How To Grow Statice Flowers From Seed
An old fashion favourite, statice Limonium sinuatum, also known as sea lavender. This easy to grow annual flower is most commonly used in dried floral arrangements as it holds it colour so well, particularly the darker colours.
Statice flowers are incredibly low maintenance once establish and for those who are running low on space in the garden, they grow very well in pots.
Below is a couple of tip to get you started when growing statice from seed.
Germination Tips
- It is recommend to raise seedling over direct sowing of statice seeds.
- The seeds can be sown in spring and autumn.
- Start by using the best possible potting mix you can get your hands on. Then fill your pot (I like single cell pots, which prevent roots getting tangled. overcrowding and transplant better) with the soil and dampen the soil with water.
- Surface sow the seed on top of the soil and cover with a layer of vermiculite to hold the seeds in place. Light is needed for the seeds to germinate.
- Water by using a mister or bottom water to avoid the seeds washing away, keep moist until seeds germinate.
- The seeds will germinate between 5-14 days at 21-24 degrees.
- By dropping the temperature to 16 degrees once the seedlings have emerged will help with rooting.
Planting Tips
- Once the seedling have reached around 6 weeks of growth, it is time to harden the seedlings off. Do this by putting the seedling outside for a few hours on the first day, gradually working up to a full day to prevent any transplant shock. Take great care when transplanting statice do not like root disturbance.
- Choose a full sun position and make sure you soil is well draining to prevent root rot which can be a problem with statice.
- Statice have quite strong, straight stiff stems and do not normally need support. They can grow up to 90cm high.
- Space each seedling 30cm apart.
Harvesting Tips
- Statice takes around 110-120 days from seed to bloom.
- Harvest when most of the flowers have opened. If using the flowers for dried arrangements, hang upside to dry in a well ventilated area away from the sun.