Orange gerberas: photo of flowers, how to care for and protect from diseases?

Gerber gained great fame not so long ago, namely at the end of the XIX century.

Such a flower is very common in Europe, so from the African savage he quickly turned into a favorite of many gardeners.

In this article we will talk about the peculiarities of plant propagation, the procedure for planting, how and where to plant orange gerberas, as well as the history of its occurrence.

Botanical Description and History

Gerbera is a perennial herbaceous plant, which belongs to the Astrov family. From a thick stem, located underground, grows a rosette with long cirrus leaves with sharp edges. The peduncle has no leaves, it is lowered and reaches from 30 to 65 cm in height.

The flower basket is very beautiful, often it is large and has reed flowers in its composition, forming one or more rows of small flowers. Baskets are single, but they are quite simple, in their appearance resemble daisies. The color of gerberas is different, but the most popular is considered to be orange. In the open field, the flowering period lasts all summer, and when the flower fades, seed boxes appear, ripening in August and September.

There are several legends about gerberas. One of them tells of a heavenly angel who from time to time flew over the earth and one fine day saw a very beautiful girl. She wandered through the meadow and gathered flowers. The angel decided to go down even lower, he fell in love with her beauty.

But such a couple has no future, so he decided to collect the stars in the meadow, turning them into an incredibly beautiful meadow of gerberas. Seeing many attractive colors, the girl smiled. Since then, gerberas are considered a symbol of sincere joy and love.

Description and appearance

The herbaceous perennial is characterized by a shortened stalk, which is hidden under a dense rosette of basal leaves. Single baskets resembling daisies, reaching 5-15 cm in diameter, blossom over dissected foliage.

It is located on peduncles.

The following types of orange gerberas are considered the most popular:

Sweet Caroline. They have bright orange petals and yellow tips.
Orangina. Sunny shade of orange flowers.
Sweet Honey The middle of the flower and the petals are more yellow in color, while the remaining parts are orange.

Photo

Check out the photos of the beautiful plants.

How and where to plant: detailed instructions

Garden gerbera in our climate is grown in seedlings using seeds. For beginners, this method will seem very difficult, however, the result will live up to expectations.

The procedure for landing will be as follows:

Buying seeds. If you have previously grown gerberas, then you can get them with your own hands. You can also buy ready-made items at the store. Be sure to check the expiration date and choose well-known brands.
To correctly determine the time of planting seeds, it is worthwhile to focus on the fact that flowering will begin in 10-11 months.
Prepare containers for seedlings. Do not use too deep ones, because after a while you will plant seedlings in pots.
A drainage layer is poured at the bottom.
An earthen mixture is being prepared for further growing seedlings. To do this, take part of the humus, part of the sand and sheet land. You can also buy ready-made soil, filled with all the necessary minerals and vitamins with an acidity of 5.5-6.5.
Ready soil is poured with a solution of potassium permanganate.
Seeds are laid out according to a 2x2 scheme, crushing them, and peat is poured on top.
The box with crops is placed in a dark, warm place, covering it with a bag. You can also place it on batteries.
The first shoots will make themselves felt in a week. If you do sunbathing for 10-12 hours, you can produce lightning when the day is short.
After the leaves appear in the sun, they need to be dived in cups or in deep containers according to a 10x10 cm pattern.
It is important to maintain an optimal climate. The temperature should not exceed 18-20 degrees. Watering is necessary after the subsoil has dried. You can use the settled water for irrigation, and if the apartment is dry, it will be necessary to ventilate once a week.
When 4-5 leaves appear, a second pick is carried out. Now you need pots, the diameter of which is 12-15 cm.
After a month, fertilizing with mineral fertilizers is carried out.
In the spring you can plant gerberas in the ground.

Lighting and location

Orange gerbera is a plant that loves light. It can tolerate a large amount of sunlight. Excellent growth is observed in the eastern and western windows. The windows facing north, the plant does not always have enough light. In the summer, it is better to take the gerbera to fresh air, where it will be protected from the sun. The plant is taught to a new level of lighting gradually. In autumn and winter, it is better to carry out additional illumination with daylight.

Soil requirements

There are no special requirements for the soil for planting - it must be loose, breathable and have neutral acidity and low organic matter content. You can use universal soil in which vermiculite and charcoal, peat, sheet soil and sand are added.

You can also try pure perlite without impurities. In this case, the rotting of the roots will not develop, however, the plant will have to be fed. Regardless of the selected mixture for the soil, a large layer of drainage is poured into the bottom of the pot in the form of expanded clay, pebbles, crushed shells.

How to care?

Caring for orange gerberas has its own difficulties.

Important provide plants with bright lighting, but protect from sunlight. In spring, you need to keep plants on a glazed balcony, and in summer plant in the ground. For winter, it is worthwhile to carry out additional illumination.

Flowering gerberas depends on the lighting. Such flowers should have no more than 12 hours of light, which is why in the fall they actively grow and develop. If flowering is not observed, this indicates an excessive amount of fertilizer and an insufficiently suitable temperature.

It should be at the level of 20-24 degrees. Caring for an orange gerbera after flowering consists of tearing out inflorescences under the root. If this is not done, they may begin to rot, which will lead to infection.

Diseases and Pests

This type of gerbera is resistant to diseases and pests, however, with improper care, such diseases can begin to develop:

The defeat of the root of the fungus.
Decay of the root neck.
The appearance of rot gray.
The formation of powdery mildew.

If a disease is detected, the flower must be isolated from others, and then start treatment. Do not forget about the need to ventilate the premises and prevent an increase in humidity.

Propagation Features

Indoor gerbera is a short-lived plant that can be replaced by another. However, if you liked the orange flower, you can propagate it by seeds, dividing the bush or cuttings. Wanting to grow a plant from seeds, do not forget that they will quickly lose their germination.

They need to be sown half a year after ripening.
They are pre-soaked and sown in plates, which are filled with a special mixture.
All this is covered with polyethylene or glass.
After 2-3 weeks, the seedlings dive, and then pinch.
When planting in pots, it is important to ensure that the rosette of leaves is 1 cm above the soil.

Division of the bush and cuttings - these are the methods of propagation of gerbera in the summer during the dormant period.

To do this, you can’t take the plant out of the pot, but you need to carefully clean the top of the ground and divide it into two parts. Slices are covered with charcoal and sprinkled with dry earth. Previously, the cuttings method was used in Dutch greenhouses; at home, it is not entirely reliable.

Conclusion

Summing up, it is worth noting that orange gerberas are special plants that require a lot of attention. But their appearance and incredibly bright color conquer at first sight, awakening the desire to grow such flowers on the windowsill.