Astrantia from seed
cfrankeApril 21, 2012
I'm looking for tips on germinating Astrantia aka Masterwort - I have several different types of A. seed and have had no luck with warm-cold-warm or the reverse, for that matter. Are they hard to grow from seed or should I just be patient?
Winter sowing thus far has produced no sprouts.
Is it saved seed or bought seed? I know my Astrantia minor (bought) went thru winter and then I saw some germination. The seed that I saved myself seemed to germinate fairly readily for me.
Best bet....sow it outside now and let it experience your spring weather...and if you see nothing, watch if the fall season will show some action. You should certainly see some activity by this time next year.
Good luck
Warm cold cool (40s, 50s, not 65F+ for the final cycle) is whats always been recommended for astrantia - truthfully, I always had a problem with purchased seed. I don't have a good place to achieve 50 for germination, basement or otherwise, unless sowing outdoors.
This is among the few plants where to have the seed I could sow successfully, I bought a plant...same season access to fresh seed. They are easy when sown fresh, pots left outdoors, germination takes place late winter/earliest spring here. The darker flowering varieties will produce seedlings with a range from light to dark flowers, often producing a flower or two their first season so you can pick which seedlings to keep depending on your preference.
That original plant, that became a clump, self sowed to the point of almost being a pest :) Seedlings to weed, to move to better and other places, even seedlings in the lawn :) But still at least a runner-up for the longest blooming plant that I grow.
Thanks, guys!
I will go the winter sow root and hope for the best. I adore this flower and have several plants - I will look for seedlings near them.
I guess when they're happy and they know it, they'll self seed!