Growing Osteospermum from seeds at home

2024 Author: James Gerald | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 14:00

Osteospermum is a plant that belongs to the genus of semi-shrubs or shrubs. The birthplace of osteospermum is Africa and Arabia. Growing it at home is easy enough. We will tell you how this can be done from seeds and when to start sowing them.

When to plant seeds

The question of how and when to sow osteospermum worries not only beginner growers, but also those who first encountered the planting of the selected shrub. Most often, the planted plant begins to bloom in the summer, in June.

In order for the bush to please with flowers in the first spring month, it is necessary to plant it in the period from March to April. The planted seed does not require a lot of space, so you can use ordinary plastic cups in which the seedlings will feel comfortable.

Even if it is warm outside and you are ready to provide the planted seeds with the necessary conditions for growth, planting before March is not recommended.

This is due to the fact that the grown plant will have to be transplanted into open ground. And due to the fact that the temperature regime has not yet been established in early spring, the shrub may die due to night frosts.

If you decide to grow Osteospermum from seeds at home, we suggest using the table.

What do we have to do	March	April	May	June
Planting seeds for seedlings	after the 10th	within a month	forbidden	forbidden
Planting seedlings in open ground	forbidden	forbidden	from the 20th	until the 20th

By adhering to the data presented in the table, you can grow a beautiful plant that will begin to bloom in the first month of summer.

When to plant osteospermum in different regions

Regardless of the region, disembarkation should take place in late spring. If a plant is planted at a time when the ground has not yet warmed up, then it will most likely die. Depending on the region of residence, the osteospermum is planted in the following terms:

• on the territory of central Russia, in the middle lane and in the Moscow region, they begin to grow osteospermum from seeds at home in April;
• if the gardener lives in the northwestern part of the country, in the Urals, Siberia or the Far East, then in this case it is better to start planting seeds at the end of April;
• in the southern regions of Russia, seeds can be placed in the soil at the end of March.

After the plant has sprouted, it cannot be transplanted into open ground immediately. The plant needs to be hardened. To do this, boxes with seedlings must be periodically taken out to the balcony. They begin to harden the plant in May.

If the seeds of osteospermum planted at home did not sprout, there may be several reasons for this:

• the seed was improperly soaked before planting;
• the soil lacks nutrients;
• the seeds received more moisture than needed;
• the seed did not receive the required amount of stimulus to grow.

If Osteospermum has not sprouted within 7 days, then it is worth planting new seeds, since, most likely, those that were planted earlier have rotted.

Correct plant pick

Knowing how and when to sow osteospermum, it is worth learning how to carry out the correct picking of the grown seedlings. A picking is often required if the seeds were not planted in separate containers, but in a large box. This is a rather complicated process, so it needs to be approached with full responsibility.

Often, when picking, the root system does not stand up, and the gardener pulls out the emerged plant from the ground right from the roots. That is why it is not recommended to plant Osteospermum in a large box. It is best to use a separate container for each seed.

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Soil preparation and containers for planting seeds

Osteospermum seeds are unpretentious. To plant them, it is enough to prepare the soil a couple of hours before planting, and send the seeds themselves for soaking. In order not to harm the seed, it is necessary to soak it not in a glass of water, but to use an ordinary wet rag.

In addition, it is required to properly prepare the containers where the seedlings will grow. The best option would be a separate container for each seed.

These can be not only plastic glasses, but also peat pots, in which there will be drainage holes. The selected container must be disinfected using a 1% solution of potassium permanganate.

For planting seeds, a mixture is best suited, which will include the following components:

• sod land;
• humus;
• sand;
• wood ash.

You can buy ready-made land in the store or mix all the required ingredients yourself. If this is not possible, you can place ordinary soil in a refrigerator for at least 7 days, then take it out and keep it at room temperature for 24 hours.

How to plant correctly

If you decide to grow Osteospermum at home, step-by-step instructions come in handy:

1. When the soil has warmed up (it is at room temperature for at least a day), it is scattered into separate cups.
2. Seedling containers must be pre-processed.
3. One seed is laid out in each glass.
4. Press down slightly, but do not sprinkle the soil on top.

After the seed is soaked and transplanted in containers, it is not necessary to deeply deepen it into the soil. You can use a toothpick to lightly press down on the seed placed in the soil. If everything is done correctly, then after 7 days the first shoots will appear.

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When planting seeds in the soil, the following conditions must be met:

• the plant loves warmth, therefore it is important that when planting seeds, the air temperature in the room is at least + 25 ° C;
• gradually the air temperature can be reduced to +20 ° С;
• in order for the plant to receive the required amount of moisture, the boxes where the seeds were placed must be covered with glass or cling film. Remember to leave holes to allow air to enter the soil;
• an artificial greenhouse periodically needs to be ventilated;
• seedlings should stand on a windowsill where there is more light. If it is not enough, then you can use a phytolamp;
• watering the plant should be regular, but moderate. If you fill in the seeds, they will simply rot. Watering should be done no more than 3 times a week;
• after the first shoots have appeared, the seedlings need to be fed. It is better to opt for mineral fertilizers;
• transferring the plant to open ground, hardening is required. The temperature should be lowered gradually. First up to +18 ° С and decrease gradually;
• it is required to protect the plant from drafts.

Planting seedlings in open ground is done in the usual way. A hole of the required size is dug for the plant, drainage is laid on its bottom, and then the plant is placed in the hole and sprinkled with earth. The soil around the plant should be mulched so that the required amount of moisture will be retained.

Summarize

1. When growing Osteospermum from seeds, it is required to observe the temperature regime. The plant loves warmth.
2. Osteospermum is an annual plant, so the seedlings will have to be grown every year.
3. The plant does not like drafts.
4. Growing Osteospermum at home from seeds is not a complicated process. Therefore, if you do everything right, then in June you will enjoy the flowering shrub.