leaves. Insecticides help with aphids - Decis, Fitoverm. It is also allowed to pollinate plantations with ash. You can use tobacco dust.

Varieties

There are several types of garden gerberas, each of which has certain characteristics.

Wright

This crop is best grown in greenhouses. The plant is considered very whimsical. He needs full ventilation and systematic feeding.

jameson

In height, this variety of gerberas reaches 60 centimeters. Flowering lasts from August to November. Culture is characterized by a variety of colors.

with green leaves

This gerbera is considered the ancestor of the rest of the species.

Abyssinian

The plant is characterized by not too large white flowers. Sometimes they are distinguished by a reddish tint.

Ambigua

It is a white gerbera with excellent decorative characteristics.

ferruginated

It is a red variety that is popular with many gardeners.

Anandria

Another popular plant species that is grown by many growers.

varietal variety

To successfully grow a plant, it is worth choosing the right variety and providing it with proper care.

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Jupiter

This variety has a pleasant aroma and a long flowering period.The plant is characterized by long and narrow petals, which is why it resembles a chamomile. The stem reaches 70 centimeters.

March

The peduncles of this variety dissolve whole baskets, which have several rows of petals.

Alcor

This variety is characterized by a rich cherry hue. The plants are decorated with small flowers. The bushes reach a height of 50 centimeters.

Migar

It is a narrow-leaved plant with large flowers. It is decorated with long, narrow petals that diverge in different directions. The flowers are bright pink.

Romeo

This variety is characterized by rich red inflorescences that have excellent decorative properties.

Delios

These bushes are decorated with bright red flowers. Therefore, the crop is grown on their plots by many growers.

ALGOL

This is a fairly large culture, which reaches 70 centimeters in height. The flower reaches 13 centimeters in diameter.

Durora Blend

This variety is characterized by a variety of colors. The culture is distinguished by large inflorescences and short stems.

Parade

This is an attractive red gerbera that is rightly popular with gardeners.

Elegans

This variety is characterized by a yellow color. There are also pink varieties of the variety. The culture has strong roots and elongated leaves.

vincent

The plant has yellow inflorescences with a black center. Thanks to this, it looks very impressive.

Royal

This is a category of dwarf varieties that are compact in size and serve as a real decor for the site.

Lemon

This variety is characterized by yellow flowers.

white

Culture has white flowers.

Champagne

This plant is characterized by champagne-colored petals.

YELLOW

The plant has spectacular yellow inflorescences.

scarlet orange

Culture has orange petals.

How to plant seedlings correctly

It is recommended to plant seeds for seedlings in January or March. To do so, follow these steps:

1. Make a substrate. It consists of turf, leafy soil, humus, which are mixed in a 2: 1: 1 ratio. Sand is also added to the composition.
2. The seeds are driven into the ground by 0.2-0.3 centimeters. The first shoots appear in 2 weeks.
3. When 2-3 true leaves appear, the seedlings are transplanted into boxes. With 4-5 leaves, sprouts are moved to separate containers.

The flowering of gerberas begins 10-11 months after planting. The resulting plants may lose the characteristics of the parent cultures.

Features of cultivation at home

By growing gerberas at home, transplant problems can be avoided. To do this, use individual containers with a prepared substrate.

However, they need to be watered periodically. With the onset of winter, plants are moved to the balcony. The optimal temperature parameters are + 10-12 degrees.

How to prolong flowering in bouquets

To preserve the bouquet, you must follow these rules:

• change the water daily;
• choose a tall, narrow vase;
• pour water only a few centimeters;
• cut off soft ends;
• cut the stems obliquely.

Common Mistakes

When growing gerberas, inexperienced gardeners make mistakes:

• watering the crop incorrectly;
• applying too much organic fertilizer;
• do not treat bushes from diseases and pests.

Use in landscaping

Growing gerberas in the garden helps decorate it. They can be combined with different flowers. Gerberas are versatile. They can decorate flower beds or plant crops along borders.

Additional tips and tricks

To successfully grow gerberas, you must follow these rules:

• water the crop in time;
• apply the right fertilizers;
• spray the crop against diseases and pests.

The garden gerbera is a common crop that is very popular with gardeners. To achieve good results in its cultivation, it is necessary to provide quality care.