Osteospermum - what am I doing wrong?

Brie

I love the look of Osteospermum and their very daisy like flowers.  But I have little success with them.  I  plant them, I water them, they sit there greenly and lose all their flowers.  They last til the autumn and then die. 

I've got a bucket of chicken manure pellets.  Would they like a feeding of those?  If so how much?

Part of the my disappointment is that there's so many of these around this area and obviously have been thriving year after year, whereas I need to buy new each spring.  I want to build up a lot of perennials in the garden - it's cheaper and you know what's where and life is wonderful. But I don't want everything to be woody plants - lavender is great but I don't want it everywhere.    

twopenny

Could be the type you are planting.
I've been seduced by some new varieties of established plants and they need an awful lot of Tlc which is annoying. I should have learned my lesson.
Or the location?
Or the soil type. Have you added grit to the soil? Sounds like come winter they get waterlogged maybe 

Brie

I'm wondering if it's the variety.  I hadn't realised that there was radically different types.  Even the person at the garden centre when I bought them didn't think to mention it, or didn't know.  I asked when I was purchasing some again this year.

Location - sunny border, watered regularly but not necessarily daily (depends on weather obvioulsy).  The soil is a bit dire....very dry, needs some fibre added i think but no way is it getting water logged.  

What's the thought on adding some nutrients via chicken manure?  I've never used the stuff but a friend gave me a small bucket of it but without instructions of any type and is not available to ask.

Flugelhorn

I have 3 osteospermum - 2 are doing fine but one (which survived the winter) insists on growing +++ and not flowering - we have taken cuttings of this and they won't flower either .

I have used chicken manure for general plants and my bamboo and palm - interested to hear thoughts on it for the osteospermum

Woolsery

You're probably being too kind and maybe also growing the fancier ones, instead of those close to the species. These plants like  stony, dry soils in full sun and heavy feeding isn't necessary. A small amount of bone meal worked into the soil now occasionally is all they'll ever need in the way of fertilizer. Chicken manure is OK too, but the last things osteospermum want is putting in general purpose compost,

Over time, these plants can get old and congested, but they usually produce enough rooted slips to start growing replacements. Around here at 500' in the south, we have a white one and a light pink. I don't see Tresco Purple or the fancy yellow ones going on from year to year.

twopenny

I'm not familiar with osteospermum but my gut instinct is that they grow in the wild on rough terrain like herbs and such and don't need much nutrient and the sites saying 'feed' are either garden centres or not specifying what type as there are several with different needs it seems.

This site give the varieties and weather tollerance which is handy. Do you know the type?

https://hellogardening.co.uk/how-to-grow-and-care-for-osteospermum-african-daisy/

It could be the variety is an annual or not hardy where your neighbours have something different.

Flugelhorn

Woolsery said:

You're probably being too kind and maybe also growing the fancier ones, instead of those close to the species. These plants like  stony, dry soils in full sun and heavy feeding isn't necessary. A small amount of bone meal worked into the soil now occasionally is all they'll ever need in the way of fertilizer. Chicken manure is OK too, but the last things osteospermum want is putting in general purpose compost,

Over time, these plants can get old and congested, but they usually produce enough rooted slips to start growing replacements. Around here at 500' in the south, we have a white one and a light pink. I don't see Tresco Purple or the fancy yellow ones going on from year to year.

interesting it is the Tresco purple that survived fine over the winter but the cuttings from it (taken last year) have been pathetic as far as flowers are concerned 

droopsnoot

I have what I believe to be one in the side border, and I give it almost no attention other than cutting it back a while ago. It seems to get on with things quite happily on its own.




I am trying to take a cutting from it because my sister wants it, and am having all sorts of trouble. A while back while cutting it I noticed that some of the shoots had started to take root in the ground, so I cut one of those and stuck it in a pot, but it died after a relatively short time. Now, having read up on how to take a cutting from one, I've cut two shoots off the end and stuck them in a pot with some rooting powder and kept watering them. They're still green for now, but that's about it.

twopenny

Are you taking the cuttings at the right time of year?

The best time to take them or dig up shoots to survive is autumn. It's when roots grow in the shoulder seasons but they can rest through winter before having to put on growth.

 I was told from August onwards but the weather has changed since then so I've always done any cuttings around October in our soft south.

[Deleted User]

@Brie previous posters are right, Osteo's like very sharp draining, poor, thin, soil, they will not tolerate wet feet through the winter and like to bask in the sun.
Given all those factors they will create huge clumps that give impact to any site.

Brie

I suspect I've got the wrong type of Osteo.....