The poisonous spider flower is a very decorative annual summer flower and is therefore one of the light germinators. Their seeds are hardy and can germinate for several years. Long spider-leg-like stamens are responsible for the German name of Cleome spinosa.
The spider flower is a light germinator and also self-seeds
What is meant by light germination?
Light germinators are seeds that need light to germinate. If you cover them with too much soil, they will not germinate or only very sporadically. As a rule, the seeds of the annual summer flowers, which self-seed, belong to the light germinators. The reason for this is very simple.
The seeds ripen and fall to the ground. New plants are supposed to develop there next year without anyone doing anything about it. They simply germinate by themselves. Most of the time, the seeds are still lying on the ground, perhaps a bit of earth has blown over them. If darkness were required to germinate, as with dark germinators, then very few seeds would germinate.
When and where is the best time to sow the spider flower?
It is ideal to sow the spider flower in a heated greenhouse or on the windowsill. Then you can count on relatively early and long flowering from July to late autumn. If you sprinkle seeds on potting soil that has already been moistened, then they will not be washed away so easily when watering afterwards.
During germination, the seeds should be kept moist and warm. This is easy to do in a mini greenhouse or if you stretch a transparent film over the cultivation vessel. However, make sure to ventilate regularly, otherwise the seeds and later the seedlings could rot. The germination temperature is 18-20 °C. If it is too cold for the spider flower, then it will be a long time coming.
The essentials in brief:
- light germinator
- not or only very thinly covered with soil
- seeds hardy
- needs heat to germinate
tips
As a light germinator, the seeds of the spider flower are not covered with soil. In addition, they only germinate when it is warm enough for them.