How to Grow Lychnis Chalcedonica

From Seeds

• 1

  Fill a 4-inch starter pot two-thirds full with potting soil. Firm the soil. Fill the rest of the starter pot with loose potting soil.

• 2

  Place two Lychnis chalcedonica seeds on the surface of the soil. Shake the pot gently to nestle the seeds into the surface of the soil. Do not cover the seeds.

• 3

  Mist the soil with cool water from a spray bottle. Spritz the soil two or three times, or until the top 1/4 inch is moist.

• 4

  Place the starter pot on a warming mat with the temperature set to 68 degrees F near a source of bright light such as a large window.

• 5

  Watch for germination in 10 to 20 days. Remove the weaker of the two Lychnis chalcedonica seedlings from the pot.

• 6

  Transplant the Lychnis chalcedonica seedling into a sunny, fertile bed as soon as it puts on two sets of fully formed leaves.

From Divisions

• 7

  Water the Lychnis chalcedonica plant thoroughly before dividing it. Run water at the base for at least 10 minutes to moisten the soil to a depth of 4 inches.

• 8

  Measure out 3 inches around all sides of the plant. Dig down to a depth of 4 inches along the 3-inch mark. Use a shovel or a garden trowel, depending on the size of the plant.

• 9

  Work the blade of the shovel underneath the plant using a scooping motion. Slide the blade back and forth to sever the roots connecting the plant to the soil beneath.

• 10

  Lift the plant from the ground and set it in a cool, shaded spot. Cut it into divisions of equal size measuring at least 2 square inches. Use a gardening knife or other bladed implement to cut the divisions.

• 11

  Transplant the Lychnis chalcedonica divisions into the ground as soon as possible. Plant each division to its original depth in a bed with the same growing conditions as the parent plant.

• 12

  Water the divisions thoroughly after transplanting them. Run a hose onto each division for five minutes to saturate the soil.

• 13

  Watch for renewed growth in two to three weeks. Pinch back any flower buds that appear for the first month after transplant to force the plant into putting its energy toward root production.