African chamomile, Cape daisy or osteospermum - a flower designed for garden decoration. A native of the tropics feels good in the conditions of the Middle lane. The shrub is unpretentious in leaving, differs in long blossoming, a bright palette.
Gardeners appreciate a strange plant that looks like a chamomile for its numerous flat buds with dense petals. Shrub retains decorative for a long time, paints any landscape.
Enjoy the charm of the Blue-eyed daisies "so affectionately saodovodom call osteosperm grade" Sky and Ice "
The origin and appearance of osteosperm
In vivo - on the Arabian Peninsula, in the hottest countries of Africa, botanists found more than 70 members of the family. There, the osteospermum flower does not drop the foliage, but only for a short time stops flowering. In a temperate climate, the plant opens its first inflorescences in June, and continues flowering until frost.
Description of osteosperm flower
Osteospermum is a herbaceous perennial shrub of the family Asteraceae, a representative of the aster species. Stems with a height of 20 cm to a meter form a loose bush. Stems erect, well branched. Inflorescences are baskets with one row of reed flowers with a diameter of 2 to 8 cm, in the center are tubular flowers of a contrasting color (smoky, blue, blue, black) with yellow pestles. After flowering, form an achene with a dark long seed.
Osteospermum flower: perennial or annual
In vivo, winter gardens are grown as perennials. In household plots - as an annual culture.
Important! In the descriptions of the variety, the flowers are positioned as annuals. But any variety can be stored at home until next spring. So it makes no sense to ask in stores what osteospermum is perennial or annual.
Dimorphotheque and osteospermum: is it the same or not
Plants belong to the same species of asters, their buds are similar in structure and color. Gardeners often confuse the dimorphotheca and osteospermum, but this is not the same plant, but two different ones. At the first, the flowers are glossy, slightly collected towards the center. The second - matte, poppet bud with a dense wrap of green small leaves. You can recognize a dimorphic library:
- at the core: it is always brown, there are no other options;
- colors: salmon, orange, light cream;
- seeds: they are flat in an oval shell;
- pubescent stem, fleshy leaves.
Incidentally, Dimorphotheque blooms briefly, only in June. The flower in color, inflorescences outwardly resembles an ordinary calendula.
Types and varieties of osteosperm
The flower has long attracted the attention of breeders around the world. Every year new varieties appear on the Russian market. But there are loved ones, in constant demand.
Osteospermum Sky and Ice
This is a tall variety, the height of the stems reaches 75 cm. It is distinguished by a rare color combination of reed and tubular flowers. The blue middle emphasizes the snow-white fringing petals. Emerald green is a nice addition. The shrub branches well, until late autumn lays flower buds.
Osteospermum Magik Yellow
The recently appeared bright yellow variety of African chamomile amazes with a sunny shade of petals. They do not fade, maintain the intensity of the color until wilted. This is a medium-sized variety, formed in a compact bush.
The full name of the osteosperm "Magic Yellow" - Summer Hero Magic Yellow, is a Dutch selection
Osteospermum Aquila
Low-growing variety, suitable for indoor cultivation, bush height 20 cm, diameter of buds 6 cm. Flowers are constantly being updated. When creating a winter break, it grows to 7 years without a transplant. A wide range of varieties is presented, from white with a blue center to yellow with a gray core. Often they sell mixes that combine a variety of shades.
Osteospermum of Eklon
A common flower species known as Cape Daisy. It is a tall shrub that reaches a meter high.
Osteospermum Fashion
The most undersized shrub, grows well in small flowerpots. A bush with a height of 15 to 25 cm is strewn with buds up to 5 cm in diameter. The varietal range includes colors: white, pink transitional, lavender, pale lilac, purple. There are hybrids with flattened petals in the middle.
A mixture of two varieties of variety "Peshn": "White" (white) and "Pink"
Osteospermum Mix
Mixtures of medium and undersized species are used for landscaping, alpine lawns. Usually, shades are selected in one color scheme, some seed producers add white and dark for contrast. There are terry mid-height mixes of osteosperm Double Parple, Flower Power and others.
The representative of the terry variety Berry White pink hue. The head of the central tubular flowers is crowned with rows of reed inflorescences.
Outdoor osteosperm placement
Under natural conditions, the bushes reproduce by self-sowing. Tropical culture is afraid of return frosts, sudden changes between day and night temperatures. In southern areas, on glazed balconies, loggias, you can often see osteospermum, growing it in decorative remote flowerpots, on balconies is not uncommon. In the southern regions, the flower grows as a perennial in the open ground.
Growing osteosperm from seeds
The seeds are immediately embedded in the soil, slightly pressed in so that the birds do not eat. Large seeds are conveniently planted one at a time, observing the interval between the bushes from 20 to 40 cm, depending on the height of the shoots. For seedlings, the seed is laid out on the ground in greenhouses, hotbeds, moisten the soil well, cover it with a film - create tropical conditions.
Important! With a strong deepening, the seed germ can die. Some gardeners prefer to plant peeled seeds, before sowing, they clean off a strong skin or make a crack on it to allow water to enter.
What is needed for planting osteosperm? The shrub grows well, blooms profusely on neutral soil, fertilized with humus, mineral fertilizers. For an unpretentious osteosperm, planting and care are reduced to weeding, watering.
The best place for osteosperm
African daisy loves the sun, tolerates partial shade well. Like all asters, the plant is prone to root rot. Flooded areas will not work. The earth should warm up well. With a high occurrence of groundwater, drainage is required.
How to feed osteospermum for lush flowering
To grow full-fledged bushes, a handful of humus and ash are added to the planting pits. During the budding period, foliar top dressing (spraying) with complex fertilizers for indoor plants is recommended. Minerals are bred according to the instructions, then the volume of water is doubled so as not to burn the greens. You can feed flowers with a 3-week interval. The prepared solution of superphosphate, potassium nitrate is added to water for irrigation, a concentration of 1: 3 is made (one part of the fertilizer is diluted with three parts of water).
Important! If you pinch the upper shoots, lateral peduncles are massively formed.
Osteospermum: how to save in winter
In regions where in winter the temperature does not fall below -10 ° C, the bushes are well preserved under shelters from branches, under a layer of peat. In temperate latitudes, the bushes are transferred to the pots by transshipment, brought into the house. The plant is well restored after transplantation. The bush will bloom until the end of December, then you need to pause, move the flower to a cool place, reduce watering.
Why osteospermum does not bloom
In the heat, the plant ceases to bloom, and directs all forces to the formation of testes. It is advisable to shade shrubs, arrange drip irrigation for coolness.
With an excess of nitrogen, greens grow abundantly, the number of flower baskets is reduced. If the plant is properly looked after, there will be no problems.
Breeding
The flower propagates vegetatively and by seeds. Varietal hybrid is better to grow from layering, then the plant will inherit all species characteristics. Gardeners do not collect seed material, but prefer to purchase it in specialized departments or on web resources. Germination of seeds is maintained for 3 years.
Osteospermum, seeds. They are protected by a dense shell; for abundant flowering, they are recommended to be soaked in a solution of a biostimulant
Osteospermum: growing from seeds - when to plant for seedlings?
You can sow a flower:
- in cups;
- total capacities.
Seeds are pressed in or sprinkled with a 2 mm layer of soil. The container must be closed with a film, removed to heat. Open it after emergence.
Reproduction of osteosperm by cultivation from seeds is more often practiced - when planting seedlings, gardeners decide on their own. The landing dates are the same as for asters: March - early April. March seedlings will bloom in June, April - in July.
Planting seedlings in open ground
Shoots are transplanted to a permanent place after return frosts. Two weeks before planting, the plants are tempered: they are taken out into the street during the day. The interval of stay is gradually increased to 6 hours. After hardening, the shoots will endure small night cooling.
Propagation by cuttings
For cuttings planting before spring, the uterine bush is kept warm: at home or on a glazed loggia. Recommended winter temperature + 12-15 ° С. The earthball is moistened, it is not allowed to dry completely.
The cuttings are made from the apical part of the stem. In water, it quickly takes root, is well rooted in loose nutrient soil. From plants growing like houseplants, take non-blooming young shoots.
Important! Cuttings are broken off a month before planting, so that they are well rooted
Osteospermum: potted cultivation
For the house, choose low and medium-sized species. A winter break is made from late December to March, while daylight hours are short. In spring, the plant is loosened, fed, watered with fertilizer once a week.
Important! During budding, the bush is sprayed with “ovary” - a mixture of amino acids
Growing osteosperm from seeds at home
For planting, they immediately pick up a pot in which the plant will remain for several years. It is filled with expanded clay on ¼, and the top is filled with a loose soil mixture. The bush is grown as seedlings, but they are not transferred to the open ground, but left on the windowsill. In summer, the plant is taken out into the open.
Choice of capacity for landing
A flower pot does not fit, you need a pot with a hole for draining water. The root system extends to ½ of the diameter of the bush, the capacity should be wide.
Watering and feeding
It is better to choose liquid ready-to-feed supplements, they are added to water for irrigation in the calculation of ¼ of the recommended amount. Asters do not like an overabundance of trace elements, they can get sick.
With insufficient watering, the baskets of inflorescences become smaller. With excess moisture, root rot develops.
Subject to the basic rules of agricultural technology, the plant will delight the flowers for a long period. The dense petals of African daisies do not lose their fresh appearance for a long time. The plant is suitable for cottages, urban flower beds, and home growing.
