Osteospermum has become a very popular plant for flower arrangements in the past few years. Many people may wonder what is osteospermum? This flower is better known as the African daisy. Growing osteospermum at home is very possible. Learn how to care for African daisies in your garden rather than having to pay those pricey florist costs.
How to Care for African Daisies
Osteospermum is from Africa, hence the name African daisies. Growing African daisies require conditions similar to those found in Africa. It likes heat and full sun. It needs well-drained soil and, in fact, will tolerate dry soils.
Osteospermum is an annual and, like most annuals, it enjoys extra fertilizer. But the nice thing about African daisies is that they are one of the few annuals that will still bloom for you if they are planted in poor soil.
When growing osteospermum, you can expect them to start blooming about mid-summer. If you have grown them from seed yourself, they may not start blooming until late summer. You can expect them to grow to be 2-5 feet (0.5 to 1.5 m.) high.
Growing African Daisies from Seed
If available, you can buy osteospermum from a local nursery as a seedling but, if they are not available near you, you can grow them from seed. Because these are African plants, many people wonder, “What is the planting time for African daisy seeds?”. They should be started indoors around the same time as your other annuals, which is about 6 to 8 weeks before the last frost in your area.
African daisies need light to germinate, so you simply need to sprinkle the seeds on top of the soil to plant them. Do not cover them. Once you have them on the soil, place them in a cool, well-lit location. Do not use heat to germinate them. They do not like it.
You should see growing osteospermum seedlings in about 2 weeks. Once the seedlings are 2”-3” (5 to 7.5 cm.) high, you can transplant them into individual pots to grow until the last frost has passed.
After the last frost, you can plant the seedlings in your garden. Plant them 12”- 18” (30.5 to 45.5 cm.) apart for best growth.
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