Please find for sale 20+ fresh Astrantia Major Primadonna seeds. Also known as Masterwort, Astrantias are hugely underrated - they have everything it takes to please the home gardener: beautiful star-shaped flowers in an interesting range of colours, a long blooming period, attractive foliage, excellent cold hardiness, ease of cultivation. It remains, however, little known to the average gardener. Only the most informed gardeners seem to appreciate it and use it!
PLEASE NOTE: All orders received before 8pm (Mon-Fri) will be dispatched same day
SAVE PACKAGING MATERIALS - SEE OTHER INTERESTING & UNUSUAL SEEDS & PLANTS IN MY SHOP
Exposure: sun, partial shade, shade
Soil: rich and humid
Flowering period: July-September
Propagation: seeds or division once established
Uses: mixed flower bed, mass planting, naturalization, groundcover, shade garden, wildflower meadow, pond edge, cut flower, butterfly garden
Germination Guide
Sow in UK from December to April
Use seed trays of moist well-draining compost - ideally be a well draining 50/50 mix of regular compost and vermiculite
Sow seeds pressing lightly into (but not under) the surface
Do not cover - seeds require light for germination
Place tray in unheated greenhouse or shed by the window (the seeds require a period of cold for optimum germination)
Germination usually takes 25-50 days depending on conditions.
Thin seedlings to stop them getting leggy
Plant out in final position once risk of frost has passed
TOP TIP! Don't use all your seeds in the same tray just in case rot sets in.
Olly's General Guide to Seed Sowing!
I love sowing seeds and it runs in the family - dad, granddad and finally my great-granddad for whom the hobby helped him get over his experiences in the Great War. I still get a big kick when I see the first seedliing poking through from a new plant that I have never sown before or been successful at. However, even the most experienced gardeners draw "blanks" from time to time. Whilst I sow all the seeds that I sell so I know that they are viable, some are trickier than others and problems can arise so here are some tips to make "blanks" few and far between:
1) Dont Rush! Tempting though it is when that packet arrives in the post to simply bung the seeds in some compost!
2) Google and YouTube are your friends! Take some time so see the methods other people use to germinate the seed.
3) Think Nature! What conditions do seeds face? For example a seed from a tropical plant will fall to the warm, wet and dark jungle floor. A seed from the mountains of Europe will fall to the floor in Autumn, then have to endure months of freezing temperatures before germinating in the spring. So as growers, what we are trying to do is to simulate the conditions that the seeds will naturally experience and there are plenty of tricks that can be done to short cut the processes somewhat.
4) Good compost pays dividends . The best investment you can make is to purchase three bags - one of potting compost, one of vermiculite and one of horticultural sand. With these three bags I can make up whatever soil type a particular seed likes (although for most seeds I find a 50/50 mix of compost and vermiculite works just fine)
5) Rot is your enemy. The single biggest danger to seed germination is rot - either before or after "damping off" the seeds germinate. To reduce the risk, ensure you have good free draining soil mix and that it is moist but not wet. Unless the seed variety absolutely requires it I prefer NOT to cover my seeds trays with plastic bags, Whilst germination is often faster this way, it greatly increases the risk of rot. I prefer to place my seed trans inside a watertight plastic tray and water from the bottom - airflow over the surface reduces the risk.
Overseas Orders
Buyers please note that they are responsible for any local customs duties or other taxes in their local country and should also ensure compliance with an biosecurity regulations. If you want international tracking, please message me before placing order as this can be expensive.
Problem? Don't rush to Feedback - get in touch and I will sort it out!
