On Sun, 08 Aug 2004 08:08:53 GMT, Kate Morgan
wrote:

Can anyone suggest anything that will help, or am I just wasting my time
here? I would appreciate a reply or two, or three, or four etc.

Sorry I cannot help you much as I dont get on with Gerberas, I like
them but they dont last very long, I have noticed that they dont like
being in sunlight

Gerberas are South African 'daisies' that revel in full sun or the
brightest light possible. They prefer a rich, loam-based compost and
even the shorter 'pot plant' hybrids rarely do well indoors for very
long. Ideally they should be grown out of doors in summer or kept in
a sunny, airy greenhouse. Most of the plants grown for the pot plant
trade are potted into soil-less compost, which runs out of nutrient
value after a few months. Unless this is replaced, the nutrient loss
cannot be properly supplemented with liquid feeds. Gerberas tend to
fall into the temporary pot plant category since they rarely succeed
indoors unless on a sunny, well ventilated windowsill and repotted
into a more substantial compost.

Gerberas develop powdery mildew when under 'stress' and this exhibits
as white powdery spots which may or may not coalesce before the leaf
browns and dies. Lack of freely moving air, erratic watering, poor
light and nutrient deficiencies can all cause powdery mildew to
develop. Although you can occasionally keep it partially under
control with a fungicidal spray, the only way you will effectively
prevent it is to avoid conditions that stress the plant.


Dave Poole
Torquay, Coastal South Devon UK
Winter min -2°C. Summer max 34°C.
Growing season: March - November