Strawflowers For A Cutting Garden
Strawflowers may be one of the coolest flowers for a cutting garden. They are so much more than just beautiful. Strawflowers are easy to grow, resistant to deer and rabbits (not deer/rabbit proof, though, so plant extras), they outlast any other flower in a bouquet, and they can be used fresh as well as dried.
The best reason to grow strawflowers, in my opinion, is for cutting. The blooms are beautiful and last so long in a fresh bouquet. Strawflowers outlast most other flowers. When you give someone a bouquet with strawflowers, they will always reach out to touch it, and will ask “Are these real?”. Strawflowers feel like paper, sound like straw/paper, but are very much alive! They are so cool!
The best way to grow strawflowers is by starting seeds indoors (if you’re in a colder climate like me in zone 6). This year I’m growing Vintage White (new to me this year), Silvery Pink (favorite for 3 years running), and Swiss Giants Mix (this mix has some really neat shades of orange and red for fall bouquets).
Strawflowers are a Hardy Annual Cool Flower
Strawflowers are a cold hardy annual. That means they can actually withstand a light frost. This is going to sound crazy, but trust me here – – You can start strawflowers 12 weeks before your last frost, and then plant them outside 6 weeks before your last frost. Sounds confusing, but I’ll explain!
My last frost in Pittsburgh, PA is roughly May 15. I start strawflowers 12 weeks before that, so mid-February, and plant them out in early April (6 weeks before May 15). They will still get hit with frost, but they can take it.
The best part about cool flowers (hardy annuals) is that by getting these flowers outside in April, I have more space under my grow lights for my summer crops, like tomatoes, zucchini, and loads more cut flowers (zinnias, gomphrena, sunflower, etc).
What you’ll want to do is find your last average frost by checking this calculator. I like to add 2 weeks to this date as it tells me my last frost is in April…not a chance. It’s in May. See what date it gives you, and add 2 weeks.
Once you have your last frost (it’s an estimate, but it gets you started), count back 12 weeks (or ask Alexa…that’s what I do). That’s when you should start strawflowers inside, under grow lights (I use cheap shop lights). Let the strawflowers grow for about 6 weeks, harden them off, and then plant them outside 4-6 weeks before your last frost.
Don’t put them out more than 6 weeks early! One year I put my strawflower seedlings outside in mid-March. We had 3 nights where the temperature dipped into the teens. That’s unlikely for us here, zone 6, in March, but it happened. The leaves of the strawflowers were killed, but the roots lived. All of my strawflowers were delayed in blooming by a few weeks. So, lesson learned. Light frost is okay, deep frost isn’t.
How to Grow Strawflowers From Seed
Step 1: Pour boiling water into your seed starting mix to kill any fungus gnat eggs. They are gross and will hatch after you water your plants. Guess how I found out…boil first!
Dump your bag of seed starting mix into a large bowl or bin (I use a plastic tote for mixing and storage) and then carefully pour boiling water over it. Mix well and then smooth the mix down to trap in the heat. Cover with a lid and let the mix cool overnight. This should kill most of the eggs.
If you skip this step (you shouldn’t), moisten your seed starting mix with water. It should look like crumbled chocolate cake. You don’t want to start with dry mix. Your seeds will wash away when you try to water them.
Step 2: Fill your seed tray /soil blocks with your sterilized seed starting mix.
I’ve used seed starting trays for years but switched over to soil blocking last year. You can start strawflowers from seed in either seed trays (left image) or soil blocks (right image).
Step 3: Place 1 or 2 tiny seeds in a cell or on a soil block right on the surface. I like to use tweezers to press the seed into the soil so it sticks. Don’t bury the seed! It needs light to germinate (grow).
In the picture below you can see the tiny seed on the end of the tweezers.
Step 4: Once you’ve planted all of your seeds, lightly mist water over your plants and cover it with a humidity dome (remove the dome once 75% of the strawflowers have germinated).
Put your tray under lights immediately as light helps aid germination. It should take about 7-10 days. Keep your lights on for 14-16 hours per day. Using a cheap timer helps!
Step 5: You’ll need to mist the seeds once or twice per day until you see germination (a green set of leaves). After that, check on the strawflowers daily. They may need watered every day, or every other day.
How Big are Strawflowers?
The blooms of your strawflowers are about 2″. They are an adorably gorgeous accent flower. So much so that I’m growing less zinnias this year and more strawflowers! Zinnias need deer protection while strawflowers don’t (in my yard, but deer preferences vary). So strawflowers are extra valuable for me.
The plants are tall and kind of gangly. If you’re planting strawflowers in your flower beds as pretty flowers, plant them behind something shorter and pretty. The foliage of the strawflower plant is just kind of blah, and not much to look at.
Strawflowers will be at least 36″ tall if you pinch them back. When your plants are about 12″ tall, pinch off the central stem to a set of leaves about 6-9″ high. This will help your plant branch out, create more flowers, and spend less time growing tall. I’ve had some of my strawflowers hit 5′ tall when I didn’t pinch them back…and they gave me less flowers with over-thick stems.
When to Cut Strawflowers in a Cutting Garden
If you are growing strawflowers in your cutting garden, you will be so thrilled with your bouquets! Make sure to cut the flowering stems when the outer 2-4 layers of petals have opened.
It’s also a good idea to tilt the stem of the flower back and forth a few times before cutting. If the head flops around, it needs another day or two. A rigid stem is good for cutting.
If you can see the center of the flower, it’s too far gone. Cut it off about 12″ -18″ down so a new flower can grow.
How Long Will They Last When Cut?
Forever! Okay, not really, but they last a really long time. Growers say to expect 7-10 days of vase life from strawflowers, but I think it’s more like 2 weeks.
In my flower arrangements, I usually pitch the dead flowers and then put the strawflowers into a bud vase where they live for a couple more weeks. It’s the gift that keeps on giving!
If you hang them upside down they will dry and stay true to color. These really are the coolest plants!
A Must Have Flower for the Cutting Garden
Another really great growing habit of strawflowers is they flower until killed be a fall frost. Many hardy annuals are cool flowers, meaning they like the cool spring weather and then die when the heat of summer kicks in. But strawflowers just keep pumping out the blooms through the fall.
Your only job once they start flowering is to keep cutting. As long as you keep cutting the flowers, they will keep producing new blooms for you. When the flowers go to seed (when it’s left on too long) the plant will slow down production. So don’t let that happen! Keep cutting.
Whether this is your first or tenth year growing a cutting garden, make sure to add Strawflowers to your cut garden list and get those seeds started now!
I’ll keep this post updated with how the seedlings are doing through when they flower this summer, so make sure to check back in.
I’m happy to answer any questions you may have…I can always talk gardening! Thanks for stopping by!
