Propagate Osteospermum or African daisy

In the garden, planting the Osteospermum in beds gives them a jaunty, flower-filled character, because from May to October these easy-to-grow sun-loving perennials are decked with a multitude of daisies in vivid or softer pinks, white or golden yellow. Perfect reason to multiply them to enjoy their generous, long flowering — and propagation by cuttings is an excellent method to rejuvenate a stump and obtain new young plants that multiply easily this way.

Within everyone’s reach, follow our advice to propagate and successfully multiply your Cape daisies!

In a pot or in the garden, Osteospermum are easy to grow

When to propagate Osteospermum by cuttings?

Propagation by cuttings can be done in spring, at the start of active growth, or in late summer. You can take advantage of pruning and tidy-up work to use the removed branches for cuttings and obtain free new plants to pot up, plant in beds or give away!

Equipment needed for propagating Osteospermum

a well-sharpened pruning shear
pots in terracotta or plastic, deep enough
clay balls
a rooting activator (facultative)
soil (sowing and propagation by cuttings type) or soil mixed half and half with coarse sand to obtain a free-draining substrate
a small hand trowel
a marker, a pencil and possibly labels

Steps to propagate Osteospermum

Fill your pot with light soil or the soil–sand mix
Cut shoots about 10–15 cm long without a flower at the tip (if necessary, remove flower buds)
Remove all leaves, leaving only 1 or 2 leaves at the tip
You can dip the base of the stems in the rooting activator solution, which will encourage root development and increase the chances of your cuttings taking
Gently plant the cuttings in the pot, spacing them a few centimetres apart. Firm the substrate around each cutting to keep it upright
High summer heat can dry out cuttings: we recommend propagating under cover, placing a cloche over your cuttings and keeping them in a shaded spot. A plastic bottle with the base cut off or a small plastic bag held up by stakes will also do the job
Water regularly, but not excessively, so the soil does not dry out. Every 3 to 4 days, lift the cloche for half an hour to refresh the air

Once shoots are selected, cut them and remove the leaves along the stem. Then plant them in the substrate

Rooting takes place after a few weeks, after which you can pot up each cutting individually and plant out in the garden the following spring.

Care for young Osteospermum

As Cape daisies are not very hardy, protect them from cold by storing them in a light, unheated room or in a cold greenhouse over winter
Once planted in spring, pinch out tips with your fingers to shorten overly long stems and encourage branching
Remove the first flowers; the plant will produce a more generous flowering later
Regularly remove faded flowers to allow young buds to develop
Cut the clump back in autumn before putting pots away to protect from frost, depending on your region

Osteospermum Cape daisy