HI Ari
It is worth a try. I would keep them in pots or your tubs to try to avoid the wet feet during your rainy season. I am in the SW of WA - very hot here currently - I only let mine in pots have morning sun, the arvo sun seems to frizzle them, though my ones in the garden are pretty tough.
I have raised quite a lot by seed, I am waiting for their first flowers. Try to prove your friend wrong - they may just flourish in your humid environment.
Good luck - Rach

Hi Rach,

I heard that it is quite hard to grow gerbera from seeds. Is that the case? How long does it usually take them to flower? I like instant garden though, so I don't know whether I have the patient to grow them from seeds...

I am planning to keep them in large pots, as I might have to put them in a sheltered position in wet season, otherwise they might get too wet and rot. I guess it is worth a try....

Thanks, Ari

HI Ari
I find they are relatively easy to grow from seed, it is more getting hold of the seed that is the problem. I tried at my local nurseries in their seed sections - no luck. Years ago, they used to sell them in punnets (those foam "premium" ones where you only got 4 seedlings for about 3-4 dollars) but have been told these are no longer available. Through my research, and personal experience growing gerberas, growing from seed is the best way to get tough, healthy plants. I have some from punnets I bought years ago, they are tough garden ones that occassionally set seed, so my source is from them. I have only been interested in growing them from seed since I discovered I couldn't get them in punnets anymore. Those pretty ones you see in Big-W, Kmart, Bunnings etc have been grown from tissue in the greenhouse, and generally only last a year or 2 at most. My seed grown ones just keep on growing - the clumps grow bigger, so I can divide them that way, or I am lucky - they will set some seed. You have to catch the seed at the right time before it all blows away. I find usually they don't set much seed, so am happy when the couple of established plants I have in the garden do. usually the seed pod is empty, but when it is a nice "cigar" shaped little pod - you are in luck.
I save a few of my empty punnets from the seedlings I get at the nursery - fill them up with some seed raising mix, dampen it, pop the gerbera seed so it is vertical in the mix, and the little furry thing is just visible on the surface. Then spray with a mister bottle, and cover with glad wrap to help keep damp and create some humidity (you may not have to do this in NT) I place it somewhere with plenty of light, but not direct sun. They usually germinate in about 2-3 weeks - I generally have about a 75% rate.
I pot them up and grow them on. Some I just put directly in the garden from the punnet if they are big enough. As with most seedlings - you get your weaklings - these grow to start with, but I lose some if they can't hack our tough sun, so I try to plant them where they will get a bit of shade at some point of the day - WA sun is so strong in the summer.
hope this helps - and good luck

Hi gardengirl,
I seem to remember from another post that you are down Bunbury way. I am in Perth, and before Christmas I bought some Gerberas in Waldecks. They werre an impulse buy which is unusual for me, but they were so beautiful.
I want to put them in the garden and the books say full sun, but I have had to pull them back under the pergola, as every time I leave them out they just fry!
I know the weather is really hot at the moment, but am wondering if they would be happier with just morning sun.
I find a lot of gardening books written in places like Melbourne just don't cut it in WA. Full sun is really "place in a mod oven" in Perth summer! lol
Cheers
gardenclogs

Hi Gardenclogs
I am in Bunbury - very hot down here - usually on par with Perth's weather - though usually about 1-2 deg cooler if we are lucky!!
I usually find when the garden books suggest full sun (unless they are the few written in WA for our conditions), we in the West have to translate that to meaning part sun!
I too find my potted gerberas don't cut it in full sun all day - my potted ones get morning sun only and seem happy enough with this - sending up plenty of flowers. My tough old "garden" ones are in the sun for most of the morning, as well as the long hot arvo - they are happy as long as they are watered well everyday (no problem with wet feet in my sandy soil!!).
With regards to the ones you got at Waldecks - they are probably tissues cultured ones, I haven't had too much success with these in the ground out in the garden - that is why I have recommended if you want to have them out in the garden exposed to all the elements - seed grown ones are the way to go. You could try hardening off your potted ones from Waldecks by letting them get a bit more sun each day. As with all plants, they should be happier in the ground in any case - but do plant them if possible where they will get morning sun only - the arvo sun will just fry them.
PS: I do have a limited quantity of seed at present. I havn't offered this on the exchange forum, as I don't think I can trade with anyone outside of WA (if I am wrong and anyone is interested from outside WA - email me). Will send for a SSAE - email me privately through "my page" if interested.)
Rach (I am off-line over the weekend)

Hi Rach,
Thank you... I might try to find some seeds.. and do it that way. I guess my gerbera in Brisbane never seeds, as I always (or most of the time) cut the flowers and bring them into the house..

I always put them in full sun though, and they seems to be doing all right in Brisbane.. I just imagine Brisbane's sun is probably similar to Perth(?). And, I never buy my gerbera from Big W. I bought them from the Brisbane markets, the cut flower varieties. I found them to be hardier than those from Big W ones and nicer long stem flowers too.

Thanks again and I will let you know how they will turn out.

Regards, Ari

Good luck Ari - those ones from the Brisbane markets sound lovely - I too have some from my local markets that are those lovely long stemed variety used for the cut flower market. They are seed grown too (as yours would be) but mine haven't set any seed, only my old garden ones do.
I still have better success with mine in part shade for the day, as WA is very hot and dry, with a bit of a breeze, plants shrivel up quickly. I was in Brisbane recently, and I found it more humid than Perth's heat - Perth a very dry, hot heat.
do let us know how you go up there...
Rach

I put my gerberas from Waldecks in the ground about 5 days ago. They get morning sun from dawn until midday, and they look SO much happier than when they were in pots.
35 degrees forcast for tomorrow so that will be a good test for them.
Can anyone tell me about how wide an "average" gerbera gets. I have one hardy beast that's about 3 years old and has been pot to garden to pot and it is bursting out sideways!
Cheers
gardenclogs

Hi there,

I used to have them in huge pots, because I was renting so I don't really want to put them on the ground and they were much happier than when they were in tiny pots you get them in. My gerbera will grow beserk in those pots and get VERY WIDE.... I am not sure how wide, because I never actually measure them.

Yes, Rach... I think Brisbane is far more humid than Perth, now that I think about it. Only been to Perth twice and Bunbury once for a wedding... so I can't really remember that well. Now... if only I can find those gerbera seeds....

Regards, Ari :)

HI Gardenclogs - Gerberas will make a nice clump getting wider and wider - you can seperate these carefully and make new plants, as with a lot of other clumping perennials.
Rach

If gerberas won't work, try carnations. They flower on.
I put in petunias and carnations one year and expected to get lots of petunias and maybe a few carnations if lucky.
One petunia survived and the whole packet of carnations came up. I had carnations everywhere for ages- until droughts. Mum met a garden mate in hospital who grew beautiful gerberas. She sprinkled dried grass clippings over the garden bed with gerberas and set fire to it each year - the veldt fires do that in Africa apparently, and they sprout up again and flower. Are you game? Ducks.