Want to know the ultimate secret to save your dying gerbera daisy?

I hope you all are doing well and tucked in the safety of your home amid the coronavirus outbreak. In today's post, we will discuss the steps to be taken to revive your dying Gerbera Daisy.

Photo by Markus Spiske on Unsplash

The ultimate secret to save your dying gerbera daisy

Black thumb or not,caring for Gerbera Daisy can prove to be a bit tricky. You bring home your baby gerbera from the nursery, care for it, love it. And just when you thought you have started bonding with your gerbera daisy, they suddenly start drooping and out of blue die? You are left alone to wonder what wrong did you do to your gerbera daisy? 

The thing is, nursery people sometimes buy plants in bulk (often bare-rooted plants) and then transfer them into the common potting mix which isn't suitable for the ideal needs of gerbera. 

Read More: Things to remember when buying plants from the nursery

Also, when you bring gerbera from the nursery, it is coming from a well-maintained environment where factors such as humidity, temperature, moisture, and water level are neither too high and nor too low. But just the right amount needed by Gerbera. So the chances are you might not be able to replicate those ideal conditions. Some other common reasons associated with wilting includes plants going into the transplant shock or pest attack.

So, without further ado, let's jump right into the simple technique to revive your dying gerbera daisy:

The ultimate secret to save your dying gerbera daisy

1] Removing the old soil: Take out the plant from the pot. Now carefully remove the soil from around the root-ball. Don't forget to be gentle because plants too have feelings. Right? Also, pick out the dead leaves from the gerbera to free up the energy and nutrients and encourage new healthy growth.

Now with a pair with scissors cut out dead and decayed gerbera root. Make sure your scissors are cleaned with certified disinfectant before coming in contact with roots. This step will ensure that the plant does not get further attacked by microorganisms via scissors and increases their chance of survival.

2] Application of fungicide: Once this step is complete, take a good quality fungicide (of your trusted brand). If your fungicide is in a powdered state, dissolve it properly as directed. Mix it well to prepare a homogeneous solution. Now dip the entire plant in the well-mixed solution for 10 -15 minutes, depending on the strength/potency of your fungicide.

Now, carefully take out the gerbera and let it sit in direct sunlight for about 10 -15 minutes depending on your climatic conditions. After this step, we will repot them in the new pot containing special potting mix prepared, especially keeping in mind the needs of gerbera.

3] Preparation of Potting Mix: Another important step is to prepare a suitable potting mix keeping in mind all the needs of gerbera: 80% good quality dried cocopeat, 20% compost and a small amount of perlite. Mix them properly to make sure that there are no lumps in the potting mix.

The ultimate secret to save your dying gerbera daisy

 4] Transplantation: Now add this mixture in a new clean pot/container and plant the gerbera daisy. An important point to note here is that the crown part of gerbera should be above the soil surface. Reason being that new healthy shoots will appear from the crown part. So, it is desirable to keep it above the soil level. Tap the pot/container gently twice or thrice to remove any air pockets from the mix. These air pockets restrict the free flow of water and oxygen to plant roots.

5] Watering: Once potted, it's time to water them. Water them thoroughly for the first till you see water percolating out through drainage holes. 
  
Also read:  14 Virtually indestructible Houseplant

6] Post-transplant care: Keep the plant under a semi-shade area for a couple of days. This will help recover the gerbera daisy from transplant shock (panic attack experienced by our little green friend).

After some time you will notice new healthy shoots emerging from the crown area. Eventually, flowering will start and once potted properly, your gerbera will bloom throughout the year.

Photo by Josh Wilburne on Unsplash

 The ultimate secret to save your dying gerbera daisy?

So, friends, this was all about the simple procedure to save your dying gerbera daisy from dying. Hope you liked it. If you have any questions regarding the article or want to contribute your valuable knowledge, let us know in the comment section. 

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