Phacelia Lilac is a very easy to grow and sown, self-seeding striking and unusual plant. The white till light lilac, fuzzy, feather-like flowers have very thick, sturdy, light green stems and are surrounded by light green deeply cut leaves. Very well suited for the annual border, in the bees and butterfliesgarden, for a wild garden, and for growing in pots and containers. It's often used as green manure for the vegetable garden. Semi hardy annual. Height: 60 cm.
Indoor sowing: March - April
Outdoor sowing: April - July
Germination: 14 - 21 days
Germination temp. : 18 - 22°C
Sowing depth: 1 - 1½ cm
Plant distance: 20 - 35 cm
Plant position: sunny
Flowering period: July - September
Sow indoors from March on in trays with some moist potting soil. Sow thinly and cover the seeds with some soil. This because Phacelia is a dark germinator. Keep the temperature as even as possible during the germination. Don't let the temperature drop during the night. Keep moist and cover the trays with a lid to preserve the moisture. Remove the lid when the seedlings emerge. Put the seedlings outdoors on a very sunny, sheltered plot with some free draining soil in the middle of May, when there's no longer any danger of nightfrosts. Keep moist and weedfree.
Sow outdoors from April on a warm sunny, sheltered plot with some free draining soil. Sow thinly and cover the seed with a layer of soil. Keep moist and weedfree. Thin the seedlings to about 20 - 35 cm apart, when the seedlings are large enough to handle. This plant is a very greedy self-seeder and very well suited for a wild garden, beegarden and butterfly garden.
