Weird Gerba flowers

[greencat]

For the last 3 years my Gerba plant has flowered beautifuly. Then last year the flowers started to do weird things. At first only 1/2 the petals would grow to full lenght and the other 1/2 were stunted. This year each flower head has a brown spot in the middle and it died off before it is fully formed.However the leaves are great.

Is it ill? Should I throw it?

[greencat]

Sorry spelling is not my strong point

[Two_Sheds]

We knew what you meant though.
Where and how do you grow your gerbera?

[Flummery]

Sometimes if things starrt to go wierd after flowering normally it can indicate they've had a bit of herbicide. If you're in a farming area it can drift in on the wind without you noticing. (Which is a bummer!) Not sure how you can improve matters though.

[Sanjo]

I used to get a similar problem with my dahlias. When OH and I attended a gardener's question time at one of the seed companies many years ago, I posed the question to the panel and asked for advice. The main spokesperson thought it very funny (and so did the rest of the audience and my OH I might add!!) to tell me I'd be better off to taking up stamp collecting. I was not amused. Never did find the cause of it

[greencat]

I keep my Gerbera in the livingroom where it is warm and it get lots of water. I think herbicide is a sceary but realistic option as we do live in a rural area.

It wierd how you can buy all these books with lists of pest and disease problems, yet you (I) always seem to get something I can find in a book.Trust me to be deifferent.
Thanks for your help guys. If the flowers don't liven up this year it will go in the bin.

[frias]

I bought 2 about 2 years ago. I kept mine in the lounge and it died. I gave the other one to my mum who put it on the patio and it's flowered beautifully for 2 years running. She just puts it in the car port during the coldest weather.