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ryseryse_2004

Direct sowing Liatris

ryseryse_2004
10 years ago

Last year about this time, I sowed my Liatris seed here and there so it would come up all through the daylilies.

I sowed the whole seed stalk in all cases and it made it very easy to tell where I planted them when they came up in the spring. They are all coming up in little rows the length of the seed stalk so it is easy to see that they aren't weeds. (Liatris seedlings look like grass.)

My seedlings didn't bloom this year but will next I think. I definitely recommend this method of planting Liatris seeds.

Comments (9)

  • prairiemoon2 z6b MA
    10 years ago

    That's interesting RyseRyse, I tried just dropping the seed stalks at the end of the season last year, but I haven't seen any seedlings. I should try doing that more deliberately this year. My Liatris hasn't seed yet, it just finished blooming.

  • river_crossroads z8b Central Louisiana
    10 years ago

    Great idea, RyseRyse. How deep did you plant them? Did you barely cover the dried flowers/seeds with soil or what? Sounds like the daylilies may have protected them from the wind and the birds, right? No snow cover here. Thanks!

  • GreatPlains1
    10 years ago

    What kind did you plant? I have three different types and they all self sow easily from seed. The reason I am asking is different types of liatris have different preferences of soil type and moisture so its good to check. I found through trial and error that some kinds preferring dry soil will crawl along the ground like an octopus if too wet or if the soil is too rich. That can be very disappointing when you are wanting those "exclamation marks".

    Others need more moist conditions. Then, I had a friend who grew some in rich soil and they were giants that were a bit much in scale so she was disappointed in them. I have had to relocate some of mine to find a good spot.

    Corms are pretty easy to come by. Walmart has had them in bundles each spring in the past and so has Home Depot here. We also see them growing thickly along the roadside here each fall. I love Liatris, its one of my favorites.

  • river_crossroads z8b Central Louisiana
    10 years ago

    Thanks, Great Plains. I've got 2 kinds that are reportedly native to my area, L. aspera and L. squarrosa, bought at almostedenplants.com Open House and Plant Sale last fall, nice plants in apx 3.5 inch pots.

    Planted them in Sept. '12 and they have started blooming recently, about 1 yr later. Previously had failed with seeds bought from everwilde. I have read that liatris can be hard to grow from seeds so I appreciate any help I can get!

    This post was edited by river_crossroads on Mon, Sep 9, 13 at 9:53

  • GreatPlains1
    10 years ago

    r. crossings.

    What was your opinion on almostedenplants? Size and quality of plants? Do you rate them good? I want to order a pink Rockrose (Pavonia lasiopatala) next spring. I notice you are in Louisiana and wonder do you grow this or see it around there? It is "just" hardy here so I decided to wait until early spring and let it have as much time as possible to establish roots.

    I did some second thought type of thinking about the liatris seed and the self sowing. Actually, when I consider the # of seeds each stalk produces, the # of volunteers is rather low, but I do get them. Thats a good thing really because it definitely won't be a bully in the garden. I accidentally pulled a few thinking it was grass but now I know them instantly on sight. Mine are just starting to bloom. I've got some "crawlers" out there that need moving but others are standing tall. I think my favorite are the wild ones we dug up in Kansas, Liatris punctata. The roadsides were a solid mass of purple with these last fall when I was up there.

    This post was edited by GreatPlains1 on Mon, Sep 9, 13 at 13:48

  • river_crossroads z8b Central Louisiana
    10 years ago

    Hi Great Plains, I have had good experience buying **in person** at Almost Eden. They sell exclusively by mailorder except for 2 weekends per yr when they let the public in. Some very knowledgeable regulars in the gw butterfly garden forum mailorder from them and I see positive comments in the threads. I see your post in that forum, too!

    To read the comments, in the Butterfly Garden Forum itself you can choose âÂÂSearchâ to the right of âÂÂFAQâ and search for âÂÂAlmost Edenâ without the quotes, then search each thread that is returned for the same thing. You could always post or e-mail posters if you need more info.

    You obviously know your way, Great Plains, but for anyone else who is interested - and the FAQ is fantastic:
    GW Butterfly Garden Forum

    Sorry, I am not familiar with rockrose. Pretty liatris! I am going to use RyseRyseâÂÂs method and will report back next yr if I have any luck. Bye and thanks again!

  • GreatPlains1
    10 years ago

    River crossings....Thank you for the report on Almost Eden. They look like a good place and I nearly ordered from them, had the thing all filled out and then decided to wait until spring because of the hardiness deal.

    Thats not my liatris up there. Thats how they are supposed to look and I got that off Google images from Kansas. Here is mine below. I think maybe the abnormal amount of rain we got in spring and early summer might be what is making so many of the ones I have lay down like this. I call it "snaking". One thing is for sure, its not rich soil.

    This post was edited by GreatPlains1 on Tue, Sep 10, 13 at 3:14

  • GreatPlains1
    10 years ago

    These two are more upright and shorter. They are planted higher up so they didn't get so much water runoff and the soil dried out more between rains.

  • GreatPlains1
    10 years ago

    Check out the one crawling toward the gravel behind the big cactus to the center left...... Its the purple thing on the ground. Its supposed to be VERTICAL not horizontal.

    This post was edited by GreatPlains1 on Tue, Sep 10, 13 at 0:09

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