Numerous seeds form from the beautiful inflorescences of thistles. They are used to reproduce plants and are also valuable food for birds. In addition, high-quality safflower oil can be obtained from them.
How do I harvest and use thistle seeds?
Thistle seeds are small, self-containing fruits that arise from inferior ovaries and ensure the propagation of the thistle plant. You can harvest the seeds as soon as the petals turn into hairs or bristles and sow them in spring.
What do thistle seeds look like?
The thistles, which belong to the composite familyform closing fruits (achenes) In this special form of nuts, which emerge from inferior ovaries, the pericarp and seed coat are very close together. The sepals, which have been transformed into a crown of hair (pappus), ensure that the seeds spread widely and the thistles multiply.
Can I collect thistle seeds myself?
As soon asthepetalsof the thistlesconvert into hair or bristles, you canHarvesting seeds:
- Cut off the spent inflorescence.
- Carefully remove the seed capsules.
- If the individual seeds cannot be pulled out yet, let them dry for a few days.
- To do this, place the thistles in a bowl lined with kitchen paper and cover with newspaper.
- Pack thistle fruits in paper bags, label them and store in a cool, dry place until sowing.
How are thistle seeds sown?
Many thistles are biennial and should therefore besown in the bed every year, grown indoorsorpropagated by self-sowing.
- Since many thistles are both cold and warm germinators, the plants do not place any particular demands on the germination temperature.
- Sow the prickly beauties directly outdoors between March and April.
- Alternatively, you can grow these indoors from February and transplant them into the garden after the Ice Saints.
- Cover thistle seeds only very thinly with soil, because they germinate in light.
How long does it take for thistle seeds to germinate?
How quickly the seeds germinatedepends on the speciesand the ambient temperature. Oftenthe first cotyledons appear after just a few days. However, this can take up to three weeks.
Can you buy thistle seeds?
You can get thistle seeds in any well-stocked gardening store. In particular the seeds of popular thistles and ecologically valuable representatives of this large plant genus such as
- Ball Thistle,
- Man litter,
- Milk thistle,
- Card Thistle,
- Silver thistle,
- Safflower,
- Ivory Thistle,
belong to the standard range.
Tip
Thistles are ecologically very valuable
The attractive flowers of thistles are an important source of food for bees and butterflies. If you don't cut back the seed heads, many birds, especially the goldfinch, will be happy about the nutritious seeds, which are extremely tasty winter food for the animals.
