“The plant we work with in the Madrid greenhouse is the Gerbera flower (Gerbera jamenosii L.), it is an ornamental plant used for cut flowers and garden plants.
In this greenhouse, 6 commercial varieties of different colors are grown, provided by the Dümmen Orange company. "
- Sunset (orange).
- Testa rosa (red with yellow center).
- Daysi (white with red center).
- Dalma (Cream with black center).
- Elegans (pink).
- Super nova (yellow).
Objectives of this greenhouse
It is a highly technical greenhouse:
- It has environmental humidity control by sensors. If the humidity is below what the plants need, sprayers are activated that adjust the required levels. Moisture influences the stiffness of the flower stem. The humidity should not drop below 40%.
- Studies are also being done on how different concentrations of salt can affect flower production. In drip irrigation, you have to take great care to control the irrigation or the salts rise with evaporation and in the next irrigation there would be too many, damaging the absorption of the plant.
- In addition, the greenhouse has a ventilation system by opening upper windows, essential if the temperatures are high.
- Systems to reflect or retain heat with a curtain-like top cover that unfolds according to your needs. The ideal temperature is at least 10 degrees. It can handle the heat very well as long as it has humidity.
- It needs a lot of light, the greenhouse is fully glazed. It influences the peduncle of the flower, the color and the tone. Also in the number of flowers.
- Irrigation is of course drip and as of today controlled by Plantae sensors that measure the plant moisture in the area of the root system. Excess moisture causes the leaf to grow too large and the flower to shrink. Therefore, irrigation control is essential for flower growth, which is what really matters if it is the gerbera flower that is marketed.
The facility is located in the greenhouses next to the plant breeding building in the ETSIAAB practice fields.
Gerbera flower care
The roots need a large amount of air, therefore the soils must be light, with a lot of sand, deep and airy that facilitate root growth without limits.
The plant needs a leaf removal, that is to say from time to time to remove a leaf, because they are the ones that use the most nutrients. In this way, the ventilation of the plant is favored and diseases are avoided.
It is very important to avoid water stress. A balance between the needs of the plant and the water supply. The earth has to be moist, aerated and without puddles.
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