I left mine in the pot last year and didn't cut the woody bits off! They are now sprouting everywhere so they will be trimmed up and hopefully grow again. They will never probably grow as bountiful as when they came from the garden centre, as they were so forced and molly-coddled they expect them to be treated as bedding plants and then binned - cruel! Nothing lost in giving them a go, just hide them out of sight a bit (not behind the shed in the dry shade) if you don't like the look of them.

Hi

Did they have new growth on before you pruned them ?

If showing new shoots they should be fine , they do appreciate a protected spot over the winter and they are tender plants so too many frost and wet soil they normally die off. Have you fed them ?

Tell Archie you wont be pruning him ! so nothing to worry about lol

Lol! Poor Archie...he's wondering whether he's next to be pruned! I have had very limited success with over-wintering Osteos. in the past. I think they need a lot of warmth. Hopefully, if there are some new shoots, they will come good in time...but it will take a while in my experience. I've stopped growing them now. I am in Angus Dave. I reckon up here you either grow them as annuals, or keep them in a greenhouse over winter. Good luck! Karen

There are a couple of hardy varieties Dave - these might suit you better.

Yes! Osteopspermum jucundum does really well here :)

To all 5 who took the trouble to reply thanks for the advice to Karen they were pruned when the flowers died and the stems wilted I fed them with rose &shrub pellets from horse manure up in Aberdeen we have had a relatively mild winter but had a cold snap end of march I will put them in a shady but warm spot round the side of the house and give them a chance and Archie is due a pruning end of June !!

Do you mean you fed at the end of the season? Not a good idea as when they have died back for the winter they won't be able to use the feed. Presumably you'll be repotting in fresh compost for the new season and the compost will already have enough feed for about six weeks. After that an occasional feed with liquid feed should be enough, or you can mix long life fertilizer granules with the compost when you repot.

Good luck Dave...and Archie! :)