Statice Plant Propagation Care
Statice: Growing Conditions How To Propagate Divide And Dry Statice Flowers
Statice (Limonium sinuatum) also known as sea lavender is a favourite hardy evergreen perennial with colourful blooms and is popularly grown in cutting gardens. The colourful blooms can last long in a vase as a fresh-cut flower or are durable as dried flowers. The plant produces tiny lavender or purple flowers on stiff, super strong stems which grow to a height of 40 cm to 70 cm. The leaves are oval shaped and have greyish-green colour. Varieties are found with mauve, pink or white flowers. It is a good choice for low maintenance gardens. The plant needs trimming off dead flowers to encourage blooming. The plant produces flowers from early summer and flowering lasts till the first frost. If you are a gardener looking for flowers that sell well, then growing Statice is a good option.
Growing Conditions
The Statice plant needs excellent drainage and full sun for flowering. The plant prefers light to medium open sandy soils and is fairly drought resistant. They tolerate heavy frosts in my garden, and flourish in all salty soils, making them ideal for Australia’s hot, dry weather and coastal areas. Statice can perform well in soils with low or average fertility. You need to water the plants only when there is a long drought period. In rainy areas, the plant needs protection from exposure to moisture. For best results from the plant, avoid overhead watering. There should be at least 18-24 inch spacing between the plants. If planted in shady areas, the plant is prone to a fungal disease called mildew.
Plant Care
The seeds can be planted directly in the soil when grown outdoors or the seeds can be started indoors about 6-8 weeks before planting them outdoors. The seeds germinate only when they are kept in complete darkness and for this reason, it is better to cover the pots with newspaper after sowing them and watering them. It will take 3-5 days for germination. Move the plant to a sunny window. Transplant when the leaves start to appear. Once established, the plant can be divided in early or late spring. You can also use root cuttings taken during midwinter and plant them indoors to create a new plant. Fertilise the plant using a light fertiliser during early spring to maintain its proper growth. Statice occasionally self seed in my garden.
How To Use As Dry Flower?
If you want to use Statice as a dry flower, cut the flower along with 12-18inch of the stem when the flowers are ¾ percent open. As they dry, the remaining flowers will open. Hang the cut flower with stem upside down in a dark room with proper air circulation. It will take 7-10 days to get the flowers dried. Keep the dried flowers away from direct sunlight so that the vibrant colour will last for many years. Your indoor flower will stand out if you use these flowers in your flower arrangements.
Different Varieties
The different varsities of Statice plant include:
- English Statice with calyxes, which has 1-2 inch clusters and comes in different colours such as white, yellow, lavender, pink etc. and with tiny white or yellow flowers.
- Sea form Statice with smaller calyxes and without foliage.
- German Statice with small grey bracts arching backwards and with blue-violet flowers.
