A Complete Guide to Gerbera Cultivation Techniques, Easy for Beginners Too

Sowing and seedling raising: after sowing the seeds in plug trays, water them and spray with a fungicide, then place them in a greenhouse to grow. || Planting out: the best time for planting out is from late March to mid-April in spring; pay attention to planting density. || Cultivation management: manage temperature, light, water and fertilizer, leaf thinning, bud thinning and pest and disease control well.

Propagation of Gerbera:

1. Division

Suitable for some Gerbera varieties with strong tillering ability. Division is mostly carried out from March to May. New divisions must have buds and roots, so they should not be divided too small. When dividing, first use a sharp tool to cut the plant lengthwise into several plants along each division; after the wounds have healed, dig up the separated divisions and transplant them.

2. Cuttings

It is best carried out in March and April. With strengthened management, cutting-raised plants can bloom in the second half of the year; those rooted from summer cuttings will not bloom until the following spring. The mother plant should be one that has grown for more than 1 year. Dig up a robust plant, wash the soil off the roots, remove the leaves, cut off the growing point, carefully keep the thick part of the rhizome, and then plant the plant in a growing box. When the temperature is 22-34°C and the air humidity is 70%-80%, after 10-14 days, shoots can be taken for cuttings. To speed up rooting of the cuttings, first dip the cuttings briefly in a 0.2% potassium permanganate solution (to disinfect and prevent disease), then insert the base into commercially available rooting powder or a 500 mg/L naphthaleneacetic acid solution, and then insert them for rooting.

3. Sowing

Sow in spring from March to May, and in autumn from September to October. Use the small-seed sowing method indoors; the optimum germination temperature is 18-22°C, and germination occurs 7-10 days after sowing. After germination, move them to a sunny place, and prick out the seedlings once the cotyledons have fully opened. When the seedlings have grown 2 true leaves, they can be planted out; the best time for planting out is in May and June, and flowering can be seen 2-3 months after planting out.

Gerbera is a plant native to Africa and is a semi-hardy plant. When growing it, everyone should take care to do a good job of cold protection and keeping it warm in winter.