I was walking behind CVS the other day and out behind their dumpster were 4 potted gerbera plants being thrown away. One was totally dead but the other three were barely alive and struggling. I saved the three of them, clipped off a lot of the old leaves and I see new leaves sprouting up. Does anyone know if these will bloom again or how long it will take. I thought maybe I could at least save these and get some flowers for my girlfriend.
I'd post pictures of them but I can't figure out how to put a picture up.
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rescuing a gerbera
Last edited by vtown05 on Sat May 15, 2010 7:13 pm, edited 2 times in total.
They might survive, but I would watch to make sure they aren't diseased or infested with an insect pest. It isn't always lack of attention and care that makes a store throw a plant away. 
Instructions for posting pictures can be found [url=https://www.helpfulgardener.com/forum/viewforum.php?f=23]here[/url].
Instructions for posting pictures can be found [url=https://www.helpfulgardener.com/forum/viewforum.php?f=23]here[/url].
They are hardy in zones 9 and 10, and in very protected microclimates in zone 8. Elsewhere, they are annuals. They need full sun and are relatively heavy feeders. Fertilize them every couple of weeks with a liquid flowering-plant fertilizer. You can fertilize them every time you water them, but in that case, you'll want to dilute the fertilizer to half-strength.
With plenty of sun, and if you remove the blossoms as they fade, they may bloom all summer.
With plenty of sun, and if you remove the blossoms as they fade, they may bloom all summer.
My guess is they were pretties for Mothers Day, and got tossed when looking puney. (I am at Walgreens only p/t and can sometimes grab the left-over stuff after a holiday)
You have a gamble, and no outlay. That is good! Were mine, would pot up in Miracle Grow or Schultz potting soil (don't cringe, these are non-edibles). In our mid-south climate AM sun, some protection from PM. At the garden center we had them full out early for pretty, then brought under more shade cloth as heat set in.
They are oh so pretty!
Hope they work for you!
You have a gamble, and no outlay. That is good! Were mine, would pot up in Miracle Grow or Schultz potting soil (don't cringe, these are non-edibles). In our mid-south climate AM sun, some protection from PM. At the garden center we had them full out early for pretty, then brought under more shade cloth as heat set in.
They are oh so pretty!
Hope they work for you!
Here is an update on my gerbera daisies. The one that was putting out the most flowers got peed on by the neighbors dog and died but here are the other two. They just now started producing flower buds. You can't see them but there are 2 flowers on each plant.
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