Statice

March 20, 2023

Life Cycle	Annual
Zone 5 Treatment	Can plant seedlings outside about 2 weeks before last frost. (They can tolerate down to about 28ish degrees F) Since they do bloom well into the late summer, don’t risk it if the temps are questionable. You can also plant the seedlings right around the last frost date and you’ll still get lots of blooms.
Seedling Care	Transplant within 2 weeks of receiving otherwise the roots can get too crowded and harm the overall health of the plant.
Netting / Staking	No
Temperature Range They Will Tolerate	28-90 degrees F
Spacing/Height	8” spacing12-18” height
Soil Preference	Nutrient rich, break up heavy clay soils and amend with compost to allow better root potential
How to cut for maximum blooms	Harvest when all of the flowers on a stem are open. Cut deep, almost to ground level for maximum stem length along with maximum potential to keep re-growing more and more stems. Superb dried flower that holds its color almost completely. Hang upside down if you want to use it for dried creations later.
Pinching	No
When to Plant if you are NOT in Zone 5	A couple weeks before your last frost (when its going to be reliably above 28 degrees around the clock)
Post Harvest Care	Room temp water with flower food. Take off all of the leaves and foliage. Leaves and foliage of any cut flower should never be submerged underwater because they decay quickly in water and cause a fast build up of bacteria.
Diseases / Insects	Anthracnose – fungal disease that causes circular spots on the leaves. Treatment: no treatment, prevention only which includes enough space between plants for aeration, do not overwater, and mulch the soil to prevent spore spread. Aphids – greenish, red, black or peach colored sucking insects that feed on leaves. Sticky residue. Treatment – natural predators like ladybugs and parasitic wasps. Resource for otherwise organically controlling aphids:https://www.arbico-organics.com/category/aphid-control-prevention-ipm Armyworm – holes in leaves or skeletonized leaves. You might see egg clusters with a fuzzy appearance. Treatment: spray with neem oil mixed with dish soap. Mealybugs – flat wingless insects that secrete a white powder that forms a waxy shell around them. They form cottony masses on leaves and stems. They suck the moisture out of the plant that causes growth stunting. Organic treatment : Azamax or Neem Oil Spider Mites – tiny spider like pests are red, black, brown, or yellow and are about the size of a grain of pepper. They suck on the plant and remove its chlorophyll while injecting toxins that cause white dots on the leaves. Organic treatment: Neem oil and/or mix dish soap and water and spray the leaves. Thrips: needle thin insects that are black or tan. They suck the moisture out of the plant and attack petals, leaves, and stems The plant will look discolored and have a silvery flecked leaf appearance.Organic treatment: aluminum foil spread between plants and neem oil spray.
Sweet Pea’s Notes	The floral “meaning” of statice is historically “I Miss You”. These are a staple for a dried supply and an excellent filler flower for bouquets. Statice is also known as Sea Lavender because it grows in abundance near the sea and thrives in harsh, slaty, coastal conditions.
Vase Life	7-10 days fresh. Infinity if dried