Growing healthy statice in 5 easy steps

Perfect for the outdoor garden or a vase inside, statice has been a longtime favourite of gardeners. Here's how you could grow a beautiful bounty of statice.

The strongest statice colour has traditionally been blue, a flower colour that's always in demand. But blue isn't the only colour available. Here are some popular varieties:

• For a vigorous plant with classic blue flowers, look for 'Azure.' The variety is prized for its pure colour.
• If you like variety, newer types show varying shades of blue, cream, yellow or red.
• 'Forever Moonlight' bears large, yellow flowers on strong, square stems.
• 'Pastel Shades' is a 35-centimetre-tall (14-inch-tall) mixture with several soft colours including fawn, mauve and apricot.
• Bolder hues are the strong suit of the Fortress and Soiree series, which produce 45 centimetre (18 inch) stems that are suitable for cutting.
• Russian statice has an entirely different look from traditional statice. These spectacular plants have 45 centimetre (18 inch) stems covered with tiny, star-shaped pink flowers.

• When finding a site for your statice, drainage is all-important.
• Sandy soil enriched with organic matter is ideal. Heavy clay must be substantially lightened with compost or other organic matter to make it acceptable.
• Raised beds or pots may be the easiest answer for gardeners with dense clay soil.

• Bedding plants of statice are a rare find at garden centres, so plan to start seeds indoors eight weeks before your last spring frost.
• Sow seeds in a container of moistened seed-starting soil and cover with a dusting of soil.
• Place the container in a sunny window and keep the medium constantly moist until the seedlings have several sets of mature leaves.

• Begin setting the seedlings outdoors to accustom them to the weather, called hardening off, while temperatures are cool.
• Chilling the seedlings outdoors through 2°C to 10°C spring nights actually aids their growth. This is especially important where hot weather arrives soon after winter.

• Statice bloom best if drenched with a soluble, all-purpose plant food. Apply as directed once a month during the growing season.
• Statice may contract root rot is the roots are exposed to wet soil for prolonged periods. This causes them to collapse unexpectedly and wither.

For beautiful statice, be sure to pick a variety that you'll love and give the seedlings an environment they need. If you do, you could have healthy statice flowers to brighten your garden and home.