Armeria maritima seed germination ,Growing ,Care, and Use.

America maritima is known as ' sea thrift'. It is also very tolerant of copper and can grow in areas of high copper soil content where most other plants will die.


SPECIFICATION OF AMERICA MARITIMA

Season: perennial
USDA Zones: 3 - 10
Height: 8 - 10 inches
Bloom Season: Summer through fall
Bloom Color: Yellow
Environment: Full sun
Soil Type: Well-drained, pH 5.8 to 6.8
Temperature: 70F
Average Germ Time: 14 - 21 days
Light Required: full sun
Depth: 1/4 inch
Sowing Rate: 2- 3 seeds per plant
Moisture: Keep seeds moist until germination
Plant Spacing: 8 - 12 inches
Cold treatment: 7 - 10 days

Description:   

Sea Thrift is a useful edging plant consisting of tufts of a narrow 4-8 inch long linear, grass-like leaves that spread to form small colonies over time. Held well above the foliage on 12 inch-tall thin, leafless stems are 1-1 ½ inch diameter dome-shaped blooms comprised of many small flowers. Blooms occur in shades of mauve to rosy-pink and last for about three weeks. Plants are sturdy, durable and tolerant of light foot traffic and salt water spray.

Uses/Culture:  

Suitable for container gardening, cottage gardens, edging, mixed beds and borders, and walkways. Plants perform best in sunny, well-drained areas of the garden with some afternoon shade provided. Sea thrift also grows well in other less than ideal conditions, including clay and poor, sandy soils. Sow seeds direct to garden in late summer for blooms the following season or indoors under warm, humid conditions 4-6 weeks prior to last expected spring frost in your area for first season blooms.

Germination Requirements: 

Most important: Avoid Rainy day or a cloudy weather for sowing the seeds.

You will definitely get nothing unless waiting for the bright sunny day and clear weather.
Please check the forecast before sowing the seeds on the following website :
http://www.msn.com/en-gb/weather?wealocations=wc:inxx0038
Select your Area
Check the local weather. It will let you know whether forecast for about 7 days of your city

Use a flat tray container about 10 inches by 15 inches (biggest or smaller your choice) 1.5 to 2 inches deep. Make sure you have plenty of holes in it for good water drainage.Take equal quantity of sand, soil and vermicompost. Put the seedling mix you prepared up to almost top leaving about 0.5 inches space. Soak the seeds in warm water for 8 hours before sowing.

As the seeds are perfect in size now we can put the seeds over it by 1/3 after that cover the seeds with seedling mix only about 0.5 cm (half a centimetre). Water it by watering can.Germination occurs in 2-3 weeks under warm, moist and humid conditions. place the container in a semi-shaded place. Sprinkle diluted fungicide water (2gm in 1-litre water) after sowing the seeds.We have to care about putting the seed because seeds will not go deep into the mixture.

Site and soil

The most important requirement for growing seasonal flower seeds successfully is a location with plenty of light. Seeds need at least five or six hours of good sunlight but not direct, under semi-shadow they'll perform even better when located in full sun all day. The more shade they receive, the fewer flowers they'll produce.

It's always useful to improve the garden soil by conditioning it with organic matter, such as baled peat moss, well-rotted leaf compost or manure.
Spread the organic matter two to three inches thick. Then incorporate it into the soil to a depth of eight to ten inches, using a rototiller or garden fork. This helps open up heavy clay soil, which improves drainage but can also increase the ability of light, sandy soil to hold moisture and nutrients.

If you intend to sow Armeria seeds outdoors, they should be sowed on the surface and lightly covered with soil in the early spring or early autumn. If you prefer to grow seedlings indoor then seeds should be prepared about ten weeks before they are due to be put out (early spring).