How to Grow Gerberas Outdoors: Hardy Types

Yes, you can grow gerberas outdoors in the UK, as long as you pick the right kind. Hardy Garvinea gerberas can stay in a sunny border or pot all year. The big florist gerberas sold as gifts are tender and need to come indoors for winter.

This guide shows how to tell them apart, where to plant them, and how to stop the most common problem: a crown that rots in wet soil. Get the drainage right and gerberas give you cheerful daisy flowers from late spring into autumn.

Hardy or tender: which gerbera do you have?

The name gerbera covers two groups that behave very differently in a UK garden. Knowing which one you have tells you how to look after it.

The florist gerbera is Gerbera jamesonii, also called the Barberton or Transvaal daisy. It comes from South Africa and has big, flat flowers 8-12cm across in bold reds, pinks, oranges and yellows. It is tender, so frost kills it. In the UK it’s a houseplant or a summer bedding plant.

The Garvinea gerberas are hardy hybrids bred for gardens. The flowers are a little smaller, the plants are tougher, and the season is long. These are the ones for a border or a patio pot that stays outside.

If your gerbera came from a florist, a supermarket or a gift shop, it’s almost certainly the tender type. Garvineas are usually sold by garden centres and nurseries as garden plants, with “Garvinea” on the label.

Hardy Garvineas (left) have slightly smaller flowers on wiry stems. The bigger florist type (right) is happiest on a windowsill.

Which gerberas are best for growing outdoors?

For a garden, choose from the Garvinea ‘Sweet’ series, such as ‘Sweet Glow’ and ‘Sweet Honey’. They come in warm reds, oranges, pinks, yellows and white, and grow about 30-45cm tall in flower.

Garvineas sit well at the front of a hot-coloured border or in a pot by a sunny door. For another sun-loving South African plant that likes the same conditions, see our guide to growing eucomis, the pineapple lily.

How to plant gerberas outdoors

Plant hardy gerberas outdoors from late April to June, once hard frosts have passed. Choose full sun and soil that drains freely. A south or west-facing border or a raised bed is ideal.

The most important thing is planting depth. Set each plant so its crown, where the leaves meet the roots, sits just above the soil, about 1cm proud. Never bury it. A buried crown stays wet and rots.

• Dig a hole no deeper than the rootball.
• On heavy soil, work in plenty of horticultural grit, or grow in a pot instead.
• Space plants 30cm apart.
• Finish with a thin layer of grit around each plant, kept just off the crown.

If your soil stays wet in winter, our soil drainage and structure guide explains how to improve it.

Keep the crown sitting just above the soil, with grit around it. This one small detail decides whether a gerbera lives or rots.

Growing gerberas in pots and containers

Pots are the easiest way to grow gerberas in most UK gardens. They drain well, warm up quickly in spring and can be moved somewhere sheltered for winter.

Use a pot of about 3 litres or more with a good drainage hole. Terracotta is ideal because it dries out between waterings. Fill it with two parts John Innes No. 2 to one part grit. Set the crown just above the compost and top the surface with grit.

Water when the top few centimetres of compost feel dry. Always water at the base, not over the crown. In a hot July spell, small pots may need water every day.

Firm the compost around the sides only and leave the crown sitting just above the surface.

Three plants grouped together make a bright display on a balcony or patio. Gerberas are listed as non-toxic to cats and dogs, so they’re a good choice where pets roam. For more ideas, see our guide to container gardening.

A sunny balcony suits gerberas well. Gritty compost on top keeps the crowns dry between waterings.

Feeding, watering and deadheading gerberas

Gerberas are thirsty and hungry in summer, and need little at rest. Get the rhythm right and they flower for months.

Watering: water in spring and summer when the surface dries out. Cut right back in autumn and winter. A crown that sits cold and wet from November to February is the main way gerberas die.

Feeding: from May, feed every two weeks with a high-potash liquid feed, such as tomato food. Potash encourages flowers rather than leaves. Stop by early autumn.

Deadheading: don’t cut the spent stems. Hold each one low down and pull it sideways so it comes away cleanly at the base. A cut stub can rot back into the crown. Do this every few days and new buds keep coming. Our guide on how to deadhead flowers covers other summer plants too.

Pull, don’t cut. A firm sideways tug takes the old stem off cleanly at the base and keeps fresh buds coming.

How to overwinter gerberas

The two types need opposite care in winter.

Hardy Garvineas stay outside. In free-draining ground they need little help. In pots, raise them on pot feet so water drains away, and move them against a sheltered wall. In a very cold spell, wrap the pot (not the plant) in fleece or bubble wrap. Keep the crown dry, and never pile wet leaves or bark over the centre.

Florist gerberas must come inside before the first frost, usually by mid-October. Put them on a bright, cool windowsill or in a frost-free conservatory. Water sparingly and don’t feed until spring. Many people simply treat them as summer bedding and replace them each year. Our guide to overwintering plants in the UK covers other tender plants.

Pot feet let water drain away, and a sheltered wall keeps off the worst weather. Dry crowns come through winter far better.

Why gerberas rot and how to stop it

Crown rot is the most common way to lose a gerbera, and it’s nearly always down to planting or drainage. The plant collapses from the middle, the leaves yellow and pull away easily, and the base turns brown and mushy.

There are two usual causes: the crown was planted too deep, or the soil holds water. Both keep the neck of the plant damp. People often blame the cold, but a dry crown copes with frost far better than a wet one copes with a mild, damp winter.

The fix is good drainage, not a spray. Set the crown just above the soil, use gritty soil or compost, and water at the base. On heavy clay, use raised beds or pots.

Vine weevil, slugs and other pests

Vine weevil is the most serious pest of gerberas in pots. The adults are dull black beetles that feed at night and leave neat notches in leaf edges. The grubs are the real problem. These plump, C-shaped white grubs eat the roots in autumn and winter.

Water pots with vine weevil nematodes, a natural biological control, in late summer or early autumn and again in spring. Our vine weevil treatment and prevention guide has the details.

Slugs and snails love soft new leaves in spring. A grit mulch helps, and checking plants on damp evenings catches them early. Watch for aphids on new growth and grey mould on flowers in damp, still weather. Good spacing, base watering and regular deadheading prevent most problems.

Neat notches in the leaf edges mean adult vine weevil. Check the roots too, as the grubs do the real damage below ground.

Month-by-month gerbera calendar

Common mistakes with gerberas

Burying the crown. A crown at or below soil level stays wet and rots. Always plant it just above the surface.

Treating a florist gerbera as hardy. A gift-shop gerbera planted in the border won’t come back after frost. Grow it indoors or as summer bedding.

Wet winter soil. Waterlogged ground, not cold, kills hardy gerberas. Use gritty soil, raised beds or pots.

Cutting old stems. Cut stubs can rot. Pull each spent stem away at the base instead.

Using a high-nitrogen feed. It gives lots of leaf and few flowers. Use a high-potash feed instead.

Growing gerberas from division and seed

Increase hardy Garvineas by division in spring. Lift a clump as growth starts, gently split it into pieces each with roots and leaves, and replant straight away with the crowns just above the soil. Named varieties don’t come true from seed, so division is the way to keep the exact plant.

Florist gerberas can be grown from seed sown indoors in late winter or early spring in a warm spot, around 20C. Barely cover the seed. Seedlings vary in colour and size but often flower in their first year. If you enjoy growing them indoors, our list of easy house plants for beginners has more ideas.

Now you know how to grow hardy gerberas, read our guide to growing agapanthus in the UK for another sun-lover to plant alongside them. You’ll find more flowers for hot, dry spots on our growing hub.

Frequently asked questions

Can gerberas survive winter outside in the UK?

Hardy Garvinea gerberas can, if the soil drains freely. They were bred to stay out all year in gardens like ours. Wet winter soil is the real danger, so use gritty soil or a raised bed. Florist gerberas won’t survive frost and must come indoors.

What is the difference between Garvinea and florist gerberas?

Garvinea gerberas are hardy garden plants; florist gerberas are tender. Garvineas have slightly smaller flowers and a long outdoor season. Florist gerberas, Gerbera jamesonii, have bigger flowers but can’t take frost, so they’re grown as houseplants or summer bedding.

Why is my gerbera rotting in the middle?

Usually because the crown was buried or the soil stays wet. The crown, where leaves meet roots, must sit just above the soil. Replant it slightly higher, add grit for drainage, and water at the base rather than over the plant.

Do gerberas grow better in pots or in the ground?

Pots suit gerberas in most UK gardens because they drain well. A pot of gritty compost warms up fast and can be moved somewhere sheltered in winter. Only plant in the ground where the soil drains freely or has been improved with grit.

How do you deadhead gerberas?

Pull the spent stem off at the base rather than cutting it. Hold it low and tug it sideways so it comes away cleanly. A cut stub can rot back into the crown. Doing this every few days keeps new flowers coming.

How much sun do gerberas need?

Gerberas need a sunny spot with at least six hours of direct sun. With less, they grow leaves but few flowers. A south or west-facing border or patio is ideal, and sun also helps keep the crown dry.

Why are the leaves on my gerbera notched at the edges?

Neat notches in the leaf edges are a sign of adult vine weevil. The bigger worry is the grubs underground, which eat the roots. Water pots with vine weevil nematodes in late summer or early autumn, and again in spring.

Are gerberas safe for cats and dogs?

Yes, gerberas are listed as non-toxic to cats and dogs. They’re a good choice for pots where pets roam. Any plant can upset a pet’s tummy if a lot is eaten, so discourage chewing.