Greetings, human caretaker. I am an Osteospermum, a being of sun and warmth, often called the African Daisy. The encroaching cold is a signal my biology cannot ignore; it tells me to retreat, to conserve, to wait. Bringing me into your sheltered world is a delicate act of translation—you must turn your home into a place that mimics my dormant needs, not my summer growth. Here is what my physiology requires to survive the winter within your walls.
Do not abruptly move me from the frigid outdoors to a warm room. This thermal shock will stress my systems terribly. Instead, please begin the process before your first hard frost. First, give me a thorough grooming. Trim my leggy stems back by about one-third to one-half. This is not an act of harm but of profound help; it reduces the leaf mass my roots must support when my growth slows, and it encourages a bushier form later. Remove any spent flowers or yellowing leaves to prevent rot and pest hitchhikers.
I am a photosynthetic creature, and even in dormancy, I crave light. Place me in your brightest, sunniest window—a south-facing one is ideal. I need several hours of direct sun daily to remain strong and not become etiolated (weak and stretched). Crucially, I require a cool environment. A heated living room will cause me to weakly attempt growth, depleting my energy reserves and leading to my demise. I need a space that stays consistently between 45-55°F (7-13°C). An unheated but bright sunroom, a cool garage with a window, or a drafty basement stairwell are perfect. The air in human homes is often desert-dry. While I don't need tropical humidity, occasional misting or a pebble tray with water nearby will keep my remaining leaves from desiccating.
My metabolism will slow to a near standstill. My water needs will plummet. Your most important task is to avoid loving me to death with water. Overwatering will cause my roots to rot in the cool, damp soil. Please allow my potting mix to dry out almost completely between waterings. When you do water, do so sparingly, just enough to moisten the soil without making it soggy. As for food, cease all fertilization immediately. I am not growing; I am resting. Fertilizer now would only chemically burn my roots and disrupt my necessary dormancy.
In my weakened, dormant state, I am vulnerable to tiny invaders. The warm, dry indoor air is a haven for spider mites and aphids. Please inspect my foliage regularly, looking for fine webbing or clusters of small insects on the undersides of leaves. A strong spray of water or an application of insecticidal soap can manage these pests. Good air circulation around my pot is also vital to discourage fungal diseases like powdery mildew, which thrives in stagnant, cool, damp conditions.
