Osteospermum spp.: Diseases and Remedies (African daisy)

NOTE: In this article, Osteospermum spp. and African daisy may be used interchangeably; in fact, African daisy is the botanical name for Osteospermum spp..

Common daisies have petals around a center disk, while African daisies have petals that are a lot like common daisies. They are members of the same family as shasta daisies and zinnias. Their coloring is not as bright as the classic daisy. When African daisies were first introduced to the market, some people thought they must have been dyed.

The flowers can look like they are colored with metallic paint. The petals can be smooth and flat like a daisy, or they can be shaped like a spoon. The leaves can be lance-like or broadly ovate and smooth.

Why does my African daisy roots have rot?

Root rot on your Osteospermum spp. (African daisy) can be fatal if not treated with care. For this reason, we strongly recommend that you follow our guide to keep your plant alive if the symptoms occur: Root soft and blackened.
Osteospermum

Why does my Osteospermum spp. have gray mold spots?

Gray mold spots are a specific fungus that regularly harms flowers and spreads swiftly. If you notice any brown (or gray) spots, this fungus is probably to cause. You risk your plant dying if you ignore these warning indications.

Our Solution

When you understand the root of the issue, the solution makes perfect sense. The majority of the time, it is caused by the African daisy being overwatered. We urge you to cut off the infected roots and leaves, remove the affected sections of the plant, and then repot your plant in a fresh container with sterile potting soil.

Why does my Osteospermum spp. have leaf spots?

Leaf This type of disease is one of the most frustrating for Osteospermum spp. owners, we give you all the leads to spot and save your plants that present symptoms such as leaves that suddenly change color, or wilt/droop.

Why are my Osteospermum spp. leaves turning yellow?

Yellowing leaves are arguably the most prevalent issue in the gardening world. Overwatering or a lack of nutrients are the 2 main causes of this issue.

Reduce your watering frequency when you fear your plants are being overwatered, and follow these steps to determine whether they may be lacking in nutrients:

Each deficiency produces a different yellowing on the African daisy in question, here’s how to spot them:

  • The first symptom of a magnesium deficiency is yellow patches between leaf veins on elder leaves. The leaf’s core turns yellow while the veins stay green. The edges of the leaf yellow last.
  • Yellowing between leaf veins is another sign of iron shortage, but young leaves on plant tops and branch tips are initially affected.
  • The newest leaves are first affected by sulfur deficiency, rendering them completely yellow.
  • Potassium deficiency shows itself when leaf edges turn bright yellow, but the inner leaf stays green. Older leaves show symptoms first, and leaf edges soon turn brown.
  • Nitrogen deficiency shows up as a general yellowing. Older, inner leaves turn yellow first. As it progresses, yellowing moves outward, eventually reaching young leaves, too.

Our Solution

You only need to act in accordance with the symptoms listed above. You can address a potassium or nitrogen deficiency by buying a particular soil, and a gardening store consultant will be able to advise you on how to do that. Furthermore, you can also limit how frequently you water your plants.

Is my Osteospermum spp. sunburned?

It is simple to determine whether your Osteospermum spp. (your African daisy) has sunburn. Your plant will change color in this instance, beginning to turn yellow or white, much like it does on us.

Sunburned

As we saw above, if your Osteospermum spp. receives too much water or not enough light, the leaves may also change color.

The bottom of the yellow leaves with a shaded area closer to the base can be examined to determine if they have been sunburned. If this part remains greener, the yellow leaf is most likely sunburned and not something else.

Why are my Osteospermum spp. leaves turning brown?

The classic sign that a plant has been overexposed to direct sunlight and sunburned is the development of browning leaves. Rest assured that while this may probably save your plant from dying, it will adversely affect its growth.

Should I leave my African daisy in direct sunlight?

No! If your African daisy (or Osteospermum spp.) has the symptoms described above, don’t leave it in direct sunlight, that’s the reason why your Osteospermum spp. is in such a state!

Our Solution

As explained in the paragraph above, the solution is simple, just place your Osteospermum spp. in a place where the light does not reach it directly, in this way and with a correct watering, your plant should resume its life rather quickly.

Why are my African daisy leaves drooping or wilting ?

This typically occurs when your African daisy gets dehydrated. Large plants are more at risk since they naturally require more water than smaller plants.

Drooping

An easy way to know if your African daisy is lacking water is to under-weigh its pot, if it looks light, it means that the soil and the roots are probably quite dry, and therefore need water!

Our Solution

If the soil in the container is completely dry, you must first moisten it to guarantee that your plant’s roots absorb the benefits of the water. One common mistake is to drown the Osteospermum spp. right away after a dry time because you think it needs a lot of water.

This is the case, but giving too much water at once is the best way to finish it off, you should actually water the soil normally, resuming a quiet watering rhythm.

Caring Tips for African daisy

Water Occasionally

Water is necessary for your plant to live, but timing and amount of watering must be balanced. Overwatering could have disastrous effects on your own name, as we already mentioned.

The best way to know if your plant needs water or not is to touch the soil, if you feel it is still wet, it is probably a good idea to wait a few more days.

Always keep temperatures stable

Maintaining a consistent temperature for your African daisy is also a good idea, especially if it is kept indoors. At GreenShack, we typically advise reserving a temperature between 65 and 85 degrees F. Of course, avoid positioning your African daisy close to air conditioners, radiators, or other sources of hot or cold air.

Keep your Osteospermum spp. Dust-Free

This one is about houseplants. Your indoor plants’ leaves get dusty just like your furniture does. The problem is that this might prevent photosynthesis from beginning, which would result in the plants gradually losing their color.

For your Osteospermum spp., this would be a true descent into hell, and it would also appease the pests.

Take a microfiber cloth and gently massage the plant’s leaves to get rid of the dust. Use a damp cloth to make dust removal easier, but avoid using corrosive materials like rubbing alcohol!

Keep drainage in mind

If you have a tendency to overwater, you need to keep an eye on your drainage, we advise you to opt for a pot with drainage holes if it is not already the case and a saucer.

You can add volcanic rocks (or any other pebbles with holes) to the bottom of your pot in the interim if your pots don’t already have holes in them. This will help to form a channel so that the water doesn’t pool there for too long (preventing the rot of the roots!).