From my perspective as an Osteospermum, light is not just a preference; it is my life source. To thrive indoors and produce the vibrant daisy-like flowers you admire, I require an immense amount of bright, direct sunlight. A south-facing window is my ideal spot, where I can bask in the sun's rays for a minimum of six to eight hours daily. Without this intensity, my stems will become weak and leggy as I strain to find the light, and my flowering will cease entirely. I may survive in bright, indirect light, but I will not truly live and bloom as I am meant to.
My roots are highly susceptible to rot and require an environment that mimics the well-draining, almost gritty soils of my native South African homeland. Please plant me in a pot with exceptionally generous drainage holes and use a light, airy potting mix. A cactus or succulent potting soil is perfect, or you can amend a standard potting mix with perlite or coarse sand to ensure water flows through quickly. Soggy, waterlogged soil is a death sentence for my root system, suffocating me and inviting disease.
My watering needs are a delicate dance. The goal is to keep my roots consistently moist but never saturated. The best method is to check the top inch of my soil with your finger. When it feels dry to the touch, provide me with a thorough, deep watering until you see water escape from the drainage holes. Then, crucially, allow all excess water to drain away completely and let the soil dry out slightly before the next watering. In the cooler, darker winter months, I will need even less frequent watering as my growth slows.
I prefer conditions that you might also find comfortable. Daytime temperatures between 65°F and 75°F (18°C - 24°C) are ideal. While I can tolerate cooler nights, I am not frost-tolerant at all. I struggle in the dry, stagnant air often found in heated homes. While I do not require tropical humidity, occasional misting or placing my pot on a pebble tray with water can increase the local humidity around my foliage, preventing my leaf tips from browning and keeping me happy.
To support the significant energy expenditure of flowering indoors, I require regular nourishment. During my active growing and blooming season (typically spring through early fall), feed me with a balanced, water-soluble fertilizer diluted to half-strength every two to four weeks. This provides the essential nutrients I need to produce my vibrant blooms and maintain healthy foliage. Please refrain from feeding me during the winter when I am dormant, as I cannot process the nutrients and it may harm my roots.
To keep me blooming profusely, a practice called "deadheading" is essential. Once my individual flowers begin to fade and wilt, promptly remove them by pinching them off at the base of the flower stem. This signals to me that I should stop putting energy into seed production and instead redirect it into creating new blooms. Regularly trimming back any leggy stems will also encourage me to become bushier and produce more flowering points.
