Astrantia Major Ruby Wedding

A rich ruby colour with just sufficient white at the flower base to emphasize the wonderful colour. Choice. 24".

How to Grow Astrantia from Seed

Astrantias are loved by both flower arrangers and gardeners. They perform best in a moist soil and will make good ground cover if planted in groups. Astrantia works equally well in a woodland edge or in a mixed border, shaded by shrubs and deciduous trees. Plant Astrantia with your Hostas for added slug protection, slugs do not like Astrantias making them ideal companion plants for a more organic slug control method.

For arranging, cut Astrantia stems under water with a sharp knife and remove all of the leaves that will be beneath the water line. Hydrate in warm water for a minimum of two hours before storing or using. Astrantia is also excellent for drying, cut the stems before the seed sets, then turn the flowers upside down and hang in a cool, airy place to dry.

Astrantia seeds need a period of moisture and cold to break their dormancy and allow the seed to germinate. This can be artificially stimulated by placing the seed on moistened compost in a sealed polythene bag and storing in a refrigerator for 3 to 5 weeks at around 4°C / 39°F. Light also aids germination so the seeds need only the lightest of covering with compost once removed from the fridge, but avoid direct sunlight.

Once seeds are brought back up to 65-70F germination should take about 21 to 30 days.

Prick out each seedling as it becomes large enough to handle and transplant into individual 3 inch pots and move to a cooler area, 7C to 10C ideal, to grow on. Gradually acclimatise to outdoor conditions for 10 to 15 days before planting out.

Positioning a compost filled seed tray beneath flowering Astrantia where ripe seed can fall, and leaving it in situ over winter into spring has proven to be a successful self-sowing method of raising Astrantia seedlings.