Problems Starting Osteospermum

I don't know why this is so hard. Last year, I tried twice to start these from seed with no luck. Same thing this year. I have a good seed starting soil that has worked well for very other annual and perennial this year (about 12 different ones). I start it on a heat mat, with a plastic dome over the flat, and the lights are almost touching the dome.

Where am I going wrong? These are this year's seeds from Thompson and Morgan, so know that's not the problem. I would appreciate any help.

I penn :) I soaked my seeds in H202 for two days when I saw how hard they were and Suzy had soaked hers too and all of mine came up four days later, maybe you can take them out and soak them a day or so?

Are these cool growers by any chance? Any chance that heat mat is to blame? I get all the Afican-style daisies confused because the names I learned them under were changed, and the common names are all the same (so it seems to me) but one is HEAT, HEAT HEAT (I think it's Venidium or Arcotis and one is COOL, COOL, COOL, and I think it's Osteospermum or Cape Daisy.

Checking plant files, Osteospermum can take a bit of frost, and I believe I have one coming back from last year. Either as part of the mother plant, or a new seedlings and it's up now. It hasn't been warmer than 50 degrees here this spring, and the soil temp is much cooler than that...I'd ditch the heat mat and see what happens.

Suzy

Cool, maybe I can put mine outside then oh but they are getting ready to flower will they still flower if I put them outside?

Penn, I hope you get those to germinate those things are expensive! I just put mine under the lights it's probably about 70 there.

Thanks for all of your help. I am going to try it again. I'll soak the few that I have left tonight and plant them Friday with NO HEAT. I can't get worse than the 0% germination that I am doing now!

Hopefully, within a week, I'll have an answer.

Good luck! 8^)

Good Luck, Penne!

Lea, I am trying to figure out your question -- why might they not bloom if you put them outside? They should bloom just fine. I believe they are cool season sun lovers, and if you put them out, be watchful of too much rain. I say it's time to harden them off and in 7 days time you'll be past the thread of frost, anyway, isn't that right?

Just keep an eye on weather.com, or that site Dryad was talking about for lots of rain pouring down and temps in the 20s.

Suzy

I'm just afraid if I put them out right now it will delay the blooms and I want to see what color they are before you all get here :)

LOL! Are you thinking it would delay bloom since it's so cold out? Mebbe so. Better wait. LOL!

Cool conditions, but not cold. 65 to 68 degrees. Moist mix, do not bury seeds. Sow on top of mix and just sprinkle a bit over them. These plants need some light to germinate.

Okay. I soaked them a day and a half in H30. They are not on a heat mat. Hopefully, the third time is the charm.

Ok penn, let us know what happens, good luck :)

Still no go on the osteo. I'm keeping my fingers crossed. Strangely enough, I had another flat with mixed osteo that did germinate, while the two white trays are doing nothing. I'm not sure what I did with the successful tray. One day, they were just there.

I'm going to give the white ones one more week. Sigh, I really wanted the whites rather than the mixed colors.

Maybe yours is just taking their sweet time penn, give it some more time and maybe they will pop up, at least you got some :)

Actually, from many years of experience, T&M seeds have a very low germination rate. I don't buy them anymore unless its something I think I just gotta have. I think I bought osteo seeds from Summerhill seeds and have had no problem at all....

You know I hear a lot of people say they don't have very good germination with T&M seeds but I don't have much trouble at all, I'm glad cause I always order a lot of seeds from them lol I got 11 seeds in the pack of Osteospermum and all of them germinated for me, must have been holding my mouth just right LOL

Well, the white osteos didn't make it. I have no idea why the purple ones germinated.

This is my first year actually ordering from Thompson and Morgan, and I haven't been impressed. It may be that I just can't grow the osteosporums from seed, but I haven't had problems in the past with rudbeckia. I ordered Becky, a short rudbeckia to put in front of the border, and the germination is only so - so. I also didn't do very well with the spider chrysanthemum, and another flower. Next year, I may just stick with Burpee, and Home Depot - unless there is something specific that I need.

Well, I have three flats of Osteos going right now... Glistening White (new seed), African Sun (2006) and African Moon (2007). All are from T&M, 3 seeds in each cell. I will report back on how it goes. I have had mixed results with T&M and Park, so I tried a few other suppliers this year with good Garden Watchdog ratings on other stuff as well.

New year, new results. This year, my osteos have germinated within record time. The little seedlings are doing fine so far.

I think that the problem last year was old seeds. When I first sowed them this year, I had a flat with seeds from an opened package, and a flat with an unopened packaged. The opened one did not list a year, but the unopened one listed last year. Both were Thompson and Morgan. The flat from the opened package has 0% germination while the other one produced 7 or 8 seedlings. Because I wanted to make sure that this wasn't a fluke, and I wanted more plants, I sowed another flat with the previously unopened package - they germinated in 3 days with no soaking, and a heat pad.

The old package was the one that I was using last year. I never had a single plant. The few that did germinate ended up biting the dust before I even had time to transplant them. This year, I am looking forward to having blue eyed daisies all over. I will probably sow one more flat before the week is out.

Great news penn :) You go girl! So glad your luck is r unning so mu ch better for this year. I haven't even sown my first seed yet this year life is getting in the way but I'm starting tonite!

Those blue eyed daisies sound wonderful too, my favorite flower, any type of daisy!

Cheers to a yard full of Osteos and blue eyed daisies!

Lea