Spots on Gerber Daisy Leaves

Knowing what to look for helps you grow Gerber daisies.

Gerber daisies are prized for their beautifully vibrant colors and are considered generally easy to grow. Sometimes a Gerber daisy may develop spots on its leaves. Knowing what those spots are and what causes them is important.

Cause

Gerber daisies are pretty particular about the amount of moisture that they like. It is recommended that you thoroughly water a Gerber daisy, taking care not to get the leaves or the flowers wet, and then wait for the soil to become completely dry before watering again. Gerber daisies that are watered too much may develop spots on the leaves. This is a form of fungus and can be difficult to treat. Gerber daisies that are in areas of high temperature and/or high humidity are more prone to this problem.

Treatment

Typically, leaf spots can be treated by simply removing the affected leaves from the plant. Once you have removed the leaves, you should also make efforts to change the conditions for your Gerber daisy by either watering it less frequently, or watering it earlier in the day, so that the sun has a better chance of helping the excess moisture evaporate.

Further Treatment

If you find that changing your watering habits is not sufficient to cure the fungus, you may need to apply a fungicide to save the plant.

References

• Gerbera.org: Leaf Spots
• Bachman's: Gerber Daisies