How to sow Gerbera seeds?

They are beautiful, of very different colors, and they are very easy to care for. The gerbera are flowering plants that return every year to the gardens or patios for embellishing throughout the season. And it is that, in addition, they are very cheap. But… would you like to have many of them paying very little? Get an envelope of seeds.

The price of an adult plant costs about 2 euros, while an envelope with many seeds can cost slightly less (1 or 1.5 euros). Find out how to plant them and get lots of beautiful plants.

When are gerbera seeds sown?

These beautiful plants are sown in spring-summer, so the ideal is to obtain the seeds during those months. Even so, if you have a greenhouse, or if you live in a climate without frosts or very mild, you can also sow them in autumn; In this way, you can be a little ahead of the season and get them to flower earlier.

In addition, you must bear in mind that they are perennial plants, that is, they live for several years. During the first weeks of life they use all their energy to grow, and if the conditions are right and the seedlings are strong enough, they will also produce their first flowers. But beware, their quality may not be as good the first year as the second year, so if that happens, don’t worry.

How are they sown?

If you dare to sow its seeds, we recommend you first get the following:

Universal substrate
Seedling tray
Watering can
OPTIONAL: copper or sulfur to prevent fungal (fungal-borne) infections

You got it? Let’s know now how is the step by step:

Prepare the seedbed

The first thing to do is prepare the seedbed. As the idea is to have several specimens, it is best to sow them in seedling trays. Fill it with universal substrate, and make sure each socket (each hole) is completely filled with soil. This can be done either with your fingers, pressing down, or by placing an equal tray on top, placing your hands on top of it and pressing down carefully.

If you see that it is necessary, do not hesitate to add more universal growing substrate.

Moisten the whole earth well

The next step is to water with the watering can (important that you have the ‘artichoke’ on, so that the water comes out smooth) the substrate, so that it is very humid. For this reason, you have to pour water until it comes out through the drainage holes, as it is important that the seeds are in a humid environment so that they can germinate.

It is important that it is wet, but not flooded. Too much water will spoil the seeds.

Sow the seeds and water

Afterwards, a maximum of two seeds will be placed in each alveolus, a little apart from each other, and they will be covered with a -very- little substrate, enough so that they cannot be seen with the naked eye and cannot be blown away by the wind. If you wish, now is a good time to sprinkle some copper or sulfur on top.

It is watered again, and finally the tray is placed in an area with direct sun, outside.

The substrate must be kept moist but not flooded. Thus, the gerbera seeds will germinate in a maximum of 2-3 weeks. When the roots come out through the hole in the alveolus, you can transfer them to pots larger than 20-30cm, or to the garden.

So, for what it costs you a single adult plant, you will have obtained at least ten, which is not bad at all, don’t you think? But…

What are the care of the gerbera?

Image – Wikimedia/ Forezt

To finish, I’m going to tell you what are the basic gerbera care:

Location: always in an area with direct sunlight. In this way, you can flourish in health.
Land:
- Pot: universal growing substrate.
- Garden: grows in soils rich in organic matter, and with good drainage.
Irrigation: it has to be watered 2-3 times a week in summer, and 2 a week the rest of the year. Do not spray/ spray the leaves or flowers.
Fertilizer: throughout the flowering season it is advisable to fertilize it with a fertilizer such as guano, or a fertilizer for flowering plants.
Pruning: cut withered flowers and dry leaves with previously disinfected scissors.
Rusticity: it resists soft and occasional frosts of up to -2ºC, but it is better not to drop below 10ºC.