How to Grow Gerbera
Gerbera At a Glance
Difficulty
Moderate
Category
Flower
Sun Exposure
Full Sun
Frost Tolerance
Frost Tender
Cold Hardiness
Survives to 2°C
Plant Family
Asteraceae
Growing Season
Warm Season
Plant Lifecycle
Annual
How to Start It
★ Recommended for beginners
A young plant from a garden centre is the easy way to grow gerbera. Plant it outside about 1 week after your last frost, 30 cm apart, with the crown (where the leaves meet the roots) sitting just above the soil, since a buried crown rots.
Gerbera daisies are big, bright cut flowers that also shine in pots. They are tender perennials, so in Canada they are grown for one summer or brought indoors for winter. How deep you plant them matters most: a crown buried even a little stays wet and rots.
When To Start
Gerbera needs warmth. Wait until your last frost has passed and the soil has warmed before sowing.
We do not have exact sowing dates for this one yet.
When should you plant Gerbera?
Your planting dates depend on your local climate. Sign up and add your location to unlock personalized dates.
Your Gerbera Planting Window
Start planting
May 15, 2026
Last chance
Sep 10, 2026
Your Gerbera Calendar
Set your location to turn these into exact dates and reminders.
Plant gerbera with the crown just above the soil
1 week after your last frost· every year
Pull gerbera stems from the base to cut or tidy them
60 days after your last frost· every year· optional
Dig up and pot gerberas to keep them indoors for winter
2 weeks before your first frost· every year· optional
Water your new gerbera plants well while they settle in. Deep and slow is best.
About 1 days after you plant it
Hello! Water your gerbera at the soil, not over the crown, so the centre stays dry.
About 30 days after you plant it
Nice work! Cut spent flowers at the base of the stem to make room for new ones.
About 90 days after you plant it
The Journey Ahead
Gerbera's Lifecycle
Seedling
Mature Plant
Seed Production
Step 1
Prepare Your Space
30 cm
Plant Spacing
30 cm
Row Spacing
Vertical Growing
No.
Succession Planting
No.
Good Companions
Bad Companions
Step 2
Planting & Sprouting
Growing Tips
- 1Give gerbera full sun, or light afternoon shade where summers are very hot.
- 2Plant it in loose soil or potting mix that drains fast, with a little compost mixed in.
- 3Water at the base when the top few cm of soil is dry, and keep water off the crown and leaves.
- 4Feed with compost tea every 2 weeks while it flowers for a steady supply of long stems.
- 5Leave space between plants for air to flow, which keeps powdery mildew (a white dust on the leaves) away.
Seedling Phase
Step 3
Growth & Maturity
40 cm
Mature Height
40 cm
Mature Width
Pests to Watch For
Diseases to Watch For
Mature Plant
Step 4
Harvesting
When to Pick
Blooms summer (and longer in mild climates); a long-lasting vase flower
How to Harvest
- 1Cut gerberas for the vase when the flower is fully open and the outer rings of the centre show yellow pollen.
- 2Pull the stem off cleanly at the base with a little twist rather than cutting it, since a leftover stub can rot.
- 3Remove faded flowers the same way to keep new buds coming.
- 4Put the stems in only a few cm of water and change it every couple of days, since the stems rot in deep water.
- 5Before your first fall frost, dig up the plant, pot it, and keep it in a bright, cool window over winter.
Step 5
Saving Seeds
Seed Production
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