Growing Gerbera Daisy in Pots – a Full Guide

Introduction to growing Gerbera daisy in pots

Gerbera daisy plants are beautiful flowering plants known for their colorful blooms. The flowers come in different vibrant colors, such as yellow, orange, and red. Gerbera daisy is a popular houseplant for those who wish to make their homes more vibrant and beautiful. Indoor Gerberas are very easy to grow, as gardeners can exercise complete control over the plant’s environment. Weather will have little effect on the Gerbera daisy plants when they are grown indoors. Potted Gerbera daisies are easy to care for, but it is still advisable for gardeners to replace the flowers every year or two. In this article we also discuss below topics;

• How do you care for potted Gerbera daisy
• How long does Gerbera daisy take to grow
• How do you care for Gerbera daisies inside
• Do Gerbera daisies do well in pots
• How do you plant Gerbera daisy
• Tips for growing Gerbera daisy in pots
• Growing Gerbera daisy problems

A step by step guide to growing Gerbera daisy plants in pots/containers

Gerbera Daisies are a popular variety of container plants. They are easy to find in nurseries. Their bright, cheery, uniform flowers are the perfect method to set the tone for summertime container arrangements. Gerbera daisies can be found in almost any color and grow well in container arrangements and solo in smaller pots.

Requirements for growing Gerbera daisy indoors

Below are the most important things you need to provide to your Gerbera daisy indoors;

How much sunlight does a Gerbera daisy need?

The first one is you need to know about Gerbera daisy care indoors is that they need bright, all-day sunlight throughout the growing season. Gerbera daisy plants need a lot of energy to produce their large, colorful blooms, and they garner much of that energy from the sun. Often grown in full sun, they can stay alive in lower levels of light as long as they get it throughout the day. If placed on a sunny windowsill, your plant needs at least 6 hours of light per day. When sitting on the kitchen table or elsewhere out of direct sunlight, Gerbera plants need up to 14 hours of partial light. Turning on your overhead lights can facilitate supplement diffused or partial sunlight.

Indoor temperature requirement for growing Gerbera daisy plants in pots

Gerbera daisy plants thrive at temperatures of about 21°C. This sort of room temperature is the best for their growth and it is also a suitable temperature to make them flower. Keep this in mind when deciding on the best spot for your Gerbera daisy.

Gerbera daisy plant propagation

Gerbera daisy plants are best started from seed. A sterile sandy potting medium or seed starting mix will work well for these plants. Arrange a thin layer over the top of the seeds or lightly press them into the soil. The seeds must be kept consistently moist, but they should never stand in water. The seedlings must be moved to small pots as soon as the first true leaves appear. This will prevent them from becoming spindly. Gerbera daisy plants cannot be propagated from divisions or cuttings.

Growing Gerbera daisy plants indoors in pots

Gerbera daisy houseplants require an unusual combination of bright light and moderate temperatures. A spot near a sunny window can be too hot and can scorch the leaves, but without adequate light, the plant won’t produce blooms. Bright sunlight in the morning works well, but be sure the plant is protected from bright light during the afternoon. Although Gerbera daisies tolerate cool temperatures, they won’t survive long in temperature levels above 21C. If the plant is located in indirect light, be sure it gets light all day. Turn on lamps or overhead lights to supplement available light, especially during the winter season.

Gerbera daisies look very nice indoors in small tabletop containers. Though, they are difficult to entice into a second round of blooming. Gerberas need plenty of bright light but are easily scorched by the heat of light coming through a window. For good reasons, Gerbera daisies are a popular plant as a cut flower and a potted plant. Add these bright blooms to container arrangements for a cheery, summery look.

Germinating Gerbera daisy seeds

• The first step is to fill a seed tray with seed starting mix or soilless potting mix which is ideal for germinating seeds.
• Once the seed tray is filled, mist water with a spray bottle to moisten each section of the tray.
• Now, use a pencil to poke about ¼ inch hole in the center of the soil in each section of the tray.
• Put a seed in each hole with the pointed end facing down and the top of the seed just below the soil line. Then, pack a little soil to cover the top of the seed.
• Water the seeds by misting with a spray bottle.
• Lastly, cover the tray with plastic wrap and place the tray somewhere bright for 8 hours. Then set in an indirect sunny spot and leave the plastic wrap on until the seeds have sprouted in two to three weeks.

How to Grow Gerbera daisy for seeds

Step 1) Prepare Trays

Fill trays or pots with a light seed starting medium, or make your potting mix using peat moss, perlite, and vermiculite. Dampen the medium with water.

Step 2) Plant Seeds

Use a toothpick to poke a hole in the planting medium and plant the Gerbera daisy seeds with the seed end pointing down, and the little brush part just barely at the top of the soil.

Step 3) Grow Seeds

Keep the seeds moist, but not waterlogged, and above 21°C, with 8 hours or more of bright light per day. The easiest method to do this is to cover the trays with a clear plastic tent and place them indoors in a bright window or under grow lights. When the Gerbera daisy seeds germinate in 2 to 3 weeks, remove the plastic cover but keep the seedlings moist.

Step 4) Transplant Seedlings

After the Gerbera daisy seedlings have developed 2 sets of true leaves, you can carefully transplant the plants to larger pots.

Step 5) Harden Plants

When it’s consistently warm outside, and these plants are hardy and growing, move the pots outdoors to a protected spot for a few days to get the young plants used to the breezes and temperature shifts found outside.

Step 6) Enjoy Flowers

At this point, you can leave the daisies in their pots or plant them in the back yard. Then, locate the plants in a spot with plenty of morning sun and a little afternoon shade to keep them from wilting. Feed the plants regularly with a balanced organic fertilizer, and then keep them watered but not soggy.

Propagate Gerbera daisy Plants from Cuttings

Gerbera daisy plants are a showy plant that many gardeners enjoy growing. Cut the blooms and bring them indoors for floral arrangements or leave them outside in a flowerbed to add beautiful color to landscapes. One simple way to propagate Gerbera daisies is from cuttings.

Step 1) Fill one 3-inch potting container with potting soil for each stem cutting. Find healthy Gerbera daisies in the summer during the peak of growth and clip off a stem just above soil level and cut the stem again so you have a 6-inch stem piece. Remove any blooms from the top of the stem and any plant leaves from the bottom.

Step 2) Dip the bottom end of the stem into the rooting hormone and then place the stem into the potting soil. Lightly spray the soil with water and place a plastic bag over the container to maintain the stem moistly. Spray the soil each day.

Step 3) Keep the containers where they receive indirect sunlight, watch for the stems to show signs of growth. Then, this will indicate that the stems are taking root. Remove the plastic bags from the containers and continue to keep them evenly watered throughout the winter season.

Step 4) Transplant the new Gerbera daisy plants to larger containers when they are established and growing well. Move them outside in the spring.

Care in growing Gerbera Daisy in pots

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• Although they are not the easiest plants to grow indoors they can be excessively particular about their needs but once you get used to their requirements Gerbera daisies can prove to be delightful additions to the home.
• A couple of key requirements to keep in mind are preferences towards watering and sunlight. Gerbera daisy plants don’t like to be overwatered so a good method to water them is by making sure the soil is completely dry to the touch before watering. They like their sunlight and don’t tolerate shortcomings in this department therefore you will need to provide Gerbera daisies with sufficient sunlight throughout the day.
• A good location to keep Gerbera daisies is around a window sill but just slightly away from the window so they are not exposed to direct sunlight to avoid getting scorched by the intensity. Additionally, Gerbera daisies dislike temperature levels that exceed 24°C. Keeping them indoors at room temperature level is sustainable for Gerbera daisies to flourish.
• A good practice when growing Gerbera daisy plants is to trim off fully bloomed flowers once they start to droop. This will encourage plant growth and enhance its overall appearance. You can also fertilize Gerbera daisies to promote further growth. A fertilizer targeted at blooming in particular by providing the nutrients required to give an added boost is ideal.
• A benefit for growing Gerbera daisies indoors is that they are great for cleaning the air by removing toxins present in it. This purifying quality results in an improved quality of the air you breathe in. An increase of air quality is in itself a strong reason to have Gerbera daisies as houseplants.

Gerbera daisy plant problems

Deal with pests that infest your Gerbera daisy plant. Gerberas can be infested by common household pests like mites or aphids. Spray your Gerbera daisies plant with insecticidal soap according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Monitor plants carefully so that you can tackle the problem before they take over and the problem gets severe. You could use an organic insecticidal soap if you wish.

How do you prune a Gerbera daisy?

Examine the Gerbera daisy Plant – Before you begin, evaluate the health of your Gerbera daisy plant. Daisies are quite fragile and need daily care. Prepare to remove any material that does not directly contribute to the health of the p Gerbera daisy plant.

Remove Dead Leaves – Dead plant leaves from a healthy plant will fall off if lightly touched. The plant must create a plug at the base of the leaf stem. If that is the case, you need to do no more than removing the leaf.

Cut of Dying Leaves – Plant leaves that are discolored and wilting are dying. Cut off any dying leaf as close to the stem as possible and do not use secateurs because they will tear the stem and cause damage. Use a sharp knife or a safety razor blade. Then, make the cut vertical so that water will not gather there and cause mold.

Remove Dead Bulbs – Remove any blooms that are past their prime and cut them off very close to the stem, again using a sharp knife or safety razor. Cut as close to vertical as possible to prevent making a collection spot for water.

Promote Blooming – A potted Gerbera will respond to a little prompting to make more blooms. Though, this is not strictly pruning, take off young and barely-opened blooms to put into a vase. These blooms will survive for up to 14 days, by which time the plant will have pushed out even more new blooms. Always cut the blooms the same way and use a sharp knife or safety razor to cut as vertically as close to the stem as possible.

Check the Stems – A pot-grown Gerbera daisy will have quite a solid mass of stems, and it is important to cut out any dead or dying ones. In such a concentration, it is very easy for molds and fungi to take over and kill the plant. Remove any dead, dying or damaged stems using a sharp knife or safety razor. Cut the stems as close to soil level as possible and try to angle the cut so that any water falling on the exposed end will roll-off.

Commonly asked questions about growing Gerbera daisy indoors

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Is the Gerbera daisy Plant Annual or Perennial?

Gerbera daisies are perennials as they live for longer than 2 years. As previously mentioned, extra care will be required to keep them alive for longer than a year when growing them indoors.

How long do Gerbera daisies last?

Gerbera daisies can live 2 to 3 years with proper care. To guarantee a longer life, repot the Gerbera daisy once a year and their blooms last for several weeks once they appear.

Do Gerbera daisies spread?

Usually, Gerbera daisies will spread quickly (once mature) about 1 to 2 feet, while still staying in a tight crown. If you plant more, give the original plant space about 12–18 inches.

Why are my Gerbera daisies dying?

Too much or too little water is the main cause of drooping or wilting. Water Gerbera plants once early in the day, soaking the soil, but let the plant and soil surface dry off before nighttime to reduce the chance of some disease. Test the soil again after a few weeks and treat daisies with fertilizer to improve their health.

How often should I water a Gerbera daisy?

Water the plant deeply whenever the top inch about 3 cm of soil feels dry to the touch. Let the pot drain thoroughly before replacing it on the saucer or drip tray, as the daisy plant is likely to rot in soggy soil. Water carefully and keep the plant leaves as dry as possible.

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