Gerbera Growing Guide
Gerbera is a great next step in your growing journey. Follow this guide from planting to harvest and you'll do great.
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
Also grows well as
How to Start It
★ Recommended for beginners
The easy, reliable route — plant young plants with the crown proud of the soil, in full sun and gritty, free-draining mix.
The big, brilliant gerbera daisy is one of the world's favourite cut flowers, and a cheerful container and bedding plant. It's a tender perennial usually grown as an annual (or overwintered indoors). The make-or-break detail is planting depth: set the crown slightly ABOVE the soil line — a crown buried even slightly stays wet and rots, the single most common way gerberas die. Give it full sun, free-draining soil, and water at the base.
When To Start
First Chance to Plant
—
Last Chance to Plant
—
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
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
- 1Two rules prevent almost all gerbera trouble: plant the crown high and dry (never buried), and water at the base, keeping the crown and foliage dry.
- 2Give full sun, gritty free-draining soil, and good airflow to fend off the powdery mildew and crown rot they're prone to.
- 3Feed lightly for continuous, long-stemmed blooms.
- 4Treat as an annual, or overwinter indoors as a tender perennial.
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
- 1Deadhead spent flowers by pulling the whole stem cleanly from the base (cutting and leaving a stub invites rot).
- 2For the vase, cut when the bloom is fully open — gerberas don't open much further once picked.
- 3Water at the soil, never over the crown or leaves, and let the surface dry between waterings.
- 4In cold climates, lift and pot up plants to overwinter somewhere bright and frost-free.
Step 5
Saving Seeds
Seed Production
Ready to grow this?
Get started with Limitless Growth.
Save this guide, see exactly when to plant gerbera where you grow, and start the 5-step course we wrote for first-time growers.
Get started →
