Bright blue flowers, which are very popular with bees and bumblebees, make the extremely low-care viper's head an attractive wild perennial. If you want to sow it, you should note that sowing does not work everywhere
When and how to sow the viper's head?
The viper's head can be sown outdoors at the beginning of February or in deep pots on the balcony. Alternatively, you can sow your own seeds from late summer to autumn. The seeds require temperatures between 10 and 15 °C and should be covered with 2 to 3 cm of soil as they germinate in the dark.
Sowing – time and place
If you have bought the viper's head seeds, you can start sowing at the beginning of February. The seeds are sown directly outdoors or in deep pots on the balcony. A pre-culture is not recommended, as the viper's head quickly develops deep roots and would not tolerate transplanting well.
Alternatively, sowing can also be done in late summer to autumn, for example with seeds from your own cultivation. After the seeds have ripened, the seeds are most capable of germinating. If you sow in late summer, there will be enough time for the rosette of leaves to form and the flowers will appear next year.
The ideal place for sowing
Since the viper's head feels most comfortable in full sun and dry places, you should ideally sow it in such a location. The earth there should be structured like this:
- profound
- well drained
- sandy
- easy
- nutrient poor
- likes limestone
Attention: cold and dark germs
The seeds should not be sown at home in the warm living room, but outside in the cool open ground. They do not germinate at room temperature, but need temperatures between 10 and 15 °C. They are covered with soil 2 to 3 cm thick because they are dark germinators.
Keep substrate moist and wait
Keep the substrate evenly moist. It is important that it is not wet, as this can quickly lead to the seeds rotting or the young plants dying. It takes about 6 weeks for the seeds to germinate.
Harvest or buy the seeds
You can harvest the seeds yourself. Normally the fruit ripening of the viper's head is between mid-August and the end of September. The seeds are located in the hermitage fruits, which are brown in color and dry when ripe. They are tiny, smooth and black – vaguely reminiscent of black sesame.
Tip
The leaf rosettes of Echium, which form in the first year, overwinter and the flowers only appear in the second year.
