- Plant spur flower correctly
- care tips
- Which location is suitable?
- The right planting distance
- What soil does the plant need?
- When is flowering time?
- Cut spur flower properly
- Watering the spur flower
- Fertilize spur flower properly
- hibernate
- Propagating spur flower
- How do I plant correctly?
- Is spurge poisonous?
- trivia
- Beautiful varieties
Has the industrious natural beauty not yet settled down on her own in your green realm? Then it is high time to settle the spur flower in sunny, warm and dry locations. With opulent panicles of flowers in white, pink or red over bushy, lanceolate foliage, Centranthus create floral opulence in beds and containers. Unanswered questions about this frugal perennial are answered here.
The spur flower enchants with its many delicate flowers
Table of Contents
Show all- Plant spur flower correctly
- care tips
- Which location is suitable?
- The right planting distance
- What soil does the plant need?
- When is flowering time?
- Cut spur flower correctly
- Watering the spur flower
- Fertilize spur flower properly
- hibernate
- Propagating spur flower
- How do I plant correctly?
- Is spurge poisonous?
- trivia
- Beautiful varieties
- Water spur flowers in the morning or evening when it is dry
- An organic start fertilization in April/May is advantageous, but not mandatory
- The be-all and end-all of care is to cut back by a third after the first bloom
- After pruning, further fertilization promotes reblooming
- Cut close to the ground either in autumn or early spring
- Albus: The hardy variety shines with bright white flowers from June to September
- Rose red: Fairytale Centranthus, whose light red flowers harmonize magically with the white flowering Albus
- Coccineus: Premium varieties whose crimson cymes add magical splashes of color to the garden
- Small Spurflower: A compact Centranthus with pink flowers and a dainty habit
Plant spur flower correctly
Late summer is considered the ideal planting time for fully grown young perennials. In the run-up to the work, place the still potted root balls in water. Meanwhile, the loose, sandy-humic to fresh soil is weeded and raked in the sunny location. At a distance of 45 to 50 cm, dig spacious planting holes that have 1.5 times the volume of the root ball. Mix some ripe compost, horn shavings (€32.93) or guano (€121.99) into the excavation. If the ground doesn't seem loose enough, a handful of sand will compensate. Plant the potted Centranthus in such a way that the previous planting depth is maintained and water them on. Ideally, the planting site can now be mulched with gravel or grit (€46.95), which keeps the soil warm longer and promotes root growth.
care tips
A look at the care program of a Centranthus proves its modest character. If the shrub finds the right location, proper cultivation is limited to the following measures:
In the first two years it makes sense to pile up the root disc with leaves, straw or brushwood. Once the frost hardness has developed, winter protection can be dispensed with in the following years.
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Which location is suitable?
The Mediterranean Centranthus feels at home in sunbeds that are warm and sheltered. It should be at least 6 hours of sunshine in the summer, stroking the lush panicles of flowers. In addition, the spur flower favors a sandy-dry to fresh soil that has first-class water drainage.
The right planting distance
Due to the broad bushy habit, the planting distance of a Centranthus should not be too small. In the best case, the distance to the neighboring bed should be between 45 and 50 cm, so that the flowers do not crowd each other. If the spur flower plants a larger area, we recommend an arrangement of 4 to 5 specimens per square meter, ideally not in rows.
What soil does the plant need?
Where the spur flower settles uninvited and yet warmly welcome, it prefers sandy-dry to fresh-moist soil. Therefore, choose a sunny location with soil that is humus-rich, loose and well-drained. The Centranthus does not make any unusual demands on the pH value, as long as it is in the neutral to alkaline range.
When is flowering time?
Mother Nature endowed the Spurflower with the ability to rebloom. The main bloom extends from June to August. If you then cut the Centranthus back by a third and add a little compost to the roots, it will give it another go for another bloom from September.
Cut spur flower properly
In the context of a successful cultivation of spurflowers, pruning and flowering time are closely related. If you cut back a Centranthus by a third after the main bloom in August, fresh buds will develop that will bloom in September. If this second bloom runs out of breath before the first frost, cut the perennial back to the ground. In this way, the plant finds enough time to gather new strength before next year's budding instead of investing its energy in seed formation.
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Watering the spur flower
The modest Centranthus is usually satisfied with the amount of rain. In dry summers, however, it makes sense to water the spur flower. In the morning or evening hours, pour the irrigation water directly onto the root disk using the spout of the jug. If the sensitive flower spikes are sprinkled with sunlight, every single drop of water turns into a magnifying glass that destroys the petals.
Fertilize spur flower properly
The addition of fertilizer to spur flowers is not absolutely necessary. Nevertheless, the perennial gratefully accepts an organic initial fertilization in April/May. Add compost, horn shavings, bark humus or granulated guano to the root disc to rake in the material easily. Repeating this measure after pruning in summer is beneficial for subsequent flowering.
hibernate
Since the frost hardiness of a Centranthus only develops over time, we recommend light winter protection in the first two years. After the autumn pruning, spread a layer of autumn leaves, brushwood or straw over the root disc. As soon as there is no more freezing frost in early spring, the protective layer is removed so that budding is not hindered.
Propagating spur flower
You can easily leave the further spread to a Centranthus, because it multiplies incessantly by self-sowing. In this case, do not cut back the plant in autumn, but only cut it in January/February. For targeted offspring, the only option available in the hobby garden is behind glass, since division or propagation by cuttings usually comes to nothing.
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How do I plant correctly?
Since the Centranthus develops a strong, fleshy taproot as a valerian plant, it does not survive a change of location. Since injury to the deep-reaching roots can hardly be avoided when transplanting, we advise against this measure. This goes hand in hand with the fact that rejuvenation or division of the perennial is rarely crowned with success.
Is spurge poisonous?
As a subfamily of the valerian family, Centranthus is one of the harmless perennials. No questionable substances flow through the delicate plant veins, so that the spurflower is ideal for cultivation in the family garden. Even the red spurge (Centranthus ruber) used as a medicinal herb contains neither essential oils nor alkaloids.
trivia
The red spur flower (Centranthus ruber) contains a herbal active ingredient that gave it the nickname "herb of immortality". The plant species contains up to 5% valepotriates, more than true medicinal valerian has to offer. A balancing effect is attributed to this plant substance. The medicinal herb has a sedative effect on fluttering nerves, while it awakens spirits in the event of signs of fatigue. The magical leaves are consumed as tea or fresh in a salad.