Plant Doctor Archive

My gerberas won't flower

I wonder if you could tell me the best thing to feed gerberas with. I have a lot of plants and this year they have not done so well. They seem to have some sort of rust on their leaves and haven't flowered as they did last year. As yet I haven't fed them anything.

Your gerberas have rust, a fungal disease which is prevalent in warm, humid weather. Spray your gerberas with a fungicide such as Greenguard or Fungus Fighter. Reapply at 7-10 day intervals. Pick up any fallen leaves and burn or dispose of them in the rubbish bin. Badly infected leaves should be removed.

You can feed gerberas with any of the following fertilisers — general garden fertiliser, Osmocote controlled-release fertiliser or Magamp. Follow the application rate on the pack and water in well. Feed regularly throughout the season.

Advice by Dr Dan Blanchon from Unitec's Diploma in Sustainable Horticulture and Bachelor of Resource Management.

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