Transplanting a Gerbera Daisy

Gerbera daisies
  • 1-2 hours
  • Beginner
  • 50-75
What You'll Need
Gerbera seedlings
Plant pots
Stones and gravel
Soil 50/50 peat and perlite or fully decomposed garden compost
Cloches
What You'll Need
Gerbera seedlings
Plant pots
Stones and gravel
Soil 50/50 peat and perlite or fully decomposed garden compost
Cloches

If you have successfully germinated gerbera daisies, you will need to pot them or transplant them quickly. Remember that they need to be kept moist at all times, and require ample light.

Step 1 - Select the Plants to Move

Gerbera daisies can be transplanted when they are four to five inches tall. If you want the plant to spread, you should nip out one or two leaves at this point.

Step 2 - Prepare Pots

The plants need to be transferred to a moist, well drained growing medium. A mixture of peat and perlite or fully decomposed garden compost will be ideal. Put an inch or so of stones or gravel at the bottom of the pots for drainage.

Step 3 - Take up a Seedling

Daisies in white vases

Remove a seedling from the germinator and ensure that you keep the roots intact. Try to move the seedling complete with the soil to avoid damaging the roots. Gerberas are fragile plants, and shock to the roots can cause them to slow their growth down or even die.

Step 4 - Add the Soil Mixture

Place the seedling in a pot and surround the roots with the soil mixture. Pack the soil firmly around the roots and a short way up the stems.

Step 5 - Let the Seedling Settle

Put the pot in a well lit location, and water frequently until the plant shows signs of healthy growth. The pot can then be moved to anywhere that is well lit.

Step 6 - Check for Frost

Gerbera daisies are not very robust and do not tolerate frost at all. Do not plant seedlings out until the last danger of frost has passed.

Step 7 - Acclimate

man working in a greenhouse filled with flowers

Put the seedlings into a greenhouse or cucumber frame to get them acclimatized to the new conditions.

Step 8 - Prepare the Flower Bed

Gerberas like well drained soil. Work the soil in the flower bed to improve drainage and dig in quantities of perlite or fully decomposed garden compost to improve the colloidal quality of the soil. If the bed is going to be specifically for gerbera daisies it will be worth while adding a few inches of gravel about 12 inches down into the bed to aid drainage.

Step 9 - Plant the Seedlings

The seedlings should be planted between 12 and 18 inches apart. Plant in holes deep enough to accept the full root system from the pot to avoid damaging the plant. For the first few weeks, a cloche over each plant will protect them from any unusually cool weather, and will help maintain humidity around the leaves until the plant is hardened.

Gerbera daisies require a lot more constant care and attention than most plants, but the display and colors they give are worth it. They do not recover well from drying out, so the moisture content of the soil is critical. With mature plants there is evidence to suggest that keeping them in direct sunlight for long periods can reduce the quantity of flowers each plant produces. Plant your gerberas where they will receive some shade during the day.