How to Plant Gerbera Margarita

Margarita in Spanish means daisy. Gerbera margaritas, or daisies, are beloved for their vibrant, colorful summertime blossoms. Plant margaritas in a flowerbed or in pots for ornamenting a patio or walkway. Margaritas enjoy moderately warm weather and ample sun, so if your area gets very hot during the day and cold at night, stick with pots so the flowers can be brought inside when wilting or freezing are concerns.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You’ll Need:

• Organic soil with perlite or compost
• Garden trowel
• Water
• Fertilizer for flowers

1. Find an area to plant margaritas that receives plenty of sun. In hotter climates, choose an area that gets some afternoon shade.

2. Acclimate young plants that have been grown indoors to the outdoors gradually before transplanting. For up to a week, take plants outside for a few hours each day, and then begin putting them outside for a full day.

3. Prepare the soil. For outdoor pots, use organic potting soil with perlite. When planting directly in the ground, blend the soil with nutrient-rich compost.

4. Dig holes in the soil that are the same depth as the plug pot and approximately double the width. Space holes at least a foot apart. Set in the root balls, cover with soil and water thoroughly.

5. Water just enough to keep the soil slightly moist. Overwatering can lead to rot.

6. Fertilize margaritas once they’re established — every three to four weeks through the flowering period. Use fertilizer designed for blossoming flowers.

Tips & Warnings

• Start seeds indoors in pots with organic potting soil 12 to 16 weeks before planting if you’re growing from seeds. Cover lightly with soil in a plug flat and use a plastic dome.

• Plant margaritas down the center of a flowerbed, in front of taller flowers, such a sunflowers, and behind smaller flowers, such as marigolds or pansies, to create tiered effect.