I purchased a plant labeled Gerbera Daisy from a botanical Garden and was wondering if why it seems to want so much water? I water it sometimes twice a day and the leaves perk up but the next day the leaves are wilting again. Does anyone know why and when I should expect blooms again? It had 2 blooms when I purchased it about 2 weeks before Christmas but nothing since. Thanks, Tricia
Hi Tricia, I suspect your plant is rootbound and needs a 2" larger pot. That's the good news. The bad news is it probably won't bloom for you again. Gerbera daisies like yours are raised in a greenhouse under optimum conditions and are an annual in your zone. Gerbera daisies like alot of sun and require alot of fertilizer. I've tried to get pots purchased off season to rebloom with no luck. You might find this helpful. http://www.plantfacts.com/Family/Asteraceae/Gerbera.jamesonii.shtml Newt
yes newt is right it probably will not bloom for you again, you can either keep it alive and plant it outside in thespring and it may bloom in the ground this summer, or you can give up now and compost it. Sorry to tell you that but they are short term flowering plants, much like a pot-mum that you compost after its finished its show.
Thanks a lot for the replies. I'm not good with flowering plants at all but at least I know it wasn't my black thumb that killed it.
Thank you for the info, that is one thing I did not know about Gerbera's, that they may not re-bloom. Do you happen to know if it is the flower or the leaves which are the air-purifiers in this plant?
Hi JJ, Sorry it took so long for me to get back to you. I did a google search with: Gerbera jamesonii + air purifier + leaves and found this NASA study site. http://www.zone10.com/tech/NASA/Fyh.htm I also found this site: http://www.alive.com/4239a12a2.php?subject_bread_cramb=630 So it appears it's the relationship of leaves, soil and roots. Newt
Thank you very much for your help. I now understand the way in which the plants protect themselves and us humans!
JJ, you are so very welcome! Plants are amazing and hopefully more people will respect the earth and protect what we have. Newt
Gerberas are apt to rot out in the center and collapse. I often see them failing right on the shelf at retailers. Otherwise, plants of all kinds grown in coarse soil-less potting media can need copious watering to stay moist once moved outside of the growing operation. This even includes after these are planted in the ground, as moist soils will have a finer texture giving them a greater attraction for water. This is partly why bare-rooting at planting is beginning to be recommended, at least for woody plants (for small delicate herbaceous plants it might be better to leave the roots mostly undisturbed and just water more carefully).
