Joyful, colorful and full of love to give! So are gerberas, a flower that embraces and warms the heart.
With more than 20 shades of different colors, a gerbera plantation can become a big rainbow, ranging from white to purple, passing through shades of yellow, red, orange and pink.
Gerberas are cousins of sunflowers and daisies, which explains the graceful shape of their flowers.
Very popular in party decorations and commercial spaces, gerberas have also recently started to gain space in gardens and flower boxes, adorning external areas of houses and apartments.
And if you also want to bring this little flower to your home, stay here in this post with us.
We will tell you how to take care of gerbera, in addition, of course, to teach you how to plant this beauty. Let’s go?
How to plant gerbera
Gerberas can be planted throughout the year using seeds. You can purchase gerbera seeds in garden stores, florists and even supermarkets.
The envelopes with the seeds are very cheap, costing, on average, R $ 2.
Each envelope comes with about 100 to 200 seeds, each of which will result in a different plant.
If your intention is to plant only a few gerbera, consider sharing the seeds with someone.
With the seeds in hand it’s time to prepare the soil.
Most of the time, the gerbera is planted in flower beds, gardens and other open areas.
But that does not mean that gerbera cannot be planted in pots. On the contrary.
You can and should plant gerbera in pots, as long as it offers the right conditions of light, fertilization and water.
Here’s how to plant gerberas in a flower bed and in pots:
How to plant gerbera in beds
To plant gerberas in flower beds and gardens you should make small dimples in the soil approximately 0.5 cm deep. Place a seed inside each one.
The spacing between each pit must be at least 30 centimeters.
The soil for planting gerberas must have a good amount of organic fertilizer. That is why it is recommended to prepare the site with NPK fertilizer type 4-10-8.
It is also important that the soil has good water drainage, since gerberas cannot tolerate waterlogged soils. It is preferable to grow the gerbera in drier than wet soils.
Even if you live in a very rainy region, it is worth protecting the flower bed against excess water.
Another important reminder: the gerbera needs direct light to grow and bloom. This means that she needs sun for at least four hours a day.
How to plant gerbera in pots
The planting of gerbera in pots is very simple and works well too. Start by planting the seeds in a seedbed. It can also be in jars and even egg cartons.
Add soil rich in organic matter and make the dimples. Place a seed in each pit.
When the seedlings reach about five to ten centimeters, transfer them to the final pot.
The gerbera is a small plant, it does not grow more than 40 centimeters. So you don’t have to worry about planting it in a very large pot. The ideal is a vessel with a capacity of three liters.
Plant the seedling in the pot filled with fertilized soil. Remember to make a good drainage system so that the water can find an outlet and not accumulate in the roots of the plant.
That done, just choose a good location to place your new gerbera vase, preferably that it receives a good amount of direct sunlight.
About two months after planting the gerbera will bloom. In that case, you can choose to pick the flowers or keep them on the plant.
If you remove the leaves remember to make the cut close to the stem, so you stimulate a new flowering.
And speaking of flowering, it is only in the second flowering that the gerbera is more beautiful and with more vivid colors.
The life cycle of the gerbera is approximately two years.
How to care for gerbera
Lighting
The gerbera is a sun plant. So it should be grown outdoors or in flower boxes near windows.
In addition to lighting, it is important that the gerbera be grown in a well-ventilated and well-ventilated place.
Watering
Gerbera likes dry rather than moist soil. So no over-watering.
The ideal is to offer water to the plant once a week. On warmer, drier days, increase the amount of watering to about two to three times a week.
If in doubt, touch and observe the soil.
Fertilizing
In order for the gerbera to bloom properly, it needs to be fertilized with organic material (earthworm humus, manure, among others), in addition to chemical fertilizers of the type NPK 4-10-8.
This fertilizer has a higher amount of phosphorus, an essential substance for a good flowering.
Pruning and harvesting
It is important to maintain a clean pruning in the gerbera, in order to remove dry and dead leaves and flowers.
At the end of flowering it is also important to carry out a general pruning, this time close to the soil to stimulate a new flowering.
Common pests
The most common pests that usually hit gerberas are fungi. This happens when the plant receives more water than it really needs.
If the problem is not corrected in time, the gerbera may even die.
If you identify spots of fungi in the gerbera, reduce watering and if the soil is very wet, change the pot plant or replant it in a drier place.
Meaning of gerbera
The gerbera is a flower widely used in bouquets and arrangements made as a gift. And if you intend to offer the flower to someone it is important to know what it has to say, that is, its meaning.
The gerbera is a flower that represents purity, love, joy and beauty of life. That is why it is common for the flower to be used to present someone for some achievement, since it is also related to success.
A bouquet of gerberas is perfect for congratulating someone on graduation, a new job or job promotion.
But, depending on the color, the gerbera may indicate a deeper feeling like love. The pink gerbera, for example, can be a great flower for when you decide to declare yourself to someone.
The white gerbera indicates purity and innocence and can be offered on a visit to the maternity hospital, in honor of the new mother and the newborn baby.
Yellow and orange gerberas are lively and cheerful, perfect for gifting a friend or showing friendship.
How to use gerbera daisy in decoration
The gerbera rocks in terms of decoration. The flower is cheerful, colorful and fills the environments with grace and lightness.
In lighter shades, such as pink and white, the gerbera complements the decor with a touch of delicacy, softness and elegance.
The gerbera values more rustic and stripped proposals when used in warmer and more vibrant tones, such as orange, yellow and red.
In addition to the colors, the gerbera can also enter the decoration in different formats, that is, in the form of arrangements, in bouquets, solitaires and in beautiful garlands.
Even in cut flowers, the gerbera can last a long time in your home, on average, two to three weeks.
To increase the durability of gerbera flowers, prefer to keep them in an airy, well-ventilated place with indirect lighting, that is, without the sunlight hitting the flower petals directly.
Change the water every three or four days and choose to complete the vessel with filtered or mineral water.
With the right care your gerbera will look beautiful and fill your home with joy.
