Gerbera are ornamental plants that are related to sunflowers. They are very popular as a decorative garden plant or good as cut flowers.
Most Gerberas are result of a cross between Gerbera jamesonii and Gerbera viridifolia. The resulting Gerbera hybrida are basically of South African descent.

Gerbera Characteristics

• Gerberas are also known as Barberton Daisy,Transvaal Daisy, Ghostly Daisy or Forever Daisies
• Thousands of cultivars exist generally with two layers of petals.
• Winter hardy gerbera in a rainbow of colours are now being marketed.
• Single daisy flowers appear regularly throughout summer with their faces turned towards the sun
• They vary greatly in shape, size and vibrant colour including white, yellow, orange, red, and pink.
• The centre of the flower is sometimes black or the petals two tone.
• Gerbera is said to be the fifth most used cut flower in the world (after rose, carnation, chrysanthemum, and tulip).

Gerbera Good as Pot Plants

• Buy good strong Gerbera plants with plenty of new bud still to open.
• Gerbera flowers best when it is growing in a small container that is slightly pot bound.
• Repot Gerbera Daisies in April if it has out grown the pot. Ensure the crown of the plant is above the level of the soil or it may rot.
• Use an open, free draining soil mix. When repotting After repotting keep them in a shaded location until they’re established

Gerbera Growing Tips

• When the danger of frost has passed plant Gerberas outdoors in fertile, well drained soil in sheltered, sunny borders
• If growing Gerbera in containers use large pots with a loam based compost such as John Innes No.2 or 3.
• Keep well watered but avoid wetting the center of the leaves which are prone to rot.
• Apply tomato food 3-4 times a season.
• To pick flowers do not cut but bend and twist to break at the base. This should also encourage new flowers.

Thompson & Morgan supply Gerbera plants

History of Growing Gerbera

• There are currently approximately 80 species of Gerbera nad many cultivars.
• ‘Robert Jameson was born in Scotland in 1832 at Kilmarnock. The most popular Gerbera jamesonii (or Barberton Daisy) has been named after him. “Rough notes of a trip to the goldfields” – in which he describes his journey to Barberton and life in the (g)old days.
• Traugott Gerber was baptised on January 16, 1710 in Zodel, Oberlausitz – Lower Silesia. In 1737, the Dutchman Jan Frederic Gronovius christened the genus Gerbera after the German medical doctor Traugott Gerber, but who was he?’ read more from the Gerbera.org

See also our Facinating Gerbera

Good Gerbera for Growing Outdoor

• Two new series of Gerbera have been release to the horticultural trade as hardy perennials.
• The Gerbera Garvinea series of plants comes in 20 varieties with flower shades of red, pink, orange, yellow and white.
• The Gerbera Everlasting series are shorter plants that flower freely in warm gardens with acidic soil.
• Also relatively new is the Landscape series which are not hardy.
• Gerbera ‘Forever Daisies’ from Thompson & Morgan grow year after year in patio pots or planted en-masse in sunny beds and borders.

Books on Gerbera Production

These books are not cheap and are aimed at the commercial grower:
Biotechnological approach for the mass propagation of Gerbera: Rapid production of a commercially important flower, Gerbera by Md. Motiur Rahman, Md Bulbul Ahmed and M. Monzur Hossain (15 Nov 2011) ‘mass production of Gerbera using biotechnological methods could be acted as a new dimension in the field of horticulture (the authors thank) the Plant Breeding & Gene Engineering Laboratory and the Department of Botany, University of Rajshahi

Gerbera in Net House: Nutrient Management in Gerbera under Net House by B. M. Nandre and A. V. Barad (13 Dec 2011) ‘Gerbera jamesonii has many commercially important cultivars like Sangria, Savannah, Nevada, Rosa Bella, Aida, Dalma, Twiggy, Pink Elegance, etc. Gerbera is propagated by seeds as well as asexually by division of clumps and through cuttings’