How to Plant and Grow Gerbera Daisy

A Gerbera daisy is instantly recognizable for its vivid colors and bold silhouettes. They're among the most popular choices for cut flowers in the world. Instead of buying a bouquet, get even more blooms for your buck when you grow them at home. The fresh-from-the-paint box colors are simple to combine for maximum impact. Line your garden paths with their brilliant colors and plant enough to fill vases indoors. You can also grow Gerbera daisies (Gerbera jamesonii) in containers outside, moving them indoors for winter in all but the warmest zones, or keep them as houseplants.

Where to Plant Gerbera Daisy

Gerbera daisies are tender perennials that grow year-round in USDA Zones 8-10, but you can enjoy them in the spring and summer in any climate. Because they are native to South Africa, Gerbera daisies grow well in warm areas such as California. In cooler climates, they are grown as annuals.

Depending on the variety, the daisies will grow anywhere from 6 to 18 inches tall, which makes them good choices for the front and middle of your flowerbeds or for planting in containers. If you have clay soil, show off your Gerbera daisies in containers instead of garden beds.

How and When to Plant Gerbera Daisy

After the last frost in spring, plant nursery-grown Gerbera daisies in a garden bed with well-drained soil. Dig a hole for the plant that is twice the width of the container but the same height. Place the Gerbera daisy in the hole, adding extra soil underneath the root ball if needed so the crown sits slightly above ground level. Backfill the rest of the hole with the prepared soil, pressing down with your hands to remove air pockets. Water the plant. Set the daisies 12 to 18 inches apart for good airflow, making them less likely to develop powdery mildew.

To plant Gerbera daisies in a container, it's best to avoid dark-colored ceramic pots that hold the heat and might cook the sensitive roots. Fill it with good-quality potting soil and position the Gerbera daisy so the crown is slightly above the soil line.

To grow Gerbera daisies from seed, start the seeds indoors about 12 weeks before the last frost in moist seed-starting mix. Sow the seeds on top of the mix and press them in slightly, but don't cover them. They need light to germinate. Cover the pot or seed flat with a clear plastic bag to hold humidity and put it in a warm place. After the seedlings emerge, remove the plastic bag. When the seedlings are robust, they can be planted outside after your area's last spring frost date.

Gerbera Daisy Care

Whether you grow them outdoors or inside, general care is simple.

Light

Northerners can grow the daisies in full sun if the air temperatures are cool in their area. In Southern climates, plant the daisies in an area where they'll catch morning sun and afternoon shade. As a houseplant, give Gerbera daisies bright, indirect light.

Soil and Water

These plants can grow in average soil as long as it is well-draining, but flower production increases if the soil is enriched with organic matter and compost. A good-quality potting soil works well for planting in containers.

Gerbera daisies like plenty of moisture, but let the top inch of soil dry out between waterings. Water at the ground level and don't spray the plants from above; this keeps them safer from leaf fungus.

Temperature and Humidity

Don't let Gerbera daisies get hot; they grow much better in moderate temperatures that don't exceed 70°F.

Average humidity, both indoors and out, is suitable for growing Gerbera daisies.

Fertilizer

Blooming is the whole point of Gerbera daisies, and fertilizer helps them keep pumping out the flowers. Give them a liquid fertilizer every two weeks with a low middle number such as 15-7-15 or mix slow-release fertilizer into the soil two or three times in the spring and summer, following the directions on the product packaging.

Pruning

Deadhead spent blooms on your gerbera to redirect energy spent on seed production for continuous blooms instead. Cut the flower stems off at the base when the blooms fade.

Potting and Repotting

To repot Gerbera daises, choose a pot with drainage holes. Fill it with good-quality potting soil and set the daisy in the container so its crown is just above soil level. If all goes well, your Gerbera daisy houseplant should live for up to three years.

Overwintering Gerbera Daisies

Gerbera daisies won't make it through an outdoor winter in Zones 7 and colder. Check your zone on the USDA map and bring the containers indoors before the first frost. The plant won't survive long indoors in temperatures above 70°F so place it in a cool spot indoors. Water it sparingly during the winter months. After the last frost in the spring, take your daisies back outside to enjoy its flowers in the spring and summer. Or you can keep your Gerbera daisy indoors in a cool, brightly lit spot. In spring, give it a liquid fertilizer designed for blooming houseplants, following the instructions on the product label.

Pests and Problems

Aphids are the main insect problem, but natural predators in the garden, like ladybugs, will probably show up to deal with the aphids. If not, use a mild soap spray when the sun is not shining on the leaves.

Water at the base of the plant to keep water off the leaves. Wet foliage makes them more vulnerable to fungal diseases.

How to Propagate Gerbera Daisy

Gerbera daisies can be propagated by division, stem cuttings, and seed.

Division: Mature Gerbera daisies usually have multiple crowns, and each crown has its own stems and roots. Spring and summer are the best times to divide the daisy. Dig around its base about 6 inches out from the anticipated root ball location and lift the entire plant from the ground. Gently brush the soil from the roots to see the crowns. Snap each crown off or use a sharp knife to cut the sections apart, making sure each crown is intact and has roots and stems. Replant the crowns immediately.

Stem Cuttings: Take 6- to 8-inch cuttings from non-flowering stems. Remove any leaves from the bottom half of the cutting. Dip the bottom of the cutting into rooting hormone and insert it into a small pot filled with moist potting mix. Firm the mix around the cutting with your fingers and mist the plant. Cover it with a clear plastic bag. Place it in bright, indirect light and mist it every day. In 10-14 days, tug gently on the cutting. Resistance indicates the cutting has rooted. Give it another week or two (without the plastic bag) to develop robust roots and transplant it to a container or the garden.

Seed: Because fresh Gerbera daisy seeds deteriorate quickly, it is best to buy fresh seed and sow it in early spring. They need a temperature of 70°F to 75°F to germinate, so they are usually started indoors. Fill a pot with seed-starting mix. Poke holes in the mix and put a seed in each hole. If it still has its "feather" attached, that part goes at the top and should barely rise above the soil line. If it no longer has a feather, sow the seeds with the longer, pointed end at the top. Press the seeds into the planting mix but don't cover them. Water the seed-starting mix well and cover the pot with clear plastic (or a plastic bag). Monitor the pot or flat to keep the mixture moist. Germination takes two to three weeks. As soon as they germinate, remove the plastic and place the container in a warm location with good air circulation. Keep the soil damp but not wet. When the seedlings have two sets of true leaves, move them to their own 4-inch pots filled with a well-draining potting mix.

Types of Gerbera Daisy

'Woman' Gerbera Daisy

Gerbera 'Woman' bears bright pink flowers with fluffy pink centers.

'Sombrero' Gerbera Daisy

Gerbera 'Sombrero' offers deep red flowers with purple-black centers.

'Revolution Red' Gerbera Daisy

Gerbera 'Revolution Red' produces large red flowers on a plant that blooms earlier than most other gerbera daisies. It grows 10 inches tall.

Gerbera Daisy Companion Plants

Dichondra

This striking trailing annual gives you a fresh way to work elegant silver foliage into your container and other plantings. Perfect in a hanging basket, window box, or other containers, dichondra can trail up to 6 feet with showy, soft foliage like no other. Native to areas of the Southwest, it's also very heat- and drought-tolerant, so you can count on it to look good all season long, even if it wilts a few times. It's a perennial in the warmest parts of the U.S. but is treated like an annual elsewhere.

Heliotrope

This tropical plant, grown as an annual, bears big clusters of rich purple, blue, or white flowers. Even without its fabulous scent, heliotrope would be widely grown in the garden. It has a distinctive scent—some say it smells like cherry pie, others say a grape ice pop. Still, others say it's reminiscent of vanilla.

Lisianthus

Lisianthus flowers make people ooh and ahh. It's such an elegant flower you'd never guess it's native to American prairies. And lisianthus is one of the best cut flowers, lasting in the vase for two to three weeks.