| What is the recommended procedure and timing for starting osteospermum from seed for mid-May container plant? |
| Since Osteospermum is a tender perennial, it is generally propagated as a perennial would be, either from stem cuttings or (quite easily) from seed during mid-summer for blooming size plants the following year. Care must be taken to keep the plants heated throughout the winter so they are very expensive to produce in cold-winter areas. Alternatively some wholesale growers offer liner-sized plants. If you are planning to grow this as a commercial crop, you might wish to contact your County Extension for advice as to the best way to go about it. In Rensselaer County the number is 270-2781. If you simply want some plants for your own garden, in my experience this is one of those plants best left to the professional growers. |
