Tag Archive for: Optimal

Tip #3 Time of Sowing

Everlastings can be sown at any time of year if you have a water supply. It is not recommended, however, to plant during the hot summer months as any germinating plant will struggle. It is best to plant during a regular growing season from April-May to August. If you plant in Feb-March and supply optimal nutrition, there is a chance the plants may become top-heavy and fall over with the weight of the flowerhead. If you sow after March-April, plants will be more able to hold their weight, as there is not enough growing season time for them to grow too tall. Alternatively, if you plant in September, the plant has to grow very quickly to flower at the normal time in spring. The later you sow, the shorter they will grow. Late plantings are best for sowing pot plants because often you do not want them to become too ‘leggy’, producing more plant than flowers.

Additionally, the later into the growing season they are seeded, the longer they will take to germinate and come out of the ground. This is particularly true for winter planting because the soil is colder and less conducive for a seed to become active. Sowing in the warmer autumn months, a seed can become a seedling in about two days! In the cold of winter, this can extend to 10-14 days. They will all come up eventually… be patient!! Of course, Australia is a vast land with different climates, and the time of sowing should be altered to be conducive for seeding an annual temperate plant. Frost will not hinder Everlastings, so this is something you do not need to take into consideration when determining sowing times.