Gardening

Grab some Gerberas for a blooming great display

Striking colours and long-lasting blooms – what more can you ask from a flower! Grow your own gerberas and enjoy blooms of every colour all the year round.

August 20, 2020

With their striking colours and long stems, the gerbera makes a fantastic cut flower. The long-lasting blooms have no perfume and very little pollen which makes them an ideal choice for allergy sufferers.

Background

Gerberas are a perennial plant in the daisy family. They are well suited to Perth's climate since they originate from Africa, South America and tropical Asia, although the colourful gerberas you see in gardens are the result of commercial hybridisation.

There are three main styles of flower; Single, Triplex and New Vogue, favoured for their strictly geometrical form by enthusiasts who compete with their flowers. There is also the Decorative which is anything but geometrical and is admired for this very reason.

General care

A full sun position is essential for successful flower growth. They prefer slightly acidic soil with pH 6 to 6.5. Keep them damp but do not overdo watering as they are susceptible to rot. Every couple of days is enough, however, use discretion during hot summer months. On days of extreme heat your plants will benefit from a bit of shade, but if this is not possible give them a fine mist of water a couple of times during the day.

Use a small amount of slow release fertiliser every two to three weeks - be careful not to over-fertilise as you'll end up with loads of leaves and not many flowers. The ‘Golden Rule’ is little and often.

There is a trend now to grow gerberas in pots. This is ideal for those with restricted garden space, and by using a good quality potting mix it also gives more control over fertiliser and water use, plus you can move the pots on very hot days. Do not allow pots to dry out.

Divide yearly

Divide gerberas every year to keep them healthy. They may be divided all year round but it is usual to divide them in late spring. Unearth the plant and shake soil off. Remove all the buds, flowers and unhealthy or discoloured leaves. The plant will have two or three obvious divisions which can be gently prised apart with your fingers. Cut 1/3 off the leaves and the roots using clean sharp scissors.

Experience has taught growers that higher survival rates are obtained by initially using the smaller pots for new divisions. New divisions should be started off in semi-shaded area for the first few weeks then gradually brought into full sunshine. After 6-9 months gerberas in the small pots should be re-potted into 200mm containers or planted into the garden. Use good quality new potting mix when re-potting and when planting out into the garden a spade full of free-draining mix in the hole does help. It is a good rule not to go more than two years before dividing.

Avoiding fungal problems

Gerberas are highly susceptible to fungal disease. Inspect your plants regularly and remove diseased leaves and spent flower stalks. Do not cut the stems as this leaves a raw, vulnerable surface. Instead reach down to the base of the leaf or flower stem and gently twist it out with your fingertips. If you have to cut, leave a 3-4cm stub which you should twist out as soon as it dies down. Have a bag of some type ready and place them directly in to it. Seal the bag and bin it.

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