How to Grow Globe Thistle Flowers From Seeds

Globe thistle flowers are a prickly addition to the garden.

For those wanting a low-maintenance plant in the garden, the globe thistle flower (Echinops ritro) may fit the bill. It has thorny, steel blue globe-shaped flowers which bloom from mid-summer to fall and grow best in U.S. Department of Agriculture growing zones 3 to 8. These flowers will get fairly tall, 2 to 4 feet, and can be used either fresh or dried in flower bouquets. Starting the flowers from seeds ahead of planting time gives a head start to the plant blooming. Globe thistle flowers are perennials so they will grow for years in the home garden.

Things You'll Need

• 4-inch peat pots
• Potting soil
• Watering can
• Shovel
• Soaker hose

Instructions

1. Start the globe thistle flower seeds indoors about eight weeks before the last anticipated frost of the season. Fill 4-inch peat pots with potting soil to the rim and moisten the soil clear through with water.

2. Place three flower seeds in each pot, spaced evenly apart. Push the seeds into the soil about 1/8 inch, but do not cover with more soil. Place the pots in front of a south facing window, but do not set in the window sill which can get too cold. Water the seeds every day to keep the soil moist and provide a warm temperature of at least 60 degrees F.

3. Transplant the globe thistle seedlings to an area that receives full sun. Some partial afternoon shade is tolerated, especially in locations with extremely hot summers.

4. Prepare the soil in late March or early April after the last frost. Loosen the soil with a shovel, and remove any large clods of dirt and rocks. Add a bucket full of humus to enrich the soil and make it well draining.

5. Dig a hole that is twice the size of the seedling's roots, spacing them 2 feet apart. Carefully remove the seedlings from the peat pots--keeping only the strongest, which have two sets of true leaves.

6. Place a seedling into each hole and fill in the hole with remaining soil. Tamp down the soil around the base of the plant.

7. Water the seedlings well after planting and keep them watered every other day so the soil stays moist. The key to globe thistle flowers growing well, is keeping them well watered. Use a soaker hose for deep watering.

8. Deadhead or remove any dead flowers with bypass pruners. This keeps the flowers tidy looking and prevents the plant from reseeding.

Tips & Warnings

• According to University of Vermont Extension, seed is the preferred method of propagation for globe thistles as the plant's long tap root makes it difficult to divide.

• Cut globe thistle flowers in the middle of summer to use as cut flowers.

• Globe thistle flowers can also be dried by simply placing in a vase without water.

References

• University Of Illinois Extension: Globe Thistle (Echinops ritro)
• University of Vermont Extension: Propagation of Perennials