History

Discovered by botanist Robert Jameson in 1878 Gerbera Daisy Origin: South Africa The Botanical gardens in Kew, England Dr. Terri W. Starman identified the and gave it the species name Most modern breeding has taken place in the Netherlands

History (con’t) Gerbera Facts

Produced in North America in the 1920’s Uses: University of California’s breeding program Cut , potted and made them suitable for garden use in the bedding plants 1970’s White, yellow, red, pink, orange, Florida/Europe developed them for cut greenhouse production scarlet and bicolor flowers Majority of come from: Single composite inflorescences Columbia, South America, the Netherlands are on a nonbranching scape

Gerbera Facts (con’t) Flowering

20 inch diameter plants for cut flowers • 11 to 16 weeks after transplanting in vitro propagated plugs 28 inch scape length for cut flowers • First visible flower buds are observed 1.75 to 5 inch diameter flower size after 10-14 leaves have developed in the primary leaf whorl • FI and FD are mainly affected by light intensity and temperature • FI after two to three true leaves are visible

1 Water and Nutrition Temperature • Never overwater • Pot plants 70/63 °F day/night • Allow to dry slightly between irrigations • Most rapid development at 76 °F • 300 ppm N 30-10-30 once after • 70/75 °F day and 57/66 °F night is a transplanting when leaves have formed, compromise for cut and pot plants thereafter no further phosphorus is • Plants respond to light intensity X needed duration • Magnesium and iron deficiencies are common because of high requirement

• Mg SO4 monthly at 16 oz/100 gal • Fe chelate constantly at 0.5 oz/100 gal

Media Height Control

• Avoid pH > 6.5 and high soluble salts • Flower scape length and plant diameter • Frequent media monitoring is are inherent and selection is necessary for each use recommended • Greater DIF = longer scape • Good drainage and aeration are • B-nine reduces scape length, leaf size essential and darkens leaves • B-Nine (4000 ppm) applied 8 weeks after transplanting • Cycocel is not effective

Spacing and Disbudding Scheduling and Timing • Don’t let leaves overlap and don’t let the • Sales of 4-inch pots: growing point get covered with anything • 10 to 11 weeks after transplantation • Cut flower space 13 X 13 to 15 X 15 from April to September • Pot plants 1.4 to 3 plants per square • 14 to 16 weeks after transplantation foot from September to April • 5-inch pot space at 11 X 11 • Removing first flower will allow more rapid and uniform elongation of remaining scapes

2 Insect Problems Diseases

Whitefly Thrips • Botrytis (Decree, Chipco 20019) Aphids • Powdery Mildew (Phyton 27) Spider Mites • Phytophthora (Subdue) Cyclamen Mites • Rhizoctonia (Systec, Medallion) Fungus gnats Leaf miners • Pythium (Subdue) Worms, slugs and snails http://hortipm.tamu.edu/pestprofiles/sucking/wfthrips/wfthrips.html

Physiological Disorders Postharvest

• Bent-neck is the insufficient flower stem • Both cut and pot are harvested when hardening or maturation of the stem the two outer rows of disc florets are tissue below the harvested flower which open and pollen can be seen results in stem collapse • Stems are pulled not cut • Bent neck is related to bacterial contamination • Only slightly sensitive to ethylene

Diagnosing Problems Diagnosing Problems

If flower stems are too tall or foliage If flowers are distorted: too large: -Light intensity too low -Caused by mites or thrips If flowers are too short or hidden in If plant is stunted or fails to grow: foliage: Could be the use of excessive -Poor drainage fertilizer -Packing soil too tightly -Plants drying out too frequently -Low soil temperatures -Too much growth regulator If plant wilts or dies: -Growing temperature too low -Planted too deep (crown rot/root rot) -Soluble salts too high

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