Care Of Gerbera In Pot, In Garden And As Cut Flower

Gerbera is known to us as a potted plant and cut flower. We have helpful tips to help the beautiful Gerbera survive longer in the pot, vase, and garden.

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

Gerbera: Meaning And Origin

Gerbera, one of the most popular cut flowers in the florist’s trade, belongs to the composite family (Asteraceae). 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 honor of his botanical colleague Traugott Gerber, Gronovius gave it the name Gerbera. Nowadays, the Gerbera can be found all over the globe and delights the hearts of many flower lovers.

Except for blue shades, Gerbera can be found in almost all colors and shades. As a cut flower, it is known with a long elegant stem supported by a floral wire. As a potted plant, it is becoming increasingly popular with its dark green leaves.

Buying Gerbera: What To Look For

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

Buy Gerbera As A Cut Flower

But what to look for when buying? In the case of gerbera for the vase, the wreath of the outer tubular flowers should already be open, but the inner wreath should still be 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 A 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 stems should be intact. If you discover an insect web in the pot, then it is better to leave the fingers of this specimen. Gerberas are usually not very expensive. If the plants are very small, you can plant potted plants of different colors 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 convincing as purchased cut flowers, but cut a good figure especially in the pot. Thus, they delight the hearts of many garden lovers even over a longer period of time. We briefly summarize what is important when caring for gerberas in pots.

Gerbera In A Pot: The Right Location

The gerbera is a houseplant that needs a bright location. It likes morning and evening sun. In the direct midday sun, however, it would quickly “burn”. In summer, the potted 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 you should also make sure that the night temperatures do not fall below 59 ° F.

Caring For Gerberas In Pots: Watering Correctly

Gerbera as a potted plant should be watered regularly. Make sure that the soil is evenly moist. You should avoid waterlogging at all costs. Mix some sand into the soil, this absorbs moisture well. Some of the watering water can also be applied to the leaves with the help of a spray bottle.

Care For Gerberas In Pots: Fertilize Properly

In order to obtain a longer-lasting bloom, a small amount of liquid fertilizer should be added to the water every week from May to September.

Wintering Gerbera In A Pot

During the winter months, the gerbera is placed in a cool room. The room temperature should be between 46.4 and 53.6 °F. A sparing 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.

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Are Gerberas Poisonous?

Before you bring a plant into your home or garden, you naturally want to know if it is poisonous – especially if small children or pets are part of the family. Unfortunately, gerberas are sometimes said to be poisonous. But it is not. This misconception is probably due to the fact that the long stems of some varieties of Gerbera are covered with many small hairs. This downy hairiness often tempts children to stroke them. But even if the small flowers or leaves of the gerbera were to be put in the mouth, there would be no danger of poisoning.

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Gerbera In The Garden

Are Gerberas Hardy?

In the summer months, the colorful gerbera can be used to beautify home garden beds very well. In autumn, however, the plants must be taken out of the ground and overwintered in a pot in a suitable, cool room in the house (the temperature should be between 46 and 53 °F). Winter-hardy gerberas were not known until now. If they did survive the winter well wrapped in the open air, this is a stroke of luck. Now, however, there is a new variety, the “Garvinea”.

It is easy to care for, robust, and a hardy Tanner perennial. At -41 °F, however, its winter hardiness is exhausted. Again, the plant must be well lined with straw. Please do not remove the withered inflorescences and leaves. In spring, you can remove the withered leaves and stems. For perennials that overwinter indoors, the withered parts of the plant are removed in the fall, 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, the gerbera is almost ideal. They are available in sufficient variety throughout the year. It does not give off an annoying fragrance and gets along with almost any other cut flower. Another advantage of gerbera as a cut flower: it is not excessively expensive.

Proper Care For Gerbera As A Cut Flower

Next to the rose, the gerbera is one of the most sought-after cut flowers in the American flower trade. If you have been given a beautiful gerbera bouquet as a gift or have given yourself a treat, then you must 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 become rotten. Two cm of water height is ideal. The water should be regularly replenished or replaced. Before the bouquet is placed in the vase, the stems must also be cut at an angle with a clean knife.

If the flowers are going into a glass vase, 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.