Is gerbera or carnation a better polyhouse cut flower for a first time grower?

Both are good polyhouse cut flowers and both need similar structure investment, the choice comes down to crop habit, market and your comfort. Gerbera flowers more or less round the year once established and gives a steady weekly cut, which gives regular cash flow and is forgiving for a beginner, but it is sensitive to soil and water diseases. Carnation is a longer crop that runs many months from one planting with a strong wilt risk if the beds and material are not clean, and it captures good rates in festival and wedding windows. For a first timer with steady weekly income in mind, many start with gerbera, but it depends entirely on what your nearest market and agent actually buy well. Visit your target flower market, see which of the two sells reliably at a good rate near you, talk to existing growers, and confirm with your KVK before deciding, because the local market should drive this choice more than the crop alone.