Gerbera in pot, in garden & as cut flower

Gerberas are known to us as a pot plant and cut flower. We have helpful tips to help the beautiful gerberas survive longer in pots, vases & the garden.

“Through you, everything becomes more beautiful,” says the gerbera in the language of flowers, and through its intense colours and beautifully shaped flowers, it too brings a lot of beauty to the house and garden.

Gerbera: meaning and origin

Gerbera, one of the most popular cut flowers in the flower trade, belongs to the composite family (Asteraceae). Like its botanical name, it is known to us as the gerbera.

The original home of the gerbera is in South Africa. There it was known as the “African Aster” until it was first described by the Dutch botanist Jan Frederik Gronovius in 1737. In honour of his botanical professional colleague Traugott Gerber, Gronovius gave it the name Gerbera. Nowadays, gerbera can be found all over the globe and delights the hearts of many flower lovers.

Except for shades of blue, you can get the gerbera in almost all colours and shades. As a cut flower it is known with a long elegant stem supported by a floral wire. As a pot plant, it is becoming increasingly popular with its dark green leaves.

Buying gerbera

Throughout the year you can buy almost any type of gerbera. Whether used as a cut flower or potted plant, this composite plant brings colour and good cheer to any home with its beautiful bloom.

Buying gerbera as a cut flower

But what should you look for when buying? When gerbera is bought for the vase, the wreath of the outer tubular flowers should already be open, but the inner wreath still closed. If all the tubes have already fully unfolded, then the flower will not last long. On the other hand, if all the tubes are still closed, the flower may have been cut too early and the flower will probably not open properly at all.

Buying gerbera in pot

If you decide to buy a gerbera in a pot, you should make sure that the leaves of the plant have a healthy green. In addition, the flower stalks should be intact. If you discover an insect web in the pot, it is better to leave it alone. Gerberas are usually not very expensive. If the plants are very small, you can plant potted plants of different colours together in a larger pot or container with holes in the bottom. This looks especially pretty.

Gerbera in a pot: the right care

Gerberas are not only impressive as purchased cut flowers, but cut a good figure especially in the pot. They therefore delight the heart of many garden lovers for a long period of time. We briefly summarise what is important in the care of gerbera in a pot.

The right location

Gerbera as a houseplant requires a bright location. It likes morning and evening sun. However, in direct midday sun it would quickly “burn”. In summer, the pot plant loves it when it is allowed to move to the terrace or balcony. But be careful: please do not expose the flowers to too much sunlight. Here, care should also be taken to ensure that night temperatures do not fall below 15 °C.

In the room, a bright place on the windowsill without intense sun is ideal.

Watering

The gerbera as a pot plant should be watered regularly. Make sure that the soil is evenly moist. You should avoid waterlogging at all costs. Mix a little sand into the soil, it absorbs moisture well. Part of the watering can also be well applied to the leaves with the help of a spray bottle. Tip: Do not spray your plantlets until light levels are reduced, otherwise the magnifying glass effect of the droplets may cause “burns” on the leaves.

Caring for gerbera in a pot: fertilising

To obtain a longer lasting bloom, a small amount of liquid fertiliser should be added to the watering water every week from May to September. Our Plantura Liquid Flower Food is perfectly adapted to the needs of gerbera, ensuring abundant flowering.

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Overwinter potted gerberas

In the winter months, the gerbera is placed in a cool room. The room temperature should be between 8 and 12 °C. Light watering about every 14 days is sufficient. This allows the plant to regenerate well and gather new strength for the spring. Then it should also get fresh soil and, if necessary, a larger pot right away.

You can find more tips on the ideal care for your gerbera here.

Are gerbera poisonous?

Before you bring a plant into your home or garden, you naturally want to know whether it is poisonous – especially if small children or pets are part of the family. Unfortunately, the gerbera is sometimes said to be poisonous. But that is by no means the case. This misconception probably stems from the fact that the long stems of gerbera in some varieties are covered with many small hairs. This downy hairiness often tempts children to pet them. But even if the small flowers or leaves of gerbera put in the mouth, there would be no danger of poisoning.

Gerbera in the garden

Are gerberas hardy?

In the summer months, colourful gerbera is very good to decorate the home garden beds. However, in the autumn the plants must be removed from the soil and overwintered in a pot in a suitable cool room in the house (the temperature should be between 8 and 12 °C). Winter hardy gerberas were not known until recently. If they survived the winter well wrapped up in the open air, it was a stroke of luck. Now, however, there is a new breed, the “Garvinea”. It is low maintenance, hardy and a hardy gerbera perennial. At -5 °C, however, their winter hardiness reaches its limit. Here, too, the plant must be well lined with straw. Please do not remove the bloomed flowerheads and leaves. In the spring you can remove the withered leaves and stems. For perennials that overwinter indoors, the withered parts of the plant are removed in the autumn, but they should not be cut too radically. The healthy parts of the plant should be left standing.

Gerbera in a bouquet as cut flowers

As a cut flower, gerbera is almost ideal. They are available in sufficient variety throughout the year. It does not emit an overpowering fragrance and is compatible with almost any other cut flower. Another advantage of gerbera as a cut flower – it is not excessively expensive.

Caring properly for gerbera as a cut flower

Next to the rose, the gerbera is one of the most in-demand flowers in the flower trade. If you have received a beautiful bouquet of gerberas as a gift, or made yourself one, then you need to make sure that the flowers are sufficiently supplied with water. However, the water level in the vase should not be too high, so that the velvety stems do not rot. Two cm of water height is ideal. The water should be regularly replenished or replaced. Before the bouquet goes into the vase, you also need to cut the stems at an angle with a clean knife.

If the flowers go into a glass vase, please be aware that the wire supporting the gerbera stems can leave rust stains. If you have followed these tips, now you just need to find a nice place for the bouquet.