How To Grow Statice

Would you like to add a rainbow of colors to your garden? If yes, then growing statice, a gorgeous plant from the Mediterranean, would be the best bet for you. Depending on the variety cultivated, statice grows up to 1½ feet. Its colors range from white, yellow, blue, deep purple, red to bicolor. Sometimes, it is also called Linoleum or sea lavender, because its blossoms resemble those of lavender. The flowers of statice often grow in clusters, which appear large and flattish. Due to its long-lasting beauty, statice has become one of the popular choices for people who love to beautify their backyard. The flower is also used for floral arrangements. Check out the following lines to find out how to grow statice in your garden.

Tips For Growing Statice

You can grow statice either from seeds or saplings. If you are buying saplings to grow the plant, then make sure to buy healthy ones. You should buy the saplings before they have flowered, otherwise they would reroute the attention to root formation, rather than flowering, when they are transplanted.
For growing statice, select a spot where there is ample sunlight. As for the timing, you can plant it during spring season, as it thrives well in a warm climate.
Statice grows well in poor to average soil conditions. The soil should be well drained and have a pH ranging from 6.0 to 6.5. A good-composted soil, without any fertilizers, serves as the best bet. Statice is a seaside plant; you can add sand in the soil, before planting it.
Whatever kind of statice you choose to grow in your garden, you can directly sow it in the soil. However, as statice seeds generally have low germination rate, you will need to sow more seeds than you intend to grow. The seeds should be placed at least 14 to 18 cm apart from each other.
The annual statice is very hardy plant and can withstand any kind of harsh conditions. You don’t have to take care of it much, as it can sustain dry spells and even prolonged heat, without any problem.
Make sure that you don’t sow a big cluster of statice seeds, as they might develop mildew and fungal problems, if not exposed to enough sunlight.
If you are growing annual statice, it willdie in the fall and you can save the seeds for another season. However, if you are planting perennial statice, except for L. sinense type that blooms in the first year itself, it will bloom in the second year.
German, Siberian, Caspian and Russian Statice are the varieties you can choose from, if you want to grow perennial Statice. Their flowers are generally large, cloud like spikes with tiny delicate flowers.
For harvesting both the annual and perennial Statice, you need to pick the flowers before the blooms have completely opened. If you want to put them directly in the vase, cut the stem and use. However, if you want to dry the flowers and use for the whole year, tie the stems together loosely, in small bundles. Hang them in a dry and cool place. To maintain the color of the flowers for a long time, hang them in a darker place.

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