Gerbera flower is an ornamental plant flower that has the characteristics of long petals and looks like a daisy.
This flower originated from South Africa, North Africa, and Russia. The name gerbera comes from its discoverer Traug Gerber, a German citizen who made an expedition to South Africa.
After that, Jamenson discovered Gerbera Hybrida. From these two inventors, Gerbera was confirmed as Gerbera Jamesonii Bolus ex Hook officially.
As a newcomer to ornamental flowers, gerberas have become an important cut flower commodity in several countries, and Singapore is one of them.
Gerbera is very popular and widely used as ornamental plants or as gerbera bouquets. This flower is the fifth most used flower in the world for bouquets after roses, carnations, chrysanthemums, and tulips.
Besides being used as an export commodity, gerbera flowers are also a raw material for making perfumes because of the essential oil they produce.
Gerbera flower colors vary widely, they are white, yellow, orange, red, and pink. Like lily bouquets full of color.
How do you care for a gerbera plant?
Garbera can grow well if the requirements are met, such as in the plains that have an altitude of 400 – 1400 meters above sea level (MASL).
Gerbera will grow well in a planting medium that has soil criteria with a pH of 5.5 to 6.
If you are interested in having gerbera flowers in your home garden, here are some ways to care for gerbera flowers:
- Choose the right location
Gerbera is native to South Africa, the plant doesn’t like temperatures above 21 °C. You should choose a location where there is sun in the morning and shade in the afternoon.
That’s why gerbera should not expose to the hot midday sun. Gerbera also likes lots of suns. A place that is bright and sunny in the morning but still protected from direct sunlight during the day is an ideal location.
The ideal temperature for gerbera is around 21 °C. So, don’t put it under the sunlight directly. To give it enough light, look for a window that gets a lot of morning sun, but is shaded during the day, and only gets indirect sunlight in the afternoon.
In the warmer months of spring and summer, you can leave potted gerbera outdoors, where there are similar lighting conditions to the requirements.
- Do watering regularly
Water the soil around the gerbera, but don’t let the water get on the plants. After the plant grows, water it thoroughly once a week to keep the soil moist but not soggy. Do not let water on the flowers or leaves because the plant can rot.
After 10-15 days of planting, gerbera flower seedlings will begin to grow new roots and shoot as young gerbera plants.
Don’t forget to keep an eye on watering in the early stages of gerbera flower growth every day.
If the weather is too hot, you should water the gerbera twice a day, to keep the soil moist. But in the rainy season, you just water it once a day.
- Keep the planting media clean.
Even if you plant gerbera in small quantities, keep the planting medium away from the growth of weeds by weeding them regularly. If weeds grow in the same pot as the gerbera you plant, it will likely make your gerbera grow stunted.
- Remove new shoots growing on the stem of Gerbera.
You will also need to remove any new shoots that are growing on the gerbera stems. Fertilizing once a month is highly recommended to make the gerbera grow faster, and it can flower quickly too.
- Spray anti-pest liquid
To prevent pests and plant diseases from gerbera, spray an anti-pest liquid such as Decis 2, 5 EC.
Do regular fertilization and sanitation on gerbera plants so that gerbera plants can grow optimally and avoid pests and diseases.
- Fertilize the plant every month during the growth period.
Gerbera needs additional nutrition in the spring and summer when the plant is actively growing and flowering. Every 30 days, dilute fertilizer in water before spraying it on the plants.
- Cut off the dead flowers.
When the flower buds begin to wilt and die, cut them off with clean cuttings. By removing dead flowers, plant energy will be channeled to stimulate the growth of new flowers. You should also trim any leaves and clumps which start to wither and turn brown.
If you want to have a gerbera flower that smells fresh and good, you have to be patient to wait until it is at least three months old. In addition, you need to take steps to maintain the above gerbera flowers properly and do it regularly.
Thus the answer of how you care for a gerbera plant? Hopefully, it can be useful and add to your insight.
As long as following the treatment methods described above, gerbera flowers will certainly thrive and be beautiful in your yard or your flower garden.
