10 Reasons Why Gerbera Daisy is Dying and How to Revive It
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Gerbera Daisy is dying due to too little light, inconsistent watering, temperature stress, low humidity, poor feeding, root-rot, pest infestations, hot sunshine, poor soil quality among others.
Gerbera Daisy also called Barbeton Daisy or Transvaal Daisy is among popular flowering plants for the well-lit spot in the home. Its beautiful flowers are a pleasant sight in any space.
Gerbera Daisy known by the botanical name Gerbera jamesonii is non-toxic to both humans and pets as indicated by ASPCA. It is also a good indoor air-cleaner as outlined by the NASA Clean Air Study, it gets rid of formaldehyde and benzene.
Gerbera Daisy grows best in bright light with 6-8 hours of direct sunlight, warmth of 15-250C, humidity and moderately moist, rich, well-drained soil coupled with regular feeding during the growing season. Read more on Gerbera Daisy Care Indoors and Propagation.
If the proper growing conditions are not met, your Gerbera Daisy may begin to die. We have outlined herebelow 10 reasons why a Gerbera Daisy may die and their remedies.
10 Reasons Why Gerbera Daisy is Dying and How to Fix It
1. Too little light
Sufficient light is necessary for photosynthesis, for the plant to make the food needed for growth and energy. If the light is too low, the plant cannot make enough food for growth and development which results in reduced growth and death of the plant.
How to fix itPosition your Gerbera Daisy infront of a brightly-lit window where it will receive bright light with at least 6-8 hours of direct sunshine or instal grow lights if the natural lighting is not adequate.
Rotate the pot regularly to ensure that the plant receives light on all sides for uniform growth and prevent lopsided growth.
2. Inconsistent watering
Overwatering causes the roots to die due to lack of oxygen, meaning they cannot take up water, causing the leaves to yellow, drop and eventually the plant begins to die.
Underwatering means that there is very little moisture in the soil, therefore, the plant has no water to take up to the leaves. As such, they begin to drop leading to plant death if the situation is not corrected.
How to fix itWater your Gerbera Daisy when the top 2-3 inches of soil dry out but do not allow the soil to dry out completely for a long period.
Confirm that the pot has a drainage hole and the soil is well-draining to prevent sogginess of the soil.
3. Poor quality soil
Poor quality soil will become compacted and or soggy as it does not drain easily. This will negatively impact the growth of the plant, causing it to begin dying.
How to fix itGrow your Gerbera Daisy in a well-drained potting soil that is rich in organic matter to prevent it from getting soggy while providing the required nutrients. A blend of 50% potting soil, 30% peat moss or coco coir and 20% perlite is ideal for this plant.
4. Being extremely pot-bound
Being extremely pot-bound, will cause the plant to die. This is because, the roots have filled the pot and there is very little soil to hold water when watered. This will cause the plant to wilt, drop leaves and begin to die.
How to fix itInspect the bottom of the pot for roots growing through the drainage hole, repot the plant into a pot one size larger. Use a pot with a drainage hole to avoid getting soggy soil.
Thereafter, repot your Gerbera Daisy at the beginning of the growing season when you sport roots beginning to grow through the drainage hole. Check out these self watering planters on Amazon.
5. Poor feeding
Underfeeding will result in nutrients deficiency causing the plant to begin to die back from the shoots. Overfeeding will cause fertilizer burn leading to death of the roots. This means they cannot take up the water and nutrients needed for photosynthesis, therefore the plant begins to die due to lack of food.
How to fix itFeed your Gerbera Daisy every 3-4 weeks in the growing season with a water-soluble fertilizer that contains micro-nutrients like Iron, Zinc and Magnesium which are needed for the healthy growth of the plant.
Withhold feeding in the cold season to prevent fertilizer burn as growth is minimal at this time.
Occasionally, flush out excess salts by running a stream of water through the soil until it drains through the drainage hole.
6. Pest infestations
Gerbera Daisy is prone to aphids, scale insects, spidermites, fungus gnats and caterpillars which are prevalent in dry conditions. These sap-sucking insects may cause the plant to become dehydrated and stunted and may begin to die.
How to fix itEnsure that your Gerbera Daisy is always healthy by providing it with the right growing conditions.
To reduce pest infestations, increase humidity by use of a cool mist humidifier, setting the pot on a wet pebble tray or growing the plant in a well-lit bathroom, kitchen and other humid areas in the home.
Keep the plant well pruned by removal of the dead, yellow, and diseased foliage as well as spent blooms to reduce the hiding places for these pests.
Where the pest infestation is heavy, isolate the affected plant to prevent spread to the other plants and treat it with an insecticidal soap or a neem oil. Ensure to follow the manufacturers' instructions.
7. Root-rot disease
Gerbera Daisy is prone to root-rot disease which is prevalent in soggy soil. The disease is characterized by yellowing, wilting and leaf drop which is rapidly followed by browning and plant death.
How to fix itCarefully, slip the Gerbera Daisy out of its pot and inspect the roots. Any brown-black, mushy roots indicate root-rot, trim them off and treat the healthy roots with a copper-based fungicidal solution.
To reduce, re-infection, disinfect the pot with the fungicidal solution or use a fresh pot and repot the plant in fresh, well-drained soil.
Do not water the plant immediately, keep it dry for about 7 days before you can resume watering.
To prevent root-rot in the future, always ensure that the pot has a drainage hole and the soil is free-draining to prevent it from getting soggy.
In addition, take care not to overwater especially in the cold season as growth is minimal at this time, therefore, the plant does not need a lot of water.
8. Low humidity
Too low humidity will result in dry and shrivelled leaves, leaf drop as the plant begins to die.
How to fix itTo elevate humidity for your Gerbera Daisy, you may group several plants together, set the pot on a wet pebble tray, use a cool mist humidifier or grow the plant in a well-lit bathroom and other humid areas in the home.
9. Temperature stress
Drafts cause sudden flactuations in temperature which cause reduced growth, wilting, leaf drop and eventual plant death if not corrected in time.
How to fix itKeep your Gerbera Daisy away from drafty conditions like windy doors, open windows, AC units, radiators, hot air vents among others to maintain a warmth of 15-250C with a minimum of 130C.
10. Exposure to hot direct sunlight
Exposing your plant to hot midday sunshine will result in wilting, leaf drop and eventual death of the plant.
How to fix itPosition your Gerbera Daisy in a more shaded spot where it will receive bright light with some morning or late afternoon sunshine or use a light curtain to diffuse the intense sunrays.
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