WHY can't I keep these alive?? WHAT am I doing wrong??

annie123

Osteospermums...........I grow these every year for my turf roof.

I grow mine in margarine tubs with holes in the bottom of it.

• Start off indoors
• Water the soil the day before and leave to drain
• Scatter seeds on damp soil, not wet. (sometimes just as it comes out of the compost bag is wet enough)
• If its still wet, add more drainage holes and mix in some dry compost
  
• do not cover with soil or anything else.
• Leave somewhere indoors (that gets some sunlight) and forget about them for 2 weeks
• Return to them and they will have sprouted.
• Cut away the tub and put the whole thing outside in fresh compost, doesn't need to be deep, mine go into my seed tub which is 3" deep, again just damp soil and place in a warm sunny spot.
• When they are 2" tall, separate and plant where you want.
• They are from Africa and like nice warm spots with lots of sun and dry conditions.

Over watering or humid conditions will kill them off at any stage.

r.a.i.n.b.o.w

Lotus-eater wrote: »

Tell us exactly what you are doing.

Right, the first few goes I know I overwatered - so this latest lot: I put on a windowsill, steady temperature (it's a cool room), window ajar, watered sparingly (kept it on the dry side of damp, as advised above). They looked liked they were happy and thriving, got a set of true leaves etc, but the last couple of days they're curling up.

Lotus-eater

They need to be outside, sown and grown.

r.a.i.n.b.o.w

Lotus-eater wrote: »

They need to be outside, sown and grown.

Yep, that's what I'm trying with the last lot here.