The spider flower is considered an annual summer flower and therefore not hardy. Overwintering is therefore neither possible nor necessary. However, the seeds of the spider flower are very hardy because they will germinate next spring even without help.
Is the spider flower hardy?
Is the spider flower hardy? No, the spider flower is an annual summer flower and is not hardy. It dies in winter, but its seeds are hardy and will germinate the next spring if sown under optimal conditions.
How to prepare for the next gardening season
Not every gardener wants to buy new plants for their garden year after year. Often this is not even necessary. With a little patience and hard work, most annual ornamental plants can be grown from seeds during the winter. On the one hand, this saves money and is also fun. However, a little more patience may be required with the spider flower, as it only germinates under optimal conditions.
Preferring the spider flower
At around the end of February or beginning of March you can prepare the cultivation pots for sowing the spider flower. You can use normal potting soil, which is best moistened before sowing. The seeds are not covered with soil at all or only very thinly because they are light germinators.
Make sure that there is a consistently high temperature of at least 18 °C during the germination period of around 14 - 21 days, 20 °C is better and always keep the seeds slightly moist. If it is too cold, germination will take a long time.
You may want to use a mini greenhouse (€239.00 on Amazon) that you place near a heater. Every now and then spray the seeds with lukewarm water. This way you can achieve both the required temperature and the necessary humidity.
Planting out the spider flower
If the seedlings are a few centimeters tall, they can be planted in pots individually or in pairs. In May, slowly get your young plants used to the sun and changing temperatures by putting the plants outside during the day. Only when night frosts are no longer expected should you plant the spider flowers in a sunny place protected from the wind.
The most important things in brief:
- Spider flower dies in winter
- Seeds remain viable
- Sowing from the end of February in the warm weather
- Planting out the young spider flowers from the end of May
Tip
Use the winter to bring forward new spider flowers for the next garden season, unfortunately these summer flowers are not hardy.
