Gerbera white: description of the flower, rules of care and photo of the plant

This plant is intended for cutting. It occupies an honorable fifth place in the world ranking of flowers, the function of which is to create floral arrangements.

Only the rose, carnation, chrysanthemum and tulip overtook the gerbera. Suitable for both pompous and modest aristocratic bouquets. Inhabitants of Great Britain call this flower "Transvaal daisy", and sometimes "Transvaal daisy".

Botanical Description and Origin

Gerbera flower itself is a complex inflorescence, it is called a basketwhose diameter ranges from 4 to 30 centimeters. Along the edge of the inflorescence are very delicate flowers (but we used to call them petals), resembling tongues in shape. There are also middle flowers. They are presented in the form of a yellow tube. In a word, all that we usually call one flower is a whole inflorescence combining up to hundreds of individual flowers.

Surprise with its elegance and the leaves of a white beauty. The leaf plates along the edges of the serrated, as if unusually cut, go directly from the basal rosette. The length reaches 30 centimeters. Often foliage is covered with a whitish fluff. As for the stems, deprived of foliage, they reach a height of up to 60 centimeters in size. And also poached.

Transvaal daisies are considered very suitable for commercial activities, as they have a long flowering period of about 4 months. And after cutting, they retain their attractive appearance in a vase for up to three weeks.

Gerberas were first discovered in South Africa and the subtropical regions of the island of Madagascar, India. Japan, China, Mongolia, Australia, as well as in South America. The popularity of these colors provided the Scottish Robert Jameson. who at one time sent unknown plants found to the botanical garden. You can learn about Germson's gerbera from this article.

REFERENCE! In Europe, gerberas became known only at the beginning of the 20th century. At the moment, about seven dozen varieties of transvaal daisies are known. For such a result, we should be grateful to the fruitful work of breeders.

Appearance and features

Outwardly, gerberas are very similar to chamomiles, only the color scheme of the first is different. In our case, even the shades of flower baskets are practically the same. The flower stalk on the plant is always solitary, surrounded only by leaves, mounted on shoots. A feature of the described flower is its thermophilicity. Therefore, it usually breeds in greenhouses, greenhouses or in a warm house.

Photo

See below for a photo of a white gerbera:

Landing conditions

Many gardeners, especially inexperienced, are repelled by such a high demand for gerberas. No wonder, because their breeding in the open field is really accompanied by certain difficulties. To grow this flower in our latitude on your garden site, they must be dug up each year before the cold. In this they are similar to dahlias.

The soil

So, what soil composition is suitable for such a moody lady? This culture prefers loose soil.through which air will pass well and in which moisture will not stagnate. You can buy ready-made soil mix in almost any flower shop. You can also purchase land for planting roses. And you can prepare the substrate yourself at home. For this you will need:

Peat.
Sand (shallow).
Leaf turf.

All this mix in the same ratio. Perhaps the second option of the components of the soil mixture is suitable for you. To do this, create a drainage layer, and then put it in rows:

turf land (2 parts);
sheet earth (1 part);
humus (1 part);
sand (also fine and also 1 part).

To choose a place for landing a white gerbera, think about where there will be no drafts and strong winds. The best location for a Transvaal daisy would be near a fence or any wall. But do not confuse ventilation with drafts. The first should be present in the care of such a plant constantly. It is also recommended to dig a gerbera in some recess, but it is necessary to organize it so that there does not accumulate water. Give preference to areas with the longest possible illumination during the day.

The plant will thank you with rapid growth and flowering. Do not forget that this flower loves warm air and control the provision of this condition for the entire period the gerbera has been in your area. In no case do not plant them if the danger of night frosts, as well as daytime temperature drops, has not yet passed.

TIP! It will not be superfluous to install arches over the flowerbed, on which, with the coming of night, pull the covering material. So you protect the white beauty from lowering the temperature at night.

Care

Watering

Moisturize the soil with extreme caution. Make sure that drops of water do not fall on the leaves and on the root outlet. Watering should not be plentiful, but frequent. Despite the presence of a drainage layer, do not allow stagnation of water in the ground to prevent decay of the roots of the flower.

For watering you can take only softened waterwhose temperature will be above ambient. Control the moisture of the soil, especially those colors that are in the shade. Since with a lack of light the soil may not dry for a long time, which will lead to the multiplication of root parasites. With the onset of the dormant period, these plants need to be watered less often, but not to allow complete drying of the soil.

Humidity

Gerbera loves well-moistened air around, but will not tolerate spraying. If watering the soil is sufficient, then additional humidification of the air will not be needed. If the air still remains dry, you can cope with this problem at home using the expanded clay tray.

Temperature

Initially it was believed that the transvaals daisy favors only well-warmed air. But recently, experts have come to a common opinion that the most suitable temperature for a gerbera is average - about 20-22 degrees Celsius.

Top dressing

Fertilizing must be taken seriously. For each season, you need to choose a special fertilizer mode. From the end of winter to the middle of spring, as well as throughout the summer (this is the time of growing greenery) feed the flower with complexes with a high level of nitrogen. But when the gerbera blooms, switch to fertilizers with a larger proportion of potassium.

ATTENTION! In both the first and second cases, spread fertilizers less concentrated than indicated on the package.

The interval between feeding should be half a month. It will not be amiss to periodically introduce inorganic fertilizers (at least twice a season). To do this, you can use mullein. And another recommendation. Closer to the winter, reduce the number of leaves on the gerbera. The less often the foliage, the more light will come to each particle.

Diseases and Pests

All flowers of the described genus, including white, are susceptible to attacks of the following diseases of viral and fungal origin.

Powdery mildew. Signs of damage are the appearance of a specific coating on the upper part of the leaves, and after that - their darkening.
Fusarium and Verticillosis. It is characterized by the rooting of rhizomes and peduncle bases.
Phytophthora. You can recognize it by sweaty pigmentation, which is formed on all parts of the gerbera. Plus, the roots of the stems begin to fester.
Gray rot. Covers leaves and shoots with a touch of gray, fluffy to the touch.

The appearance of these parasites is always the result of improper watering or too deep landing. Moisturizing the soil, as we recall, is not plentiful and exclusively under the root system. Do not forget about the inadmissibility of spraying the plant itself, the maximum that is allowed is to spray water in the air. Affected areas of the transvaal flower must be removed immediately. And then treat the soil with a solution of foundationazole.

Snow White can be attacked by such pests:

spider mite (it is also called a red spider);
whitefly;
aphid.

The first type of parasites covers the foliage with a barely noticeable cobweb and sucks the plant sap, which entails the drying out of the leaves, and soon wilting shoots. Whitefly is a tiny insect that, unfortunately, is increasing in number at an incredible rate. After its attack, the leaves turn yellow, and eventually disappear completely. Aphids are almost invisible to the human eye, but its destructive function becomes visible immediately. To fight this "gang", use insecticidal drugs.

Breeding

Gerbera white is propagated in three ways.:

seeds;
division of the bush;
cuttings.

IMPORTANT! If you have chosen the first method, plant the seed in early spring. It should only be slightly crushed with a small layer of soil. You will be able to observe the first processes in a couple of weeks. But the flowering plant will delight you only after 10 months.

Only an adult bush needs to be divided. To do this, choose flowers that have reached the age of 3-4 years. For this procedure, you will need a sterilized sharp knife, dividing the rhizomes with it. A reference point for you should be the kidneys. The part that will not be stressed will be ready for a full transplant after 15 days. She will inform you of her readiness with young shoots. It is necessary to plant sprouts at a distance of 30-40 centimeters from each other. This method of reproduction is the most popular among professional gardeners.

To cut the gerbera, pieces with 1-2 leaves are cut from the roots. Greens are reduced by about 30%, cutting it. Cuttings are planted in moist soil and contain it at a temperature of 23 degrees Celsius and above.

In caring for "snow white", follow all recommendations. And then growing this flower will turn into pleasure.