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When to Plant Cleome?

A fast-growing annual flower, the cleome, or spider flower, hails from south-central South America. Sunny weather and warm soil cause seeds to germinate, and the plants prosper until frost kills plants. In regions with long growing seasons, multiple generations of spider flowers grow in one year. As the flowers fade and drop seeds, they germinate and replace the parent plant, which withers.

  1. Time Frame

    • Since plants are not tolerant of frost, spider flower seed is sown after the last killing frost date in late winter or spring. Germination occurs quickly when soil temperatures are above 64 degrees Fahrenheit. In Florida or Southern California, seeds may be sown in February; in Minnesota, not until May. During the growing season, many gardeners practice successive sowing, so a continual supply of plants come into flower up until a killing frost in fall or early winter.

    Sowing Seeds

    • The best soil for growing spider flower is primarily sand with organic matter, although they can prosper in loamy soil types, too. Plant the seeds where the plants are to grow in the garden, in a sunny spot where they receive at least six hours of rays. Cover the tan to brown seeds, each the size of large pin heads, with 1/8 inch to 1/4 inch of soil. Do not plant spider flower in heavy soils that do not drain quickly or in mucky soils. Insufficient sunlight inhibits growth and flowering.

    Gathering Seed

    • Once butterflies pollinate the blossoms on the spider flower stem, a long, slender seed capsule develops. They are initially green but ripen to tan and stick out from the stem. Once dry, the capsule splits open and scatters seed to the ground where they germinate on their own. Alternatively, gardeners may cut off the plump capsules as they first begin to change from light green to tan. Place them in a shallow tray or paper envelope to capture any seeds that fall out once the capsule fully dries and opens.

    Caution

    • In regions with a warm, subtropical climate and sandy soils, spider flower proliferates and spreads quickly. Often seeds and new plants sprout up in the marginal parts of the landscape and with a fast life cycle, even more plant generations occur with a few months. Hoe or pull up unwanted volunteer seedlings in the garden to contain them and limit any weediness.

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Growing Annuals
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