How to Grow Edelweiss From Seed

Edelweiss charms many gardeners with its silvery foliage and starry white flowers, which add striking visual interest to meadow or woodland-style gardens. Although they are short-lived, edelweiss plants reproduce readily from seed and will grow anew each year if planted in a cool, moist bed. However, it is best to start edelweiss seeds indoors six to eight weeks before planting them out in the garden since they are slow to establish and succumb easily to erratic temperature fluctuations and dry soil.

4-inch starter pots
Seedling compost
Propagation mat

Instructions

- 1
  Prepare a pot for each edelweiss plant desired. Fill 4-inch starter pots with neutral, non-acidic seedling compost. Do not pack or firm the seedling compost.
- 2
  Sprinkle four or five edelweiss seeds onto the surface of the seedling compost in each starter pot. Do not cover the seeds since light exposure aids germination.
- 3
  Drizzle water over the edelweiss seeds to settle the compost around them. Add water to the pots until the seedling compost feels saturated at a depth of 1 inch.
- 4
  Position the starter pots near a large window where they will receive six to eight hours of light exposure each day. Choose a spot where temperatures stay around 70 F at all times.
- 5
  Apply bottom heat to the edelweiss seeds using a propagation mat if a naturally warm location is unavailable.
- 6
  Water the edelweiss seeds whenever the surface of the seedling compost feels dry when pressed. Add just enough water to wet the compost at a depth of 1 inch.
- 7
  Watch for germination three weeks after sowing. Thin out the edelweiss seedlings so only the largest, healthiest one remains in each starter pot.
- 8
  Keep the edelweiss seedlings under cool, bright conditions until one week after the last spring frost, then plant them 10 inches apart in a partially shaded bed with sandy, draining soil.

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