Package of Practices for Growing Gerbera

Package of Practices for Growing Gerbera

Botanical Name: Gerbera jamesanii

Family : Compositae.

Gerbera is commonly know as Transavaal Daisy, Barborton Daisy or African Daisy Produces very attractive flowers.  It is an important commercial flower growh throught out the world in a wide range of climativ conditions.  This is ideal for bcds, broders, pots and rock gardens.  The flowers are of various colours and suit very well in diffarant floral arrangements.  The cut blooms when placed in water last for a long time.

Origin, History and Morphology:

The genus Gerbara was named in honour of a German Natturalist, Traugoot Gerber who travelled in Russia in 1743.

Gerbera jamosonii, native to Natal and Transvaal and G. viridifolia form cape, were crossed after both these species were introduced in Cambridge Botanic Gardens by Jameson, and the hybrid was named as G. cantabrigensis.

Gerbera belongs to the family compositac.  Plants are stem less and tender perennial herbs.  Leaves radical, petioled, lanceolate, decply-lobed, sometimes leathery, narrower at the basc and wider at top and are arranged in resette ate the base.

Cultivars and Varieties:

Gerbera cultivars of commercial importance throughout the world are Cream clementinc : Maron Clementine (orange) : Flamingo (pale rose) L Delphi (white : Vesta (red) ; Uranus (yellow) ; Fredeking (Terraqueen (pink); Dusty (red) ; Valentine (pink) etc.
Amber, Romilda, Anke, Appelbloesem, Marleem, sympathic, Salmrosa and Pascal are some other promising varicties.

Gerberas can be propagated be both sexual and ascxual methods.  Seeds propagation, however is not always satisfactory. 

Vegetative Propagation:

Division:

This method involves in dividing large climps into smaller units and is practiced in June when the plants may be set out in the field.

Cutting:

The buds in the axils of the leaves are detached and rooted in rooting medium.  They are ready for transplanting in 2 or 3 months.  Approximately 40-50 plants can be produced in 2-3 months form a single mother plant.  Young stem cuttings produce roots and shoots much easily and quickly under intermittent mist.

Micro-propagation :

Although the propagation of gerberas has been either by seed or by division of clumps, these methods are not very suitable for commercial production of large number of plants. 

Soil and Climate:

A well drained, rich, light, neutral or slightly alkaline soil is most suitable for gerbera production.  The growth of plants is adversely affected in ill-drained soil. 

In tropical and sub-tropical climate, gerberas are grown in the open, but in temperature climate they are protected from frost and cultivated in greenhouse.

Cultivation:

Planting:

Grew gerberas on raised beds in rows 30 cm apart.  The spacing in rows ranged form 20 to 40 cm giving from 9.4 to 4.7 plants/m2.

Manuring and Fertilization:

Gerbera requires plenty of organic matter in the soil for proper growth and flowering.  An application of 7.5 kg rotted stable manure /m2 to gerbera, growing in fairly light sandy soil gave somewhat better result then several proprietary organic manure.  Specially prepared peat was a satisfactory suustitute for manures, provided the PH was maintained at 6.0 – 7.5 b liming, particularly in the second year.

They  also need ample nutrients, especially phosphorus and potassium for profuse flowering.

Irrigation:

Gerbera needs thorough irrigation instead of light sprinkling at frequent intervals.  However, waterlogging should be avoided as it is harmful to palnts. 

Harvesting:

Flowers are generally cut when the cuter two rows of disc florets are perpendicular to the stalk.