I have buds about to come into bloom in a large pot on patio in January! Will this need winter protection in the South East and should I cut it down to protect it? Thanks
I'm not quite familiar with the climate in your country. If it is blooming, then chances are that the environment is perfect for the plant at the moment.
Most cultivars will not tolerate frost, so if there is a chance that it will frost at any point, then I would recommend growing these in container where you can move them indoors, since they won't be hardy in your area.
If there is no chance of freezing whether where you live, then there will not be any need to protect the plant further.
This article will help you to care for the flower: https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/ornamental/flowers/african-daisy/african-daisies-osteospermum.htm
Why are my African Daisy leaves suddenly turning black? It’s a two year old plant, in a pot, full sun, plenty of water....only thing I can think is we’ve had inordinate amounts of rain (and a couple of weeks of mostly cloudy days to go with it) - could it be that it just need drying out, or something else??
This does appear to be related to saturated soils. Unfortunately, there is not much that you can do. You may try and, proactively, apply fungicides to the area. This can Help prevent further infection.
Just be sure that these have plenty of time to dry out. It is not likely that you will ever have to water them unless you are experiencing extreme drought. Even then, you will find that these dry climate flowers outshine anything else in the area.
Here are some articles that will help:
https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/ornamental/flowers/african-daisy/african-daisies-osteospermum.htm
I do think that your plant is closer related to the Cape Marigold, however. This ca be called "African Daisy" and will have very similar care, but is not a true Daisy.
Here is an article that will help:
https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/ornamental/flowers/cape-marigold/growing-cape-marigold-annuals.htm