How to grow ironweed from seed

 

Actually the Ironweed plant is native to the South and Midwest. The Ironweed plant can be found naturally in old unused pastures. The plant produces vivid, purple clusters of blooms in late summer and fall. The plant is generally thought of as an undesirable plant due to its ability to rapidly propagate and spread throughout an entire garden. The Ironweed plant seeds are light and detach from the tip of the blooms. Anytime the ironweed plant is in bloom on a windy day, the plant will be propagated throughout the garden. You can save this plant for a wildflower garden or wildlife habitat. The flower’s sweet nectar attracts monarch butterflies.

The ironweed seeds can be obtained either from an existing flower or from your local garden center. One of the best time to actually do this is in late fall, directly before the first frost. Purchase a large amount of ironweed seeds (fifty or more) to ensure adequate cross-pollination.

Furthermore, find an area that is large, wide, sparse and far away from any garden that needs special tending. The ironweed flowers spread very easily and they can crowd out your desirable plants if given the chance. Make sure you look for an area with full to partial sun in rocky or sandy soil.

You have to till the soil in the desired location. No compost or fertilizer will be needed for the soil.

Sow the ironweed seeds directly below the soil, about an inch deep. Plant the ironweed seeds about six inches to a foot apart. The ironweed plant grows three to five feet in height with about six inch wide flower clusters. Planting more than six inches apart will ensure a thick bundle of blooms without the flowers crowding each other out.

Firm the soil over the ironweed seeds and also keep the soil moist but never soaked. The ironweed plant seeds will germinate in winter and should sprout up in spring. Once they sprout, the ironweed flowers will gradually establish themselves and they will no longer need watering or tending.  

 

Tips: Make sure you always sow the ironweed seed directly before the first frost. The ironweed plant seeds actually need cold soil temperatures to properly germinate and sprout.

Don’t ever plant ironweed near a garden. The ironweed plant flower propagates naturally and its roots establish themselves 1 foot deep into the soil. Ironweed plants are extremely hard to get rid of once the flower has been allowed to grow to a stage of maturity.