What is this and will it survive the winter?
Q I hope you can help me identify a plant. I have taken cuttings from it, they have grown and are ready to be planted out. I am not sure if I should plant the cuttings as one plant or plant each cutting individually. Do I take the tips off to make bushier plants?
Helen Spencer (via email)
A Your plant, which will make a striking feature, is Diascia rigescens and it is growing very well.
Their common name is ‘twinspur’ because each bloom carries two spurlike growths, which add to their interest and charm.
However, these plants, which are usually sold as bedding plants for pots and borders, are not fully hardy.
They thrive in summer in a sunny spot with fertile, well-drained soil, but need to be overwintered somewhere frost-free.
They also do well in pots, but make sure you add enough grit or vermiculite to the compost to encourage good draining, otherwise their roots can be prone to rotting.
All diascias should be fed fortnightly with high-potassium tomato fertiliser throughout the growing season to encourage prolific blooms.
As for your cuttings, which have rooted well, I suggest that you use scissors to remove shoot tips to encourage side shoots to form.
Ideally, overwinter your charges in good light in a frost-free spot and transplant them in
