Growing Asti Series Osteospermum Garden Seeds

Asti Series osteospermum is easy to grow from seed and recommended for direct sowing outdoors after the frost. For earliest blooms, begin seeds indoors 8-10 weeks prior. If transplanting indoors, be sure to place Asti Series in a cool, shaded spot inside. For direct sowing, plant Asti Series osteospermum seeds ¼ inch deep and 16-20 inch apart in loose, moderately fertile, evenly moist, and well-drained soil in full sun to partial shade. Asti Series osteospermum can be susceptible to downy and powdery mildew if not properly drained or ventilated. Do not overwater because osteospermum is native to African deserts and performs well in dry and poor soils. Cut back spent foliage, leaves, and blooms after flowering to prolong vitality into the fall. Osteospermum has no serious pests or diseases, but monitor regularly for aphids. Asti Series osteospermum seeds mature in 84-90 days as 18-24 inch tall mounding shrubs with a 16-20 inch spread covered in 2½ inch daisy-like blooms.

Asti Series osteospermum is a 1999, 2008, and 2014 All-American Selections Bedding Plant Winner and noted by AAS judges as being a "preferred summer annual" for its "large blooms, thick fleshy leaves, and drought tolerance." Osteospermum ecklonis is a member of the Asteraceae family, or the daisy and sunflower family, and shares similar features with both varieties of flower.