Content
"... Osteospermum is a genus of annual and perennial grasses, semi-shrubs and shrubs of the Asteraceae family, or Asteraceae, whose natural habitat is Africa (primarily South Africa, as well as Somalia) and Arabia ..." (Wikipedia) 😉
or, let's say, they were harshly misled ...: close: in our very risky conditions for agriculture, many southern sissies are grown exclusively as annuals, and only a few, very few, can winter on window sills, but is it worth it ...: acute:
except that you can tinker with calibrochs, some petunky, shabo cloves and gatsania for sports interest ... 😉
Osteospermum is still a rare plant in the gardens of the Middle Strip, but due to its unpretentiousness and long flowering, the cultivation of this culture is gaining popularity among amateur gardeners.
Care is also not difficult, you just need to carefully study the needs of the flower.
Origin and description
In its homeland - South Africa and the Arabian Peninsula - osteospermum is represented by more than 70 species. There it is a perennial plant that retains its foliage all year round.
Depending on the type, osteospermum can be in the form of a herbaceous perennial, or a shrub. Height ranges from 10 to 100 centimeters. The flowering of this plant is very long, in our latitudes it begins to bloom in June and ends only just before the onset of frost.
The flowers are multi-colored daisies, the palette of which ranges from white to purple and from yellow to red. The size of a flower, depending on the species and variety, can be 3-8 centimeters.
The only drawback of this plant, when grown in the temperate zone, is that its flowers are open only in sunny weather, thus, this flower protects its pollen.
Only a few species of this plant are suitable for use in decorative floriculture:
- Osteospermum Ecklona, it is he who is called the Cape daisy, after the name of the area where it grows. This species can grow up to 1 meter, and in natural conditions is a shrub. On the territory of Russia, it is grown exclusively as an annual plant.
- Osteospermum is noticeable, in appearance it is not very different from the previous one, with the only difference that its height is less, and it is more resistant to a drop in temperature. Therefore, in the southern regions of the country, where the temperature does not drop below -10 degrees, it can winter outdoors.
Reproduction
The most common breeding method is by seed. Currently, in flower shops you can find a large selection of varieties of this plant.
In order for osteospermum to begin flowering in June, you need to plant it on seedlings in March or early April.
The seeds of the plant are quite large, so when planting they need to be lightly sprinkled with earth. In order to get friendly seedlings, you do not need to resort to any conditions other than maintaining the substrate in the seedlings in a moist state.
The first shoots will appear in a week, since they grow quite quickly, at least one pick will be needed before planting in a permanent place.Seeds can be harvested on their own from decaying plants, which form them in large quantities.
In the warmer parts of the seeds, showering, provide a rich self-sowing next spring, which is used for further cultivation on beds.
It's important to know: when propagated by seeds collected in the garden, we must remember that the likelihood that they will grow similar instances, small, especially with regard to terry varieties.
Another can be propagated by cuttings Osteospermum, but it will need to keep the royal plant frost-proof room, or in the fall to transplant into a pot and keep on the windowsill as a houseplant, but this method is suitable only for low-growing varieties.
On cuttings taken young shoots that have not yet formed flowers. They are rooted in the loose substrate quickly enough to continue caring for them is the same as for the seedlings grown from seed.
Location and soil
To Osteospermum blossomed luxuriantly it is necessary to select the most sunny place, in extreme cases, openwork shade.
One of the positive qualities of this plant is that it can grow in the sun without compromising decoration and color of flowers.
Almost any soil is suitable, except for clayey, because the moisture permeability of the soil on which it grows is important for osteospermum.
Note: if the shadow is dense, the flowers begin to grow shallow and terry varieties will be common. In addition, in the deep shade, the flowers are usually closed.
It is also desirable that the soil was not very fertile, otherwise the plant will escalate green mass at the expense of flowering.
Watering and fertilizing
Osteospermum is quite drought-resistant plant, and can go without watering for quite some time, but the flowers begin to grow shallow and their number decreases. Therefore, in hot weather, it should be watered about once a week.
Osteospermum fed several times per season complex mineral fertilizers, planting them in the indicated dosage on the package.
When fertilizer is necessary to adhere to the rules that underfeeding is better than overfeeding. Because Osteospermum on the excess amount of fertilizer responds violent growth at the expense of flowering, for the same reason for his landing choose not too greasy soil.
Care
Other care of plants consists in the following activities:
- weeding and weed control;
- loosening the soil;
- removal of withered stalks.
All these measures can extend the flowering up to the frost.
Council gardener: if the plant is grown in the southern region and the winter in the open field, the treatment begins with an almost total crop stalks in the spring.
If the plant is planned to save up to next spring, then it must be time to dig out before the start freezing, otherwise the elevated part will be damaged.
How to grow Osteospermum, see the following video:
Osteospermum is the annual flower garden, belonging to the family Asteraceae. The plant is gaining popularity among growers, mainly this is due to the similarity of Osteospermum with daisies, asters and daisies. Homeland flower - it is African countries, because this plant is popularly known as African daisy. Early in the summer can be seen the first buds per plant, flowering which continues until fall frosts. Read more about the cultivation of Osteospermum from seed will be discussed in this article.
Osteospermum - Growing from seed at home
Plant features
There are other names of this wonderful flower - Cape Daisy or Cape Daisy. Osteospermum often confused with chamomile due to its appearance (we are talking about the shape of petals and flowers). Despite the hot home plants, it is now grown almost anywhere. To the list of exceptions should be attributed perhaps that the northern regions with a cold climate.
Osteospermum is a plant that blooms for a long time and is popular in the design of many places.
A lush osteospermum bush with a lot of leaves is decorated with delicate and beautiful flowers that begin to bloom from the first half of June. The diameter of the flower rarely exceeds 5 cm. This is a chamomile-like inflorescence, the ligulate flowers of which can have a different color, depending on the type of plant or its variety. These flowers take part in the formation of seeds. The color of the central tubular flowers can range from bright blue to dark blue, but they themselves are sterile.
On a note! The leaves of osteospermum, which have a bright green color, are distinguished by their specific odor, which not everyone may like. In addition, if the crop is damaged, this unpleasant odor increases.
Osteospermum - propagation by cuttings
Popular hybrids and varieties
To begin with, it is worth deciding on the type of plant, because there are more than 70 different plant varieties, among which there are both annual and perennial crops. Of course, most of them are wild plants, so it is worth choosing a suitable variety before planting osteospermum seeds.
Osteospermum
Osteospermum - photo
The most popular types of breeders include "Eklonis" and "Eklona", which were taken as a basis for breeding a large number of plant hybrids, including the following.
Osteospermum "Eklona"
- Zulu... A popular hybrid used to decorate home gardens. It differs from its counterparts in bright yellow flowers, which make the plant very similar to calendula.
- "Bamba"... Some gardeners jokingly call it a chameleon flower, because the plant gradually changes its color from white to purple. Great for balcony cultivation.
- "Sky and Ice"... An unusually beautiful plant that can overshadow the flowers growing nearby with its beauty. Based on the name, it is easy to guess that the flowers are painted in two colors - blue and white. The central part of the flower is blue and the petals are white.
- Volta... Another hybrid of osteospermum, which changes its color during development. In this case, the petals of the plant, which were originally pink with a lilac tint, gradually turn white.
- "Buttermilk"... A very common hybrid of a plant on the territory of Russia, which differs from other plants in unpretentiousness. The petals are colored bright yellow, but over time it changes to white, which is typical for some types of osteospermum.
Hybrid variety Osteospermum Pink Whirls
Osteospermum barberiae
Hybrid variety Tradewinds Deep Purple
There are also other hybrids of this plant - for example, "Osteospermum pleasant", which is also able to change its color. But the main difference between this hybrid is that its petals can be wrapped in a tube. The disadvantages of this species and hybrids based on it include weak resistance to low temperatures.
A bright accent in the flower garden - osteospermum
Pay attention when choosing a suitable option for growing is worth such varieties.
- "Buttermilk"... An unusual variety, a distinctive feature of which, in comparison with other species, is its height - up to 50 cm. The flowers are painted in a pale yellow color, although the lower part of them acquires a bronze tint over time.
- "Lady Leitrim"... A very beautiful plant, the petals of which are painted in a light lilac color. Its appearance resembles a chamomile, but color differences give it away. The central part of the inflorescence is yellow with a black dot in the middle.
Shrub osteospermum (Osteospermum fruticosum)
Hybrid cultivar Flower Power Spider Purple
Growing from seeds
When choosing a method for growing osteospermum, they usually give preference to seed, because the plant develops quickly and does not require special care.This is a unique method for this plant, but if you are looking for varietal qualities, then growing by seeds is not the best choice. This is due to the fact that the seeds do not convey all the parental qualities, therefore, as a result, the plant may turn out to be a little different - for example, the shape of the inflorescences will be different, as well as the color. But in other cases, growing by seed is considered the most suitable method.
Growing osteospermum
First you need to take care of the preparation of the soil mixture, seed and container. Only then can you start sowing.
Soil preparation
To grow osteospermum, you need to prepare fertile soil, which can be purchased at the store. Despite this, experienced gardeners prefer to use their own prepared potting mix, because they do not trust store products. For cooking, you need to mix sand, humus, turf and leafy soil in equal proportions. For disinfection, it is recommended to hold the soil mixture in a steam bath or in an oven for 10-15 minutes. This will kill all harmful germs. Then you can proceed to the next step.
Universal soil for vegetables and flowers
Peat tablets are another possible option
Seed preparation
Only dry seeds should be used for sowing. Otherwise, the plant may not develop properly. If, when planting some crops, it is necessary to soak, then in the case of Cape chamomile, this is not recommended, because wet seeds in the soil can rot. The maximum that can be done with the seeds is to cover them with a damp cloth for 20 minutes before sowing.
Osteospermum seeds
On a note! In order for the planted osteospermum seeds to germinate quickly, their shell can be slightly damaged by slightly breaking or biting.
Choice of capacity
You also need to take care of a suitable container for future seedlings. In the case of osteospermum, it is advisable to use individual containers. This is due to the high sensitivity of the root system, which responds negatively to flower transplantation. If you are the owner of a large nursery, then over time, a pick will be required, which must be started after the appearance of several (2-3) leaves.
Plastic Seedling Pots
If possible, it is better to use peat pots for sowing, although you can also use small plastic containers, which must be disinfected with boiling water before sowing. This procedure will protect the flower from fungus, which will ensure rapid and active growth.
Seedling cassette
Sowing
Having decided on the variety and having prepared everything you need, you can start sowing. This process is not difficult if you follow the step-by-step instructions below.
Table. Instructions for sowing osteospermum seeds.
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Step one |
Fill containers with potting soil or place peat tablets in them (depending on what you choose to grow the plants in). In this case, a cassette container with peat tablets is used. |
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Step two |
Using a marker, felt-tip pen, or other object of appropriate thickness, poke small holes in each tablet for seeds, approximately 1-1.5 cm deep. |
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Step three |
Gently pour the contents of the bag of seeds onto a plate and distribute them among the containers. This can be done with tweezers or with your hands. Since the seeds are large enough, special tools can be dispensed with. |
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Step four |
After planting the seeds in the holes made, treat each peat tablet with a growth stimulant. You can also fill the holes with sand, but often gardeners do not do this - they sprinkle the formed stalks with potting soil from the store or vermiculite. |
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Step five |
Cover the container with a plastic lid or plastic to create a greenhouse environment.Then the container should be transferred to the windowsill for seed germination. |
Planting seedlings
To get a bright and long-lasting flowering, seedlings need to be planted in a sunny place on the site, since hot Africa is still the birthplace of this plant. A light partial shade may also work, although in this case the plants will stretch strongly and, as a result, not such a compact bush will grow as originally planned. Make sure that the soil on the site is sufficiently nutritious and loose, but do not overdo it when fertilizing - the plant does not like this, as well as excess moisture.
Seedlings of osteospermum
On a note! You need to start planting seedlings only after the threat of night frosts has passed. In theory, osteospermum can withstand a fairly low temperature (down to -5 ° C), but risking is undesirable, because you can lose plants.
After waiting for a suitable warm day, prepare the holes for seedlings, and then move the seedlings into them along with the earthen clod. Then gently compact the soil and water the plant with warm water. When transplanting, try not to damage the measles system. The optimal distance between seedlings is 35-40 cm.
Osteospermum in a flower garden
Follow-up care
Osteospermum in care is quite demanding. This must be taken into account even before you plant plants on your site. In addition, to ensure flowering throughout the season, you need to devote your time to the plant daily. First of all, it is necessary to remove faded African chamomile inflorescences. Also remember that after blooming, the flower only lives for 4-6 days, and then immediately fades. After you cut the inflorescences, new buds grow in their place. This continues throughout the season.
Osteospermum flower
On a note! To obtain not only lush and long flowering, but also beautiful bushes, you need to pinch the shoots at an early stage of development. As they dry, the leaves should also be carefully removed.
When watering, you need to be extremely careful, as excess moisture can negatively affect the plant. Water about 4 times a month - this will be enough, and in case of heavy rains, you do not need to water the flower at all.
Improper watering is the main cause of osteospermum diseases
Feeding is even easier. For normal growth, it is necessary to feed the plant no more than 2 times a month. Moreover, for this it is advisable to use only mineral fertilizers. If you use organic matter, then you need to add it to the soil once a month, not more often, because an excess of fertilizer can destroy the plant.
Apply complex fertilizers regularly, and the abundance of flowering of the plant is guaranteed to you
If we talk about diseases, then gardeners can be calm here, because osteospermum is considered very resistant to various pests and diseases. The main thing is to monitor the moisture content of the soil, regularly feed the plant, remove dried leaves and faded inflorescences. If fungal diseases appear, use a store-bought antifungal agent.
Osteospermum needs constant care
Video - Tips for growing osteospermum from seed
The duration of flowering of osteospermum makes it in demand not only in the design of flower beds and flower beds. Compact multi-colored bushes are ideal for decorating balconies, small gardens at the entrances, for hanging planters and even for indoor landscaping. He came to us from African countries, having long become very popular in European countries. Growing and caring for osteopermum is not difficult, and flowering continues from June until the very frost.
Osteospermum types
Before you start growing osteospermum, you should decide on its varieties. After all, some of them grow up to a meter in height, which may not be suitable for a certain place of their landing.
The most common type is the Eklona or Cape daisy. Very neat, compact plant, stem height from 30 to 100 cm, depending on the variety. This southern perennial is afraid of winter frosts, therefore in the middle lane it is grown as an annual. Some growers manage to dig up the plant before frost, store it in a cool room with moderate watering, in order to plant it on a flower bed in spring. The plant tolerates such a procedure well, quickly recovers after transferring to open ground and already from June begins to delight with beautiful chamomile-like flowers.
The most popular varieties of osteospermum (photo):
- With white petals - "Sky and Ice", "Silver Sparkler";
- Yellow flowers - "Zulu", "Buttermilk";
- Multicolor - lilac-pink "Volta", purple-pink "Congo", lemon "Cream Symphony" with a purple stripe;
- Series with embossed petals, which include the varieties "Pink Lace", "Dwarf Salmon";
- Low-growing varieties suitable for growing in flowerpots and pots, decorating balconies and windows, from the Pass series grow up to 30 cm, have all shades of pink with a deep blue center;
- Differing in a large color range of varieties Sunny, Cap Daisy, growing up to half a meter.
Today, breeders have brought out a new type of flowers, osteospermum pleasant (photo), a distinctive feature of which is the change in the color of the petals from white to purple as the flower blooms. The back of the petals is always darker than the top. The flowering period of each flower is 10-15 days, after which its color gradually becomes lighter and it withers. It is more difficult to grow than Cape daisy due to some breeding characteristics. These include the varieties "Buttermilk", "Bengal fire", "Lady Leitrim". They are evergreens that can withstand winter in warm regions under cover.
Sometimes low-growing varieties of osteospermum are confused with dimorphoteka. They are very similar in appearance, bloom until frost, love the sun and warmth. But osteospermum is perennial; in cold winters, the flowerpot with it can be removed indoors and in the spring the plant can be transplanted into open ground, and dimorphoteka is an annual plant and cannot be stored in winter.
Reproduction
Osteospermum propagates by cuttings or seeds.
Cuttings
This method can be used only when you need to grow a specific variety that you really like, or you have a desire to start breeding. After all, osteospermum grown from seeds may not completely copy the external characteristics of the mother.
The selection of cuttings should be carried out in January-February, carefully cutting off the tops of the mother plant. These sprouts should be kept in water for at least a month before root formation. The room temperature most suitable for rooting is +20 degrees Celsius. The soil for planting sprouts should be loose, consist of equal parts of humus, sand and soil in which they will grow in summer, watering moderately.
Sowing seeds
Growing osteospermum from seeds is a very simple and rather productive way to get young plants. The seeds of osteospermum are rather large and have good germination. To get the first bloom in June, you should sow in March. The root system of the plant is very sensitive to transplants, therefore it is better to place the seeds in peat tablets or in several pieces in separate cups, which does not require picking.
Bury the seeds in the moistened soil by half a centimeter, sprinkle on top with a thin layer of earth. Cover the container with seedlings with glass or foil, put in a warm, well-lit place. Can be placed on the windowsill, removing from it with each airing. At a temperature of 18-20 degrees and moderate watering, the first shoots will appear in 7-8 days.
Despite the fact that the plant is quite cold-resistant, its seedlings must be hardened in the open air immediately after the appearance of the first leaves, increasing the duration of air baths every day. You can open the window for a few minutes every day, making sure that there is no strong draft.
Planting plants grown from cuttings or seeds in open ground should be carried out in the second half of May, when the threat of night frosts disappears. For planting, you need to choose a well-lit, warm place. The distance between the bushes depends on the variety and the intended branching, but not less than 30 cm. By the middle of June, the first flowers will appear on the seedlings. Osteospermum can be sown directly into open ground in early May. But in this case, it will bloom much later than the seedlings.
Features of growing and caring for osteospermum
To grow osteospermum, you need to find a sunny place with loose, fertile soil. In shade or partial shade, its gorgeous flowers may not open. Groundwater should not be located too close to the surface, otherwise the root system of the plant will quickly rot, which will lead to death.
See also: When to plant godetia seedlings
Rooted osteospermum will easily tolerate high temperatures and a short lack of watering, and will feel quite comfortable at temperatures down to -5. It is enough only to periodically feed it during budding and flowering, and sometimes water it in a particularly dry summer. Faded inflorescences do not leave the stems for a long time, therefore, to maintain decorativeness, they must be removed by hand.
For continuous and abundant flowering under osteospermum, fertilizers should be applied weekly, alternating mineral with organic matter. Periodically rapidly growing bushes, especially in tall varieties, should be pinched in order to provoke their additional branching. At very high summer temperatures, the plant can "hibernate", stopping flowering and laying new buds. In August, when the heat subsides a little, it makes up for lost time, actively forming buds.
Osteospermum brought into the house for the winter period needs a rest period. And no matter how great the temptation may be to extend the summer on the windowsill, it is necessary to create the proper conditions for hibernation from December to March. The pot with the plant should be placed in a cool but not cold room, isolated from light, limiting watering to a minimum. The most suitable temperature is + 15-17 degrees.
Pests and diseases
Osteospermum is not susceptible to disease, resistant to pest attacks. But by planting it in partial shade or regularly exposing it to overflows, you can provoke a weakening of immunity, which will lead to wilting and deformation of the growth from the attack of aphids.
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