As pretty as the gerbera is as a pot or tub plant, it is also demanding in terms of care and location. As a houseplant, it does not always thrive optimally indoors. So send your gerbera out onto the balcony on vacation in the summer.
Moving to the Ice Saints
Gerbera in a pot does not tolerate temperatures below 15 degrees. Therefore, only bring the plant onto the balcony when the ice saints are over at the end of May. Then there is no longer the danger that it will be too cold for the tropical plant.
In September, the outdoor season for the gerbera comes to an end. It must then be brought indoors and overwintered in a bright, frost-free window at temperatures of around 12 degrees.
The right location on the balcony
- Bright without the blazing sun
- Airy but sheltered from the wind
- Moist but without waterlogging
As a child of the tropics, the gerbera needs a lot of light. She also likes direct sun in the mornings and evenings. You won't get blazing sunshine at midday, on the other hand. The delicate leaves burn in strong sunlight.
Provide a location where the gerbera is nice and airy and a little shady in the midday heat. If necessary, you should provide a light sun protection, for example by placing a curtain over the balcony railing.
Don't forget to water
Especially in summer, gerberas are very thirsty. So don't forget to provide water regularly. Always water gerberas from below. Then no waterlogging can occur.
On hot days, you need to water gerberas in the pot on the balcony several times a day. Also, spray the leaves regularly with a garden sprayer to increase humidity.
The need for nutrients is higher outdoors than indoors. If you want to achieve a beautiful, persistent flower, you should therefore add some fertilizer to the irrigation water once a week.
tips and tricks
If you want to plant gerberas in tubs or pots on the balcony or terrace, make sure you have good, loose garden soil. Amend overly dense soil with perlite, a type of rock that keeps the soil permeable. Perlite prevents the soil from becoming moldy due to the high humidity.