Gerbera
Doesn't tolerate wet feet - plant with the crown sitting slightly proud of the soil surface and water around the base rather than over the top to avoid the crown rot that's the most common way to lose this plant.
- Sun
- full sun
- Water
- moderate
- Spacing
- 40cm
- Difficulty
- intermediate
- Grows in
- Whangārei / Northland, Auckland, Hamilton / Waikato, Tauranga / Bay of Plenty, Gisborne, Napier / Hawke's Bay, New Plymouth / Taranaki, Palmerston North / Manawatū-Whanganui, Wellington, Nelson, Tasman, Blenheim / Marlborough, West Coast, Christchurch / Canterbury, Dunedin / Otago, Invercargill / Southland
- Mature height
- 30cm
- Flowering season
- Jan, Feb, Mar, Dec
- Common diseases
- Crown rot, Powdery mildew
- Common pests
- Aphids, Spider mites
When to plant by region
In Whangārei / Northland, Auckland, Tauranga / Bay of Plenty, Gisborne and Napier / Hawke's Bay: September-November. In Hamilton / Waikato, New Plymouth / Taranaki, Palmerston North / Manawatū-Whanganui, Wellington, Nelson, Tasman, Blenheim / Marlborough, West Coast and Christchurch / Canterbury: October-November. In Dunedin / Otago and Invercargill / Southland: November.
Growing stages
Germination & planting
- Plant with the crown sitting slightly proud of the soil surface rather than buried, to avoid crown rot
- Water around the base rather than over the crown, to keep the rot-prone crown itself dry
Establishment
- Water around the base rather than over the top, since wetting the crown is the most common way to lose this plant to rot
- Watch for aphids and spider mites on young foliage
Vegetative growth
- Continue watering at the base, not over the crown, to keep crown rot at bay
- Spider mites can build up in hot, dry conditions
- Powdery mildew can appear on foliage in humid weather
FloweringDecember to March
- Aphids and spider mites can target flower stems and buds
- Keep water off the crown even while watering more often during flowering
Dieback & dormancy
- Growth slows over the cooler months; ease off watering while the plant is less active
- Crown rot risk rises over winter if the crown sits wet, so keep drainage sharp through the dormant period