Pruning osteospermum ??

I have several osteospermum in the garden that have done quite well over the summer but should i prune them now. they are about a foot & a half tall at the moment I dont want them to get too leggy. What should I do? :confused:

 

I think I would leave them over the winter and prune in spring, the extra foliage will protect the shoots lower down from frost.

 

Agree with Blackthorn. If you have space it might be worth taking cuttings (not that I know anything useful about that). Alternatively keeping them dryish over winter migh help their survival if that is possible.

Next spring, but not too early on I would venture, you can cut them pretty hard into the woody stems and they should bush up nicely. They just cut borders of them to whatever shape suits with a hedgetrimmer in South Africa I have been told.

 

When is the best time to take cuttings of osteospermum?

 

This is advice from a fact sheet I found by googling.

Culture. High light intensity, cool temperatures and early pinching are basic requirements. Osteospermum is a +/-12 week crop from rooted cuttings. Allow 4 weeks longer for unrooted cuttings compared with rooted cuttings. Plant 3-4 liners per 8-10" pot and 1 liner per 4-6" pot. Start Osteos with vegetative cutting November through February. Plants are typically propagated from cuttings dipped in a low concentration of rooting powder and placed under mist or in a humidity tent. Temperature of the rooting medium should be 72-75�°F. Osteospermum is susceptible to root rot diseases during propagation and cuttings may benefit from a broad-spectrum fungicide drench.

Transplant rooted cuttings in a soilless growing medium four to five weeks after sticking cuttings. Grow plants for about four weeks at warm temperatures (68-70�º F night) to establish root systems. Of this four weeks, allow 1-2 weeks after transplanting for rooted cuttings to get established before pinching out the growing tip, leaving 4-5 nodes for 4" pots and hanging baskets and 6-7 nodes for 6" or larger pots. Height of the stem would ideally be no more than 1.5" after pinching. After pinching, allow another 1-2 weeks of vegetative growth. Osteospermum responds well to DIF. If possible, provide negative DIF (65-75�º day/night) to promote additional branching. Once cuttings are established, and side shoots are visible, move the pots to cold area or lower the night temperature to 45-55�°F for four weeks.

 

Well that sounds complicated!!!!!

 

Thats interesting Dendro. The problem is that its a lot of work over the winter to provide the light and heat - though worth it to the professionals.

As the others have said I would be inclined to protect it over winter with a fleece, and then cut back hard in spring, when it starts to shoot, using the shoots as cuttings. It roots pretty easily. I have just been reading about them today. They do best in full sun and fast draining compost, and POOR soil. I was feeding mine over the summer and just realised thats wrong. That way you gets lots of foliage and fewer flowers.

 

If you have a large clump you may find that the outer stems tend to flop over and layer themselves. You should be able to cut the stems just below soil level with roots on and pot them up in gritty compost.

 

They just seem to have gotten a bit leggy & woody. Flowered like champions though!

 

I have just cut mine back by two thirds - but they will overwinter frost free. I did this last year and they had no problem regrowing from low down. But I think winter protection should be your main concern at the moment.

 

Will a deep mulch of compost do it?

 

Yes, that should do it. If its a really bad winter, even that might not be sufficient. But I suspect that Swansea does not get as cold as many parts of the east and north.

 

It’s the 2 March in the UK and I live on the South coast between Portsmouth and Southampton. Is it too early to prune our large bushy Cape Daisy plants as they have fallen over and look very untidy?

 

Hi @Lynn Miller , I wouldn't do anything to them yet. It's still rather early to expose fresh cut stems/wood. Although you may not have any more frost ( we have only had one frost all Winter) the temperature is still low as these plants come from South Africa.

PS..... Ours have even been throwing the odd flower for about the last two months.