Gerbera Daisies: Planting, Growing, and Caring for Gerbera Flowers

Brilliantly colored flowers and deep green foliage make gerbera daisies a favorite for containers and garden beds. Their long-lasting blooms look great in the vase, too! Learn how to plant, grow, and care for gerbera daisies.

About Gerbera Daisies

Gerbera daisies are tender perennials popular for their amazing colors. Sometimes called African daisies, the cultivars we buy from garden centers are commonly hybrids of Gerbera jamesonii and Gerbera viridifolia, and the tag will often display their name as Gerbera x hybrida.

While these flowers are perennials, they will only overwinter outdoors in the warmest zones. Most gardeners in USDA zones 8 and colder grow them as annuals or bring them inside to overwinter them indoors.

Gerbera daisies are shorter, with most plants reaching about 12 to 18 inches tall. They’re perfectly suited for the front of larger beds, as bright pots of color in containers on the deck, or as edging along sidewalks and paths. Breeders have developed gerbera daisies with single, semi-double, double, and spider blooms.

Gerbers are available in almost any shade of pink, orange, white, red, yellow, and bi-colors. Credit: Beatrice Grawey

Planting

When choosing locations for in-ground gerbera daisies, pay attention to drainage. These flowers need a site with good drainage to avoid problems with crown rot. Perpetually damp sites can cause problems. Choose locations with full sun in northern climates and spots with afternoon shade in the southern US.

Gerbera daisies do best in slightly acidic soils, with a pH of 5.5-6.5. Fortunately, that’s the sweet spot for many other flowers and vegetables, so you won’t have to worry about the exact pH.

When to Plant Gerbera Daisies

Gerbera daisies can be planted–or set outside–once the danger of frost has passed in spring. If starting them from seed, sow them about 10 weeks before your last frosts.

How to Plant Gerbera Daisies

Gerbera daisies purchased as young nursery plants are super easy to transplant. Don’t forget to harden them off prior to planting outdoors.
Loosen the soil and add some compost or aged manure.
Dig a hole about as deep and a little wider than the current rootball.
Trim off any girdling or circling roots, and score the rootball if the plant is potbound to encourage new growth.
Place the plant in the hole, adjusting the depth so the crown is slightly above ground level. The crown is the point where the stem meets the soil.
Fill the hole with the soil you removed and tamp it in with your hands to remove any air pockets.
Water well and apply mulch.

Gerbera daisies are often repotted into larger containers instead of planted in the ground. If repotting, follow the steps above using a good-quality potting mix. Keep in mind the need to adjust the depth so the crown is just above the soil surface, not buried.

Red gerbera daisies flower in containers. Credit: P. Grobelny

Growing

When kept happy and deadheaded, gerbera daisies will continue to bloom right to the first frost.

Provide weekly water if you haven’t received much rain. Gerberas will do well with an inch per week in most climates and soils. Those in pots will need more frequent watering.
Deadhead regularly, removing the entire stem and old flowerhead.
Fertilizer container-grown gerbera daisies with a diluted fertilizer biweekly or monthly when watering. Those grown in the ground may not need extra nutrients if you added compost when they were planted.

Overwintering

Gerbera daisies in containers can be brought inside to overwinter. Those in garden beds can be dug up and placed in pots to bring indoors.

Bring the flowers in before the first frost.
Store them in a cool location, such as an unheated basement or garage, where they won’t freeze.
Water only occasionally to keep the soil from becoming bone dry–don’t keep it as moist as it was all growing season.
Wait until all danger of frost has passed to set them out again in spring.

Types

Revolution ‘Red Dark Eye’ is a modest-sized plant perfect for containers. The fiery orange-red blooms and dark center make the blooms stand out.
Garvinea ‘Classic Lydia’ is a luscious pink with deep yellow centers and long stems perfect for cut flowers. Large, deep green leaves form a nice mound.
‘Frosted Hot Pink Garden Jewels’ is a two-tone pink and white gerbera with yellow centers and deep pink petals tipped with white. This plant will grow about 12-14” tall and is slightly more cold-hardy than most gerberas.
The ‘Flori Line Maxi’ series of gerbera daisies are compact plants with sturdy stems, perfect for use as cut flowers. They are about 12” tall and available in a variety of colors.

Harvesting

Gerberas are ready to harvest for cut flowers when the blooms are fully open.
Pull the stems from the plant rather than cutting them.
Immediately place the flowers in water. Don’t let them sit out while you harvest other blooms.
Make a fresh cut at a 45° angle when arranging in the vase. See more tips on how to keep cut flowers alive longer.
Gerbera daisy stems can easily become blocked, so change the water frequently.

Gardening Products

Wit and Wisdom

Gerberas flower based on the amount of light the plant receives in its center. Prune excess foliage from the center to maximize light penetration and flower production.
Thanks to their brilliant colors and sturdy stems, gerberas are the world’s fifth most-used cut flower. See other favorite cutting flowers.

Pests/Diseases

Spider mites
Leaf miners
Aphids
Powdery mildew

Flowers

About The Author

Andy Wilcox

Andy Wilcox is a flower farmer and master gardener with a passion for soil health, small producers, forestry, and horticulture. Read More from Andy Wilcox