looking after my gerbera

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jacquardi london, United Kingdom Aug 16, 2007

hi all
i have a beautiful light pink gerbera given on my birthday (12th aug) by my new wonderful (travelling!) boyfriend -it reminds me of him !
i am talking to it and putting it in the sun and being particulary nice to it- watering when it's a bit dry (which has been since i got it)i did put the plant food in the soil the 2nd day i got it as welll-
yet the petals are not fullly extending as they were when he bought it- i am afraid it is ailing what do i do?
should i repot it as i read that its better to take it out of the plastic pot u buy it in and if so how do i handle it?
thanks a lot
jaCQUIE

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ecrane3 Dublin, CA(Zone 9a) Aug 16, 2007

It looks perfectly healthy to me, I wouldn't worry too much about it at this point. I can't really see your pot very well in the picture, if it looks pretty small relative to the size of the plant then you could repot it, I would choose a pot that's just one size bigger than what it's in now, it's not good to put a plant in a pot that's too big. But if you repot it, you may disturb the roots a bit and that will sometimes make the plant stop blooming while its roots get reestablished, so I wouldn't repot it unless it needs it.

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KyWoods Highland Heights, KY(Zone 6a) Aug 17, 2007

Those need a lot of water--make sure the soil stays moist, never dry.

Post #3865923
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trackinsand mid central, FL(Zone 9a) Aug 17, 2007

make sure if and when you re-pot that the crown is about an inch above the soil. they rot really easily. unlike kywoods, i've found that keeping them too moist will rot them. mine are outside though, so maybe that makes a difference.

Post #3865936
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KyWoods Highland Heights, KY(Zone 6a) Aug 17, 2007

You don't want to keep it soggy wet--just don't let the soil completely dry out between waterings.

This message was edited Aug 16, 2007 9:13 PM

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shebs45 Chicago, IL(Zone 5b) Aug 17, 2007

Hi Jacquie,
First let me say that those are beautiful gerbera. I love the color! Your boyfriend sounds really thoughtful.
I've never had luck growing them; yours look very healthy.
If I understand correctly, your concern is that the petals don't open up completely. I have the same problem with hardy hibiscus in my garden. http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/756805/
I never did get a satisfactory solution to my issue, but I'm happy to say the flowers continue to bloom, albeit only part way, and the plant remains healthy. So I wouldn't be concerned with the health of your gerbera. Why the petals don't fully extend might just be one of those mysteries of nature.
Sharon

Post #3867723
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