How to Propagate Gerbera Daisies

With rosettes of foliage up to 1 foot across and flowers 1 1/2 to 4 inches in diameter, gerbera daisies (Gerbera spp.) make a splash. Hardy in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 9 through 11, the plants grow as annuals elsewhere. Although commercial producers often propagate gerberas via tissue culture, gardeners will find it easier to either sow seeds or divide the root crowns.

If you want your plants to look just like their mothers, opt for division, as gerberas don’t always come true from seed. However, you can produce interesting new variations that way.

A gerbera flower that isn't deadheaded after it blooms will make a ball of seed fluff similar to a dandelion's (Taraxacum officinale, USDA zones 3 through 10). However, not all of those heads produce viable seed. After pulling the tufts of fluff from their ball, look for those that have a woody seed attached at the base of the fluff. The woody seed should be about 1/4 inch long and 1 1/2 to 2 millimeters across at its widest point.

Unless you take steps to preserve them, gerbera seeds will remain viable for only about two weeks after their harvest. Spread them on paper towels to dry for one week. You can remove the fluff, if you like, as it isn’t necessary for germination. If you can't sow the seeds within one week after they are dry, place them in a paper packet inside a zipper-type plastic bag in your refrigerator or freezer, leaving them there until you are ready to plant them.

Should you decide to purchase gerbera seeds instead, acquire them from a reputable seed company that has kept them in cold storage. Again, if you can’t plant those seeds right away, store them at temperatures between 23 and 41 degrees Fahrenheit until you can.

Gerberas usually take four to six months to bloom from seed, so sow their seeds in late winter**.** First, fill your seed tray -- which should have drainage holes -- to within 1/2 inch of its top with a light and damp mix, such as 1 part seed-starting mix and 1 part sand, or 1 part peat moss and 1 part perlite.

Insert the seeds vertically into the mix, so that only their tufts of fluff protrude from it. If those tufts have been removed, simply plant the seeds standing up in the mix, about 1 inch apart or about two per cell, with the tip of each one just below the surface. After covering the seed tray with plastic wrap, place it under the center of a grow light which runs for at least 14 hours per day, removing the wrap when the seeds begin to sprout. If maintained at 68 to 75 degrees F, they should germinate within two to three weeks, provided that you keep their mix damp.

Ten days after the seeds sprout, begin feeding them with 1/4 teaspoon per gallon of a low phosphorous plant food such as 15-5-15, raising that to 1/2 teaspoon per gallon after one month and being careful to avoid splashing the seedlings' leaves with the mixture.

If more than one seed sprouts per cell, thin to the strongest seedling by snipping off the weaker one at its base; don't pull it from the soil, as that can disturb the roots of the other seedling.

About six weeks after the seeds were sown, or when the seedlings have at least four leaves each, transplant them into individual 4-inch pots filled with an acidic potting mix with a pH between 5.5 and 6.2. Wait until after your last frost in spring to move the plants outdoors.

Gardeners who live where gerberas are hardy -- or grow them as houseplants -- can propagate them through division. In spring, dig up the plants and pry apart their root crowns with your fingers. Snip off any dead roots or shriveled foliage and the lower half of the living leaves, leaving some good roots and at least one growth bud on each division. Use pruning shears which have been cleaned with rubbing alcohol to make any necessary cuts, cleaning the blades of those shears again between each plant. When replanting the divisions, position each one with its root crown slightly higher than the surrounding soil.