Planting and caring for strawflowers

The most beautiful & robust summer flowers in fantastic colours

Strawflowers are absolutely uncomplicated summer flowers that are also excellent for drying. I particularly like them in deep burgundy or soft rosé. When dried, they retain their colour and should therefore not be missing from any arrangement. They are also perfect for rather dry locations where many summer flowers do not grow optimally.

The most important facts in brief

• annual cut flower
• sunny, warm location & well-drained, dry soil
• sow indoors from February, outdoors in the garden from May
• light germinator
• regular pruning stimulates the formation of buds
• suitable for beds, tubs and pots
• insect pasture
• excellent for use as a dried flower

Sowing strawflowers

You can start to propagate the strawflowers indoors on the windowsill from March. Ensure a germination temperature of 18-20 °C degrees. The soil should always be moist, but not wet. Particularly important: Strawflowers are light germinators. They should therefore not be covered by a layer of soil. It is best to use a seed chute when sowing as the seeds are so fine.

The seeds will start to germinate after approx. 14 days. After the last frosts have passed (from mid-May), you can plant the young plants outside. Keep a planting distance of approx. 20-30 cm, as strawflowers are very vigorous and will otherwise take nutrients from each other’s soil,

Direct sowing is possible from May. Then it is also essential to wait for the last frosts. When direct sowing, it is also important to maintain a planting distance of 20-30 cm and to sow in good, weed-free soil.

Location & soil

Strawflowers love warm and sunny conditions. So make sure you choose a location where the plants can enjoy many hours of sunshine. The soil should be well-drained and rather dry. Midday sun is tolerated!

When planting in containers, it is important to work with a layer of drainage at the bottom to prevent waterlogging.

Caring for strawflowers

Strawflowers are considered to be particularly easy to care for and undemanding. Only moderate watering is necessary. As they hardly need any nutrients, occasional fertilisation with high-quality liquid fertiliser is sufficient. But this is not a must!

You should just make sure to remove faded flowers regularly, as this will stimulate bud formation and you will be able to enjoy the beautiful flowers even more and for longer.

Cutting strawflowers for the vase

Strawflowers are particularly versatile. They are not only ideal for vases, but are also the perfect dried flowers. You should only harvest them when the outer leaves open but the inner bud is still closed. They will last up to 7 days in the vase.

The wonderful thing about straw flowers is that their colours remain almost completely intact after drying. This means you can enjoy them for a long time and use them in dried bouquets or wreaths. To dry them, you should first remove the leaves and then hang them upside down in a warm and relatively dark place.