Older gerbera plants often no longer bloom as vigorously and persistently as younger ones. Therefore, think about propagating your plants or breeding completely new gerbera plants in good time. This is how propagation is guaranteed to work.
How to propagate gerbera plants?
Gerbera plants can be propagated in three ways: by growing from seeds, by root division and by cuttings. When growing from seeds, it is important to use fresh seeds, while when dividing roots and propagating cuttings, he althy parts of the plant should be selected.
Propagate Gerberas yourself – the methods
- Growing from seeds
- Sharing roots
- Cut cuttings
Growing Gerbera from seeds
Growing gerberas from seeds is especially useful if you want to have new varieties. Buy seeds from specialist gardening stores, because only really fresh seeds germinate reliably.
Sowing takes place either in February or September. Fill a seed tray with seed soil and scatter the seeds thinly. The seeds are only pressed down but not covered with soil.
Place the seed tray in a very bright place and at very warm temperatures. The seeds germinate best at 23 degrees. It can take two to three weeks for the first seedlings to emerge. Keep the seeds moist but prevent waterlogging.
Dividing roots of older gerbera plants
Even though Gerbera grows slowly, a larger root forms over time. You can easily share these. The best times to share are late May or early September.
To repot the gerbera, remove it from the pot or dig it out of the garden soil. Cut the root into pieces, leaving at least three eyes on each section.
Plant the sections in new pots or garden soil and water them carefully.
Cutting garden gerbera cuttings
The easiest way is to take cuttings from the gerbera. This is also how professionals propagate the plant because they get exact copies of the mother plant.
Cut cuttings about five to eight centimeters long from the gerbera in spring. Remove the lower leaves and place the cuttings in a glass of water. The cuttings root in a warm location and can be planted when the roots are around five centimeters long.
Tips & Tricks
Propagation from seeds from your own gerbera doesn't always work. Plants from the hardware store in particular are treated with growth inhibitors, which can affect the germination of the seeds.
