Water the soil frequently until the plants sprout leaves, always checking that the soil is just moist. Once the plants are mature, you won’t need to water quite as much. Allow the soil to dry out between waterings, and then water again to make the soil moist. How often you water will depend on the climate in your region. If you’re getting lots of rain, you probably won’t need to water at all. If you have weeks of full, hot sun, you may need to water daily, or at least a few times per week. When you’re watering, aim for the roots. African daisies are susceptible to fungal growth if they get too wet. They should also be monitored during wet periods. You should also remove dead or wilting leaves to prevent fungal growth. The fungus will look like a powdery material, black spots, or grey growth on the leaves. Remove any affected leaves and spray with a commercial fungicide if the fungus is persistent. You can purchase a fungicide appropriate for African daisies online or at a local nursery. To apply the fungicide, spray the affected areas of the plant every 10 days. Clean your hands and all gardening tools with a one part bleach and nine parts water solution each time you apply the spray. Make sure weeds don’t steal nutrients from your daisies, especially when they’re growing. Monitor the area and remove weeds when they sprout. Consider adding a layer of mulch around the plants to minimize weed growth. Dig a small trench about 4 inches (10.16 cm) away from each plant. Add a small layer of fertilizer to the soil and then rake the trench closed. This will replenish nutrients in the soil. A general purpose fertilizer will work perfectly for these plants. You can pick this up online or at a local nursery. Use garden shears to clip off dead blooms right at the base of the individual stems. Deadheading will redirect the nutrients back to the rest of the plant, causing it to create new flowers instead of producing seeds. This should produce more blooms for the rest of the season! African daisies will replant the bed for you if you let them. Towards the end of the summer or in early fall, allow the flowers to dry out. Watch for seeds to fall out and reseed the bed. Be sure to avoid cutting the plant down until it’s reseeded the bed.
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One-sentence summary -- Water the soil to keep it moist. Avoid getting the leaves wet. Treat affected plants with fungicides. Keep the area well weeded. Add fertilizer to the soil once per month. Deadhead the plants to prolong growth. Plan for re-seeding to occur in the fall.


When you’re giving your pitch, don’t stare at the floor or the ceiling or your listener’s shoulder. Look them in the eye while you’re speaking to them. This can make your listener feel more connected and you seem more professional. Introducing yourself to a complete stranger and then listing your accomplishments and goals can make you feel very vulnerable. However, acting confident even if you don’t necessarily feel that way can make a big difference in how your listener perceives you. If you sound like you believe you are qualified for a new position or can accomplish the goals you lay out, your listener is more likely to believe it, too. The best way to keep your listener engaged is to use words that grab their attention. One of the reasons some people sound as if they speak with low energy if because of their word choice. Some examples of attention-grabbing and descriptive words include "immediately," "guaranteed," "instantly," "explosive," "exclusive, "amazing," "eye-opening," and "fearless." You want to make sure that you seem friendly, open, and inviting as you give your pitch, and the best way to do this is through body language. Face your listener straight on, keep your hands out of your pockets, and stand up straight. The most engaging elevator pitches are those made by people who make you care about what they are saying. A good way to get your listener to care is to share your motivation for meeting certain objectives.  For example, your motivation for increasing your company’s sales numbers might be that you believe that the services your company provides will truly improve your clients' quality of life. This is an excellent motivation beyond wanting more clients or to make more money. You can say something like “I spent a few weeks on a study abroad trip in India, where I learned just how important clean drinking water is to a family’s overall health. I believe that getting our water filters into as many homes as possible will truly help to improve our clients’ and clients’ families’ quality of life.” The quickest way to lose someone’s attention during an elevator pitch is to use field- or company-specific jargon. If your listener doesn’t understand what you’re saying, they won’t stay engaged for long. The simpler and more direct your language, the better. When you’re giving your pitch, don’t just drone on to the end of it and then walk away. Ask your listener questions – what do they do for a living? Where did they go to school? Showing interest in your listener makes your pitch part of a conversation and not just a monologue.
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One-sentence summary --
Make eye contact. Be confident. Use attention-grabbing and descriptive words. Pay attention to body language. Share your motivation. Avoid jargon specific to your field or company. Show interest in your listener.