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African daisies

Patricia LudwellPatricia Ludwell Posts: 91
in Plants
I have some African daisies in small pots getting  ready for me to sell. They were coming on great but on checking one eve to my horror, they were pretty much all stalk, not a lot of leaf and no flowers. My first thought was slugs, so I took them into my greenhouse for protection. Then I noticed that house sparrows were flying into my greenhouse and surprise surprise they were pecking at the daisies with gusto. I quickly put propagator lids over them for protection.  My question, does anyone know why they love them, are they what catnip is to cats?

Posts

  • punkdocpunkdoc Posts: 15,039
    What do you mean by African daisies?
    How can you lie there and think of England
    When you don't even know who's in the team

    S.Yorkshire/Derbyshire border
  • floraliesfloralies Posts: 2,718
    Osteospermum I think @punkdoc, sorry, can't help @Patricia Ludwell I don't grow them.
  • gjautosgjautos Posts: 429
    I grow them, but I've never seen sparrows eating them. I would guess they are trying to get aphids or similar that are on the plants?
  • AnniDAnniD Posts: 12,585
    What colour are the flowers @Patricia Ludwell  ? 
  • GardenerSuzeGardenerSuze Posts: 5,692
    My guess would be the yellow African daisies?
    I have worked as a Gardener for 24 years. My latest garden is a new build garden on heavy clay.
  • AnniDAnniD Posts: 12,585
    If they're yellow or orange it might explain the sparrow's interest. 
  • Patricia LudwellPatricia Ludwell Posts: 91
    Thanks guys, I did respond on email but don't think they were delivered. However, they didn't have time to flower so don't know the colour. One day they were coming along nicely, then they were annihilated. They took 95% of the leaves which led to weird looking stump lol. Trying to save them but don't hold out much hope.  I have a lot of house sparrows!
  • gerritogerrito Posts: 16
    I've had the same problem with petals being snapped off any orange or red flowers.  The petals are all over the grass and not eaten.  I've checked for aphids etc. None found. 

    Favourite ones were begonia 'Glowing Embers', argyranthemum frutescens 'Grandaisy Deep Red' and red or orange osteospermums.  

    In my case it was juvenile magpies.   I think they're in the process of being chased off by their mum and dad and rightly so!  They've been nothing but disgraceful hooligans this year. :p:smiley:



  • Patricia LudwellPatricia Ludwell Posts: 91
    Lol. I put the daisies in the greenhouse and the sparrows began to fly in and out of there.

    We have a lot of sparrows nesting in our eaves, so I'm going to get a cold frame and give them another go next year. The daisies that is.
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