How to Grow Thrift From Seeds

Thrift, or Armeria maritima, charms gardeners with its grasslike foliage and dainty flower clusters, which emerge in a range of white and pink shades. Despite its delicate appearance, thrift will withstand harsh growing conditions such as drought, poor soil and exposure to salty ocean air, sending up its carnation-like flowers year after year with minimal care or attention. Seeds provide the most reliable means of growing new thrift plants. It is best to sow the seeds directly into the garden in fall at least six weeks before the first expected frost.

Rotary tiller
Garden hose with adjustable nozzle
Straw

Instructions

- 1
  Select and prepare a bed for the thrift seeds six to eight weeks before the first expected frost of autumn. Choose a sunny bed with good drainage away from overhanging shrubbery or dense vegetation.
- 2
  Break up the soil in the chosen bed using a rotary tiller or a handheld soil cultivator. Loosen and work the soil to a depth of at least 6 inches. Remove stones, sticks or other debris present in the bed.
- 3
  Smooth out the surface of the soil. Sprinkle small pinches of thrift seed across the surface of the bed as evenly as possible. Do not cover the seeds, as light aids germination.
- 4
  Water the bed thoroughly after sowing the thrift seeds. Use a garden hose with an adjustable nozzle set to "shower" when watering the bed. Wet the soil to a depth of 3 inches. Maintain moisture at that depth during germination.
- 5
  Watch for signs of sprouting in two weeks. Thin the thrift seedlings to one every 6 inches as soon as they grow to 2 inches in height.
- 6
  Spread a 1-inch-thick layer of straw between the thrift plants to protect the roots during the autumn and winter. Remove the straw in spring when soil temperatures reach 55 degrees Fahrenheit.

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