Among the many flowers we know of that produce beautiful blooms in our present day is the colorful Gerbera daisy.
If you don’t have it yet, you should seriously consider planting this flower in your garden for various reasons, with the most important one being the way it adds this ethereal beauty to any location it is found in.
It is important to have flowers that bloom in your garden, but it is more important to keep them bringing out flowers.
In this article, we will discuss how to keep Gerbera daisies blooming, so keep reading because this is information you do not want to miss.
What Are Gerbera Daisies?
Gerbera daisies are perennial plants that can be grown outdoors or as houseplants. They are of the genus Gerbera that belongs to the family Asteraceae.
This family is also referred to as the ‘aster family,’ ‘daisy family,’ and ‘sunflower family.’ It consists of annual, biennial, and perennial herbaceous plants, shrubs, vines, and trees. The genus Gerbera was named in honor of German botanist and medical doctor Traugott Gerber.
They are native to the tropical areas of Africa, mainly South Africa, and are commonly known as the African daisy.
These plants have petals of warm and luscious colors of red, yellow, orange, and pink attached to a stem, and they can grow to a height of more than 40 cm.
How Can I Grow Gerbera Daisies?
Before we start to worry about keeping Gerbera daisies blooming, it is essential to know how to grow them in the first place. The extra time spent in this section is worth it because we all want our gardens to succeed.
- It is important to note that the best time to plant Gerbera daisies is in spring.
- It would be best if you planted the seeds with adequate space between them. Press gently on the top of your soil mixture because they need light to germinate.
- Their sunlight requirements vary from full light to partial shade. You can plant in a place that has indirect access to bright light.
- Check so that the temperature is not too hot. Even though Gerbera daisies are tropical plants, they do not like the heat.
- Use a soil mixture that is rich and has excellent drainage. Adding compost during planting will encourage good plant growth.
- Feed the plants regularly with a water-soluble fertilizer.
- Regularly water the plant to keep it moist. You can allow the soil to dry out a little before the next watering to prevent rotting.
When do Gerbera Daisies Bloom, and How Many Times In A Year?
Gerbera daisies bloom for an extended period. They start blooming from late spring through autumn. Even though they do not bloom in winter, they can stay alive through the season if protected from frost.
They do bloom more than once a year, but not continuously. Depending on their growing conditions, these flowers can produce new buds every two weeks.
How Do I Keep My Gerbera Daisies Blooming?
Now that we have learned about this plant and have some information on how to grow them, it is time for us to turn to how to keep them blooming.
Work With A Healthy Plant
If your plant is healthy, it has a greater chance to produce more flowers, so make sure you keep your garden in the best condition.
If you are buying your daisies from a nursery, make sure you pick the strongest one they have. Check the color of the foliage and the roots to confirm that you have a good plant.
Remove Old Blooms
The next and one of the most important steps to take is to remove the old blooms.
Just cut off the flowers as they begin to fade. This practice forces your Gerbera daisies to start growing new flowers than wasting their energy and nutrients supplying the dead or dying flowers.
Deadheading your plant regularly would encourage your plant to keep reblooming and push out more beautiful blooms more often.
Add Fertilizer Regularly
Gerbera daisies bloom well when they have access to good nutrients. You should fertilize your blooming plants regularly, from every two weeks to once a month.
For more prominent and frequent blooms, use a liquid fertilizer with a high phosphorus content. Also, look for one that contains iron and manganese.
Regularly Water Your Plant
Regular and proper watering of your flowers encourages blooming. That being said, water your Gerbera daisies deeply once a week. Allow the soil to dry out completely before watering.
When the weather is warmer, you may have to increase your watering rate, so your plants do not get dehydrated.
Avoid Putting Water on the Foliage
Like most garden plants, do not put water directly on the leaves and flowers. This may cause rotting and reduce the rate of blooming. Instead, water the soil directly or the base of the plant, targeting the roots.
Provide Adequate Light
Gerberas need as much sunlight as they can get, but they can’t stand the sun’s full glare. The morning or evening sun is preferable to them.
During the day, let them relax in a shaded area or somewhere with indirect light.
When Gerbera daisies have access to their preferred lighting, their blooms come out more often and stay longer.
Make Use of Good Soil
Gerberas get their nutrients and water solely from the soil they are planted in. So, you should use nutrient-rich soil that retains a good amount of moisture but drains freely.
Too much water retention and a lack of nutrients would reduce blooming.
Avoid Extreme Temperature
Gerbera daisies would perform best in temperatures between 40 degrees Fahrenheit and 70 degrees Fahrenheit.
Exposure to frost can damage their roots, and extreme heat would cause their production to slow down.
Overwinter Your Plant
It may seem like a very daunting task, keeping your Gerbera daisy through the winter, but the struggle you would go through to keep your plant safe will pay off in the end.
See this step through, and you will reap the benefits in full.
Cut Off Newer Flowers
Just like we said about the old flowers earlier, cutting off the newer ones also encourages increased production of blooms.
This pruning is helpful if your flowers are not exactly to your liking. You can use the flowers you cut away too. Just place them in a vase inside your house and watch how it lightens up.
Thin Out the Leaves
It is widely known that cutting off old and damaged leaves would boost your plant’s health. Trimming off the aged leaves would help the plant redirect its energy to producing new blooms.
But, it is also important to thin out the overcrowded leaves, especially towards the center and top of the plant. When you cut the leaves in this direction, you’re helping the crown receive more light, increasing the blooms.
Eliminate Pests and Treat Diseases Immediately
Routinely checking for pests and diseases is a sure way to prolong blooming. This is due to the fact that when a plant is under attack, it redirects all its energy into fighting off that infection.
The moment you notice something is not right, take the necessary steps to get rid of the cause immediately.
Repotting
If your Gerbera daisy is grown in a container, it is essential for you to re-pot regularly for several reasons but most importantly, so that your plant will have a fresh supply of nutrients and access better drainage.
So, when you repot, use new soil and fertilizer.
What are the Uses and Significance of Gerbera Daisies?
Gerbera daisies have many meanings, but they are all on the sunny side. The different colors have various significances but generally symbolize innocence, purity, cheerfulness, and loyal love.
These plants are generally used in flower bouquets for their beauty, but they also contain coumarin derivatives.
The coumarin derivatives have various uses which are for making
- Drugs,
- Rodenticides,
- Dyes,
- Perfumes.
If this is your first time growing Gerbera daisies, following these tips above will yield a pleasant amount of blooms for an extended period. Good luck!