Gunnera Grow Guide: Planting and growing Gunnera is relatively easy once you get the planting spot right and can keep up with the other growing conditions. Gunnera is generally an easy plant to grow because once it is established, it does much of the growing by itself without interference. 

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Regardless of how easily they grow, you need to know the right spots to aid the best growth, and knowing the appropriate way to plant Gunnera is an advantage to aid healthy growth.

Where should I plant Gunnera?

GROW GUIDE: How Do I Grow Gunnera?

GROW GUIDE: How Do I Grow Gunnera?

If your garden is a piece of land that is close to water or constantly saturated with run-off from a deck, then you have found the perfect planting spot for a Gunnera plant. Boggy and wet areas, close to ponds, streams, creeks, or at the bottom of a hill are great planting areas for Gunnera because Gunnera like moist areas and constant water supply to grow and thrive. 

Though they like wet and boggy areas that the roots of most other plants will ordinarily not be able to survive, Gunnera can still grow well in much drier soil conditions as long as they have a steady supply of water and are kept consistently wet. 

You can grow Gunnera in moist, organically rich soil where there is a lot of space for the large plant to grow and spread. A planting spot that is sheltered but still gets a sufficient amount of full sun is a great spot to grow Gunnera.

Gunnera can be planted in pots also, you just need make sure it is watered endlessly through the summer!

How to plant Gunnera

After choosing a planting spot that suits the description above, add a lot of compost or organic matter to the ground then place your gunner seeds or divided gunnera plants to begin growing. 

Since Gunnera is a heavy feeder, add in an all-purpose fertiliser after planting to give it a great start. Afterwards, to support the large constant growth of gunneras, feed your Gunnera plant with an all-purpose fertiliser at least twice during the growing season. 

How long does a Gunnera take to grow?

Gunnera is non toxic and a large and fast-growing plant. When growing Gunnera by seed, it takes as little as 15 days for germination to occur, though in some cases it can take up to 60 days. After germination, the roots, stems, and leaves of gunnera begin growing very quickly and may even start spreading to other areas outside of the planting site. 

Gunnera generally takes a period of 5 to 10 years, sometimes less to reach its full height. Because of the invasive nature of Gunnera and its roots, if proper care is not taken, while one Gunnera plant is reaching its full height, other new shoots are being spread.

Does Gunnera need full sun?

Gunnera is a boggy plant that likes moist and wet areas, coincidentally, it is also a sun lover. Most times, you will expect such boggy plants to shy away from the sun but because of the large size of Gunnera plants, it makes it a heavy consumer of water, fertilisers, and sunlight. 

To achieve the best foliage, plant your Gunnera in a sheltered region where it can get full sun exposure and foster better growth. In winter it’s easy to look after, just mulch over or cover and it’ll come back next year without issue. Read more about overwintering gunnera here

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Last Modified: May 24, 2022