Flower of happiness and harmony - acquaintance with the yellow gerbera

Since ancient times, gerberas symbolize tenderness, purity, happiness and harmony. And the flower itself in the language of plants means - the solar disk. Varieties of yellow gerbera, like no other, are similar to the solar circle, which is framed by the magnificence of the rays of the petals.

Bring real sun to your home that will fill it with happiness. There are a lot of varieties of yellow gerbera, and the essence of caring for them is almost identical, with simple manipulations your house will turn into a sunny greenhouse.

History of occurrence

There is a legend about the origin of the gerbera plant. Once upon a time there was a forest nymph who possessed an appearance of incredible beauty. Because of her attractiveness, she suffered from an excess of attention and envy from others. She was tired of this torment and she wished to turn into a simple inconspicuous wild-growing plant. The nymph was called Emblem, and the flower was called Gerbera.

This is one of the versions of the origin of the plant and its name. But reality is much more prosaic. The flower was first discovered by Dutch researchers in southern Africa in 1717. The name of the flower was in honor of the German botanist researcher and doctor T. Gerber. The first breeder to engage in the cultivation of gerberas was the Scot Jameson. He carried out his work in the French province of Transvaal. It determined another name for the plant is transvaal chamomile.

Botanical Description

Gerbera is a perennial herbaceous or semi-shrubby tropical plant of the family Astrovidae or Compositae. The root system of a gerbera is powerful and well developed.

The leaves are elongated, cirrus-dissected. The ends of the leaves are pointed. The sheet length can reach 30-35 centimeters. The leaves are collected in a basal rosette. The bases of the leaves and petioles of the plant are slightly pubescent.

Peduncles long, dense, often pubescent, lonely, without leaves. In height, they can reach 60-65 centimeters. Each flower grows on its peduncle.

The flowers are regular, large 15-30 centimeters in diameter. The petals of the flower are often velvety, because of this they seem dull.

The fruit is the right achene. The flowering period lasts from 3 to 5 months. Place of Origin Gerbera South Africa.

Appearance

Yellow gerberas, like all other representatives of this genus, can be of three types:

• simple;
• terry;
• half terry.

Simple flowers are more like chamomile, while double flowers are more like aster. Half-double plants have a flower with petals like an aster, and a core like a daisy.

If you look at the leaves of a gerbera plant, then the representatives can be divided into:

1. broad-shouldered;
2. medium petals;
3. narrow-holed.

There is also a classification of gerberas according to the size of their flower:

• small flowered - up to 10 centimeters in diameter;
• large flowered - up to 30 centimeters in diameter.

Many species of yellow gerberas, like any other representatives of this group of plants, are the result of the activities of foreign breeders. The most popular yellow gerberas are varieties:

1. Tamara
2. Elegance.
3. Helios.
4. Brigitte.
5. Vega.
6. Golden Siren.
7. Arendgost.
8. Jameson.
9. Vincent.

We wrote about the diversity of gerbera species in this article.

Photo

See below for photos of yellow gerberas:

Rules and Landing Tips

When growing gerberas, you need to take seriously the choice of pot, soil and place where to mark it.

Lighting and location

Gerbera loves the light very much, but does not tolerate active exposure to direct sunlight. To place a pot with a plant, it is necessary to keep it on a sunny window or balcony, but shade it in the intense heat. The plant loves fresh air and is not threatened by possible temperature changes.

Gerbera does not grow in a dry climate, she loves moderate air humidity. For its comfort, it is worth periodically spraying indoor air from a spray bottle.

Soil requirements

Gerbera loves slightly acid soil composition. Such soil consists of:

• peat and sand taken in equal parts;
• sheet land, its volume should be twice the mixture of peat and sand.

A pot for planting a gerbera is suitable low, with a wide top. When planting, you must use good drainage to the bottom of the pot.

How to care?

Gerbera care is:

1. Periodic liquid top dressing from mineral fertilizers, at least 1 time in 14 days.
2. Weed division and soil disinfection during transplantation.
3. Regular but moderate watering during active growth.
4. Periodic loosening of the soil during its drying and clumping.

During irrigation, careful monitoring is necessary so that water does not fall on the outlet from the basal leaves of the gerbera, so that they do not decay. After the appearance of flowers, you need to reduce the amount of moisture and reduce the humidity in the room where the gerbera grows.

Common Diseases and Pests

Gerbera is not very resistant to fungal diseases. Most often this is basal rot and powdery mildew. Diseases develop due to adverse weather conditions and with unsatisfactory care for the gerbera:

• Root rot affects the root system and stems in the root outlet. This disease is caused in most cases by excessive watering, as well as stagnation of water in an earthen coma or pan. The stems blacken in the lower part, and the entire terrestrial part of the gerbera slowly fades and the plant completely dies. To save a gerbera, you need to resort to the use of specialized drugs.
• Powdery mildew It affects the leaves of the plant, whitish stains appear in them in the form of plaque. The leaves of the plant gradually turn yellow, fade and curl. Accordingly, the plant completely dies.

Gerbera is also subject to active attacks by a number of pests:

1. Aphid - This is a very small pest, it attacks the plant with columns, affects the stems and unopened buds.

   You can overcome aphids if you notice its attack at an early stage, then there is a chance of saving the plant. Use a solution of anabazine sulfate or nicotine sulfate in the proportion of 1 gram per 1 liter of water.

2. Whiteflies - these are small caterpillars that multiply very quickly, they attack the leaves, eaten holes on them, the plant slowly dies.

   When attacking whiteflies, drugs are used that contain perimetrin, spraying must be carried out every 3 days until the pest is completely defeated.

3. Spider mite - he envelops with a specific web all the terrestrial parts of the gerbera, and also sucks the juice from the plant, which leads to its drying out and complete death.

   Only specialized insecticide solutions will help in the fight against ticks: Anticlesch, Fitoverm, Fufanon. The tick does not tolerate moisture, you can fight it by spraying air near the gerbera. It will not be superfluous to wash the leaves of the plant with a cool solution of laundry soap, but then it also needs to be washed off with clean water.

Propagation Features

Gerbera can propagate by seed and vegetative (cuttings, division of the bush).

Seeds

To grow a gerbera from seeds, you must:

1. Prepare a loose soil substrate with peat and sand.
2. Pour the soil into a wooden pallet or plastic lockable container, but not much.
3. Moisten the surface of the soil by spraying.
4. Sow moist soil with seeds.

   IMPORTANT! Do not deepen the seeds, but lightly sprinkle with earth. Deepening the seeds increases the germination period or can lead to a complete rejection of emergence, as the seeds in a waterlogged substrate can simply deteriorate.

5. The container with crops needs to be closed with a film or plastic in order to create greenhouse conditions for the seeds, as well as to protect them from direct sunlight.
6. The sowing tank must be opened and ventilated regularly.
7. If the soil dries, it must be moistened by spraying from a spray bottle.
8. After the appearance on young shoots of 2-3 full leaves, each sprout can be transplanted into an independent pot.
9. Such a plant usually blooms 8-10 months after a dive.

Cuttings

For propagation by cuttings, you need to follow a series of actions:

1. Cut a small stalk from an adult plant, which should have at least 2 full leaves and a short stem of 1-1.5 centimeters.
2. In a separate pot, with the substrate habitual for planting gerberas, it is necessary to plant this sprout.
3. In order for the plant to take root faster, it must be covered with a film or a jar.
4. The soil around the sprout must be regularly moistened.
5. Periodically it is worth removing the film or the jar and airing the sprout.
6. The root system begins to develop 14-20 days after planting the cuttings.
7. As soon as the plant begins active growth, it is necessary to eliminate the conditions of the greenhouse, and provide the gerbera with care, according to the scheme, as an adult plant.

Dividing the bush

During the annual gerbera transplant, adult bush, at least 4 years old, can be divided into several separate plants.

To do this, you must:

1. Remove the plant from the pot.
2. Carefully remove the soil residues on the roots, they can be washed with a solution of Fundazole.
3. Divide the root part of the plant into several separate sprouts, this must be done so that on each new plant there are at least 2–3 active growth points.
4. Plant all the plants in separate pots with the usual substrate for growing gerbera.
5. Care for young plants is the same as for adult gerberas.

Gerbera may seem a rather difficult plant to care for, but with a competent approach and following all the rules and requirements of the flower itself, you can achieve excellent results. Soil preparation, proper watering and the use of protective equipment and fertilizers will help to grow the perfect gerbera in the garden or at home, and it, in turn, will delight everyone with its amazing colors.

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