How to Plant Gerbera Daisy Seeds
Gerbera daisy, or Gerbera jamesonii, has rich green, leafy foliage and 3 1/2 to 5 inch blossoms. These blooms are red, orange, yellow, salmon, pink or white. Gerbera daisies are used as cut flowers, container plants or bedding plants. Gerbera daisies are part of the sunflower family and thrive in full-sun. In warm areas, the gerbera daisy is a perennial, but it is considered an annual in areas where there are prolonged freezing temperatures. Grow gerbera from seeds if you cannot find the desired type in the garden store or if you want to start gerbera daisies out of season. Does this Spark an idea?
Other People Are Reading
Things You'll Need
- Peat pellets
- Tray with clear plastic lid
- Water
- Toothpick
- Gerbera daisy seeds
- Spray bottle
Instructions
-
-
1
Soak your peat pellets in warm water for 15 minutes until expanded. Place the swollen peat pellets in a tray with a clear plastic lid.
-
2
Poke a hole in the center of the peat pellets with a toothpick. Slide the seed in vertically with the fuzzy top of the seed above the level of the soil.
-
-
3
Pinch the sides of the peat pellet to snug the soil around the seed. Place the plastic cover on the tray over the peat pellets. Gerbera seeds need high humidity in order to germinate.
-
4
Place in a bright window sill with lots of indirect sunlight. Gerbera daisies like to be kept warm, so keep them in an area where the temperature stays around 68 to 72 degrees Fahrenheit.
-
5
Mist the peat pellets lightly with water in a spray bottle every day. Keep the peat pellets moist while you are germinating the seeds.
-
6
Keep the plastic cover over the seedlings while they are growing until the daisies have three or four true leaves. The gerbera seedlings are ready for transplanting after six weeks. If nothing happens after 30 days, the seeds are infertile, and you will have to try with a different batch of seeds.
-
1
Tips & Warnings
Gerbera daisy seeds come in moisture-proof packages that need to be stored in cool, dry conditions until sown. Once open, all the seeds need to be sown since the seeds loss their viability very quickly at room temperature. Unused seeds can be resealed in the package and stored in the refrigerator for a short period of time.
Only a few of the gerbera seeds are fertile. The fertile seeds are plump and fat. Infertile seeds are thin and do not germinate. Seeds need to be sown within 2 weeks of being obtained since they do not keep well.
