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Flower growing guide
Dimorphotheca, the annual African daisy or Cape marigold, covers sunny, dry ground with satiny orange, yellow and white daisies about three months after sowing. It is a cool-season annual that is easiest sown directly where it will flower.
A packet contains two kinds of seed from the same flower: flat, papery, winged seeds from the central disc florets and narrow, stick-like seeds from the outer ray florets. Sow both. The light, papery seed blows away easily, so sow on a calm day.
Not needed. The seed coat does not block water uptake.
Not needed. Dimorphotheca comes from a winter-rainfall climate and germinates in cool, moist weather without a cold treatment.
Not needed. Sow the dry seed into moist soil; dry seed is also easier to scatter evenly.
The University of Alaska seed-starting chart gives 16-21 °C (60-70 °F). This is a cool-season annual: in hot weather germination and early growth are poorer, so sow in the cooler part of the year.
Scatter the seed thickly over a fine seedbed and rake it in lightly, or cover it with a thin layer of sieved soil. No source gives an exact depth; the aim is simply to hide the seed and hold it in place.
Well-drained, sandy or loamy soil. Remove clods and stones and work in some compost for a fine, crumbly seedbed. Avoid heavy, waterlogged ground.
Keep the bed moist until the seedlings emerge and until young plants are about 10 cm (4 in) tall. Water with a fine rose so the light seed is not washed away.
Germination charts do not list a light requirement for dimorphotheca and recommend covering the seed, so a light covering of soil is the safe choice. Once up, seedlings need full sun.
South Africa's National Biodiversity Institute (SANBI) reports 4-10 days; the University of Alaska chart gives 10-15 days. Expect a staggered emergence: disc seeds sprout readily, while ray seeds are more dormant and may come up later.
Thin direct-sown seedlings, or prick them out, when they are about 5 cm (2 in) tall, leaving the strongest plants with room to spread.
If you sow in trays, move the seedlings to their final place while they are still small and handle them by the leaves. Plant in full sun on well-drained soil.
Plants grow 10-30 cm (4-12 in) tall and start flowering about three months after sowing. Once established they tolerate dry spells, so reduce watering and avoid rich feeding, which gives leaves rather than flowers.
In its native South Africa it is sown in late autumn or early winter and flowers in late winter and spring. In the Indian plains sow after the monsoon for flowers through the cooler months; in the hills, sow in spring for summer flowers.
African daisy suits rock gardens, sunny banks, borders and containers where the soil drains quickly. It does well in poor, sandy soil.
Removing faded flowers keeps plants producing new buds for longer.
Seed ripens soon after the flowers fade and blows away quickly, so collect it promptly if you want to save it. The plant self-seeds freely and is considered weedy in some dry regions, so remove spent heads where you do not want seedlings.
Sow African daisy for a carpet of bright, sun-loving daisies in dry, sunny corners of the garden.
Dimorphotheca means 'two-shaped fruit'. Each flower produces flat, winged seeds from the centre and narrow, stick-like seeds from the outer petals. Both are viable; the stick-like ones tend to germinate more slowly.
The flowers open only in bright sunshine and close at night and in cloudy weather. Plant them where they get full sun for most of the day.
It is a cool-season annual. In the plains sow after the monsoon so it flowers through winter and early spring; in the hills sow in spring.
They are close relatives, both called African daisy. The packet flower here is an annual raised from seed each year, while osteospermum is a longer-lived plant usually kept going from cuttings or replaced each season.
