Straw flower - plant, care, multiply and more

Lively lightness for the summer garden - the distinctive straw flower

Plant immortelle correctly

The gardening season starts in mid-May for the cold-sensitive everlasting flowers. In the sunny location, loosen the sandy, humus-rich soil deeply to remove weeds, roots and larger stones. At a distance of 20-25 cm, dig pits with 1.5 times the volume of the root ball. The excavated earth is enriched with compost, horn shavings (€ 6.39 at Amazon *) and a little sand or fine grit. (€ 12.80 at Amazon *) Now pot the flowers out to plant them in the middle to just below the first pair of leaves. It is an advantage for the heat-loving Helichrysum if you mulch with gravel or chippings after pouring on.

Care tips

While the straw flower enjoys a regular water supply in the first days and weeks after planting, the need after rooting decreases significantly. To care for a well-established plant:

Only water adult flowers when there is no rain
From June to October fertilize every 14 days with compost or liquid fertilizer
Cut off dead flower heads regularly

There are good prospects for perennial cultivation in pots. In this case, stop feeding in August to allow the flower to mature. Before the first frost, cut the plant to 2 finger widths above the substrate. Now you put the container in a frost-free winter quarters with 5-10 degrees Celsius.

Which location is suitable?

The straw flower spreads its lively floral flair everywhere, as it sweeps around the sunlight throughout the day. A warm, air-bathed location is just right for its rustling flowers, so that raindrops dry off quickly. In humus, well-drained soil, fresh and without waterlogging, it likes to stretch out its roots. The tall growing varieties are happy to have a sunny wall or garden fence backing them.

What soil does the plant need?

The straw flower feels at home in the sandy, loose earth of the rock garden. The soil should be fresh to moderately dry, as moisture has a lasting effect on growth and abundance of flowers. If you are pursuing the goal of a multi-year cultivation, place the robust summer flower in a pot with peat-poor potting soil, which is thinned with sand or fine gravel.

When is the flowering time?

The flowering season begins in June and continues well into autumn. This floral stamina needs a little helping hand. So that withered flowers do not hinder the buds underneath from developing, please clean the disused heads regularly.

Cut the straw flower correctly

Cut the prettiest stems before the flowers open so that the straw flower does its job perfectly as a dried flower. The first calyx leaves are allowed to stick out a bit while most of the bud is still closed. For the cut, choose the early afternoon hours on a dry day. In the course of drying, the flowers then open by themselves.

Water the straw flower

If summer comes with a long dry season, water the everlasting flowers from time to time. If in doubt, it is better to water too little than too much. Summer flowers can cope better with brief drought than with excessive moisture. Please avoid overhead irrigation, instead pour the water directly onto the ground.

Fertilize strawflower properly

With a regular use of compost in the bed and liquid fertilizer in the bucket, the straw flower does not say no. Every 14 days an organic or mineral-organic fertilizer gives your favorite flowers a new zest. Do not fail to pour connection. If wintering is on the program, stop the nutrient supply in August so that the plant can mature before winter.

Overwinter

In their South African homeland, the straw flower thrives for several years. You can use this potential in the pot by allowing the plant to overwinter as follows:

Put the planter away in good time before the first frost
Set up in a bright winter area with temperatures of 5-10 degrees Celsius
The cool bedroom, an unheated stairwell or the cold house are well suited
Water every now and then so that the substrate doesn't dry out
Do not fertilize from August to March

You can either cut the plant back before putting it away or leave the withered inflorescences until early spring. In March, repot your winter guests in fresh substrate and gradually get them used to more light and higher temperatures.

Propagate strawflower

The propagation succeeds quite reliably by sowing the seeds from February. Sow the seeds in a seed tray on lean substrate and sift the seeds 1 cm high with sand or vermiculite. In the partially shaded window seat, germination takes 10-12 days at 15-18 degrees Celsius. Moisten the soil regularly and do not apply fertilizer.

Straw flower in the pot

Pot culture is beneficial for the everlasting flower in several ways. You can assign the exotic plant a rain-protected location and have the option of overwintering. As a substrate, we recommend potting soil that has been emaciated with sand or grit, which you fill in over a drainage made of potsherds. How to properly care for the summer flower in the pot:

Only pour when the top 2-3 cm of the substrate is dry
Apply liquid fertilizer every 14 days from June to August / September
Cut off dead flowers promptly for a lush second bloom

When the temperatures drop in autumn, move the pot to the bright winter quarters. At frost-free 5-10 degrees Celsius you only water enough that the root ball does not dry out. The plant does not receive any fertilizer from August to March.

Is straw flower poisonous?

An everlasting flower poses no health threat. The completely non-toxic summer flower is therefore wonderfully suitable for the colorful family garden. Make imaginative dry bouquets and flower arrangements with your children without hesitation.

Nice varieties

Orange Fire: With its bright orange flowers, this richly flowering variety cannot be overlooked; 70-80 cm
Silvery White: The white flowers are covered with a pink tinge; very beautiful cut and dried flower
Purple Red: The dark pink-red flowers with white roots of this straw flower have a special charisma; 70-80 cm
Sunnyboy: Charming balcony flower of the year 2010 with golden yellow, 6 cm large flowers; 30-40 cm
Salmon: An elegant appearance with salmon-pink flowers for beds and balconies; 60-80 cm