Cultivation - Life Cycle of Gerbera Flower

Description:

Hi, welcome to Tutorialspoint. In this tutorial, we will talk about the cultivation process of Gerbera flower crop. The Botanical name of gerbera is Gerbera jamesonii. It belongs to the family Compositae.

Gerbera is an exotic ornamental flower plant. This flower is by and large used for decorations in parties, and functions. These flowers make beautiful bouquets. The flowers remain fresh for long and are considered long lasting too.

Gerbera flowers come in different colors - Red, Yellow, Orange, Cream, White, Purple, and Pink.

Gerbera cultivated in green house/ poly house gives better yield when compared to open field cultivation.

Let us now see the suitable climate conditions for the cultivation of gerbera flowers.

Gerbera crop is sensitive to frost conditions so it is cultivated in subtropical temperate climate conditions under poly house. The production of quality flowers requires optimal day temperature of 20^oC to 25^oC and a night temperature of 12^oC to 15^oC.

We will now learn about the different stages in the cultivation process of gerbera crop −

• soil bed preparation
• transplantation
• pest and disease management
• flowering and harvesting

Let us now learn how to prepare soil beds in poly house for transplantation of gerbera seedlings.

Soil Beds Preparation

Well drained, rich, light, neutral or slightly alkaline soil with pH range 5.5 - 7.0 is considered most suitable for the cultivation of gerbera flowers.

After spreading the well rotten Farm Yard Manure on the surface of the soil, add paddy husk and sand in 2:1:1 proportion. The soil should be prepared in a way that allows excellent development of the root system.

Irrigating the entire land in poly house before digging the beds is a major requirement. This water helps in percolation of nutrition into the soil. In the process, the soil loosens digging of beds gets easier.

Start at one end of the bed, hammer wooden stakes into the soil at selective intervals of 30-inch wide beds, followed by 12-inch wide paths. The most efficient layout follows a standard 30-inch wide bed with 12-inch wide pathways. This 30-foot by 12-foot high tunnel, which equals a maximum of 360 square feet of interior growing space. We need to leave 2 feet on either ends as an entrance walkway area. This type of layout leaves 6 beds at 46 feet length for a total of 690 square feet of actual growing space. With only 690 square feet of actual growing space.

The arrangement of drip irrigation saves water and fertilizers. This is useful for direct application of water to the root zone of plants.

Let us now see the transplantation of seedlings in the raised beds.

Transplantation

Gerbera plants propagate through suckers & tissue culture seedlings. Well-developed tissue culture plants having 4-6 leaves can be planted firmly without burying the crown.

Spacing of 25-30cms within the row and 20cms between the rows on the surface of bed is suitable for transplantation. The average accommodation of plants per square meter is 7-10.

The spacing improves air circulation in crops and facilitates drainage of water. Keep the roots of seedling in soil and allow the crown of the plant 1 to 2 cm above the surface of the soil level at the time of planting. Root system establishes a plant deep into the soil.

The beds should be watered at subsequent intervals to percolate the nutrition to seedlings after planting. The crop can be cultivated throughout the year so irrigating immediately after transplantation will help in strong establishment of the crop.

Provide nutrition and water through drip irrigation for the crop up to 3 months; the crop will eventually complete the vegetative stage and attain the flowering stage.

et us now see the flowering stage of the crop.

Flowering

Gerbera flowers form between the 7th and 26th leaf node. The formation depends on the variety of the crop. Flowering starts after 3 months of planting. Since, leaves are too small to see when the flower bud initiation occurs in the shoot tip, the flower initiation actually occurs when 1-2 leaves have unfolded on the seedling.

Sufficient space between the seedlings enables quicker and uniform flower bud initiation.

The most productive plants are those, which form 2–5 lateral shoots during the first year and have a leaf flower ratio of 2:4. The number of lateral shoots at the moment the first flower bud becomes visible is strongly correlated with the number of lateral shoots after 1 year.

Drenching water-soluble fertilizers and micronutrients on the plants increases the crop growth and results in better yield. So drenching the fertilizers and micronutrients along with soluble fungicides will increase the yield.

Once crop reaches the flowering stage, the pest and diseases attacks increase. Let us understand pest and disease management in the cultivation process of gerbera flower crop.

Pest and Disease Management

The major pest that attack the gerbera crop are aphids, whitefly, thrips, red spider mites, nematode.

The major diseases that attack the gerbera flower crop are budrot and powdery mildew.

• Spraying of Imidacloprid  1 ml/l will control the aphids attack.
• And Spraying Dimethoate 2 mls/l kills the whiteflies in the field.
• Spraying Fipronil 2 mls/l controls thrips.
• Abamectin 0.4 ml/l can be used to kill Red spider mite.
• Nematode attacks can be controlled by the soil application of Bacillus subtilis at the time of planting.
• To control Flower bud rot disease,  sspraying copper oxychloride 2 g/l.
• Powdery mildew disease can be controlled by spraying wettable Sulphur 2g/l.

Let us now see the harvesting of gerbera flowers.

Harvesting

Harvesting is done, when flowers completely open, or when the outer 2 to 3 rows of disc florets are perpendicular to the stalk. The heel for the stalk has to be cut about 2 to 3 cms above the base and keep in fresh water.

The yield varies from variety to variety. Under greenhouse cultivation, an average 225 to 250 flowers per square meter in one year can be obtained.