Planting, caring for and propagating cow carnation

The seed cow carnation has become extremely rare in Germany. Planted in your own garden, the pretty plant can still be admired.

At the cow carnation (Vaccaria hispanica) is an extremely undemanding plant. Butterflies and butterflies like us also enjoy the beautiful blossoms. Here you can find out how to plant and care for the cow pink.

Cow carnation: origin and properties

Native to the Mediterranean and Asia, the cow pink (Vaccaria hispanica) has been widespread in large parts of Europe and Asia for over 1000 years. It was also introduced via seed into America, Australia and South Africa. The plant species belonging to the genus of gypsophila (Gypsophila) is usually found on calcareous, stony fields, where it grows as arable weed. It is even considered an indicator plant for dry and calcareous soils. In Germany, the cow pink is only rarely found and is considered to be threatened with extinction.

Cow carnation, also known as cow herb or seed cow carnation, is a winter annual plant. This means that the seeds germinate in autumn, with low temperatures and darkness favoring germination. The following spring the cow pink grows and produces flowers in the summer. In our latitudes, the cow pink blooms from July to August or September. It forms small, pink flowers that are held in a blistered calyx tube. White-flowered mutations also occur. The leaves are entire and arranged opposite on the stem. Both are gray-green in color. The herbaceous plant grows to about 70 cm, sometimes even up to 1 m tall.

The cow carnation is visited by bees, but especially by butterflies, and due to its rather late flowering period, it sometimes even offers nectar in early autumn. The cow carnation is also excellent for the so-called Black box gardening, in which the plants find their own place in the garden.

Tip: Because of the saponins it contains, the cow's carnation is slightly poisonous, especially for fish and other aquatic animals. However, in China it is used for medicinal purposes and in some countries it is also used in cooking.

The most beautiful varieties of cow weed

Two varieties in particular are known of the cow carnation. There are a few more cultivated forms, but they are primarily used in North America.

• Vaccaria hispanica 'Pink Beauty': This variety looks very similar to the wild form. It forms small, pink to pink flowers.
• Vaccaria hispanica 'White Beauty': 'White Beauty' cow carnation was bred in the UK and develops white flowers.

Planting cow carnations: location, sowing and Co.

Cow carnation cuts a fine figure as an ornamental plant not only in the field, but also in the garden. In order to thrive in the garden, the cow pink needs a bright location. She likes it sunny, warm and also prefers a well-drained soil. It grows on stony ground as well as on clay. For better site conditions, you can use a quality substrate such as ours Plantura organic universal soil Work into the soil, because high nutrient and moderate nitrogen contents are optimal for the cow pink. Our soil is equipped with important nutrients for plants and is safe for both garden and pets. When planting in pots, about 30% sand should also be mixed in to ensure high permeability. The conditions are optimal when sowing is preceded by liming of the soil, because the cow pink prefers calcareous, base-rich subsoil.

This is how the cow carnation is sown: Sow directly into the bed in autumn. The soil is loosened beforehand. A distance of about 20 cm is kept between the individual plants. The seed is worked into the soil at a depth of 1 – 2 cm and pressed. The seeds can also be grown on the windowsill between March and April at 20 °C, but not all of the seeds will germinate because the exposure to cold promotes germination. Therefore, the rule of thumb is that three to five seeds are sown in a 9 cm pot.

The right care

The cow carnation is a very undemanding plant that hardly needs to be taken care of. Depending on the location, a few hand movements may be necessary.

The cow pink gets along well with dry soil. If there are long periods of drought in summer, it may be watered occasionally.

If the cow carnation was planted in nutrient-poor garden soil, it should be fertilized once with slow-release fertilizer when sowing. For example, our is suitable for this Plantura organic universal fertilizer, in which the nutrients contained are gradually made available to the plant over a period of at least three months. In this way, the cow carnation is supplied with fertilizer over a long period of time without having to re-fertilize. In addition, our universal fertilizer consists of ingredients that are permitted in organic farming and also supports active soil life.

You don't have to cut the cow carnation. However, you can place the beautiful plant in a vase as a cut flower when the bed gets too crowded. Also for the winter, no precautions usually have to be taken. The cow carnation is an annual and therefore does not have to be overwintered. Since the seeds are sown in winter, only the seedlings need to survive the winter. The small young plants withstand temperatures down to – 10 °C without any problems. However, if the winter is particularly severe, the plants should be protected by a layer of mulch made of leaves or bark.

propagation

Seeds are used to propagate the cow carnation. Cow carnation seeds can be bought or obtained from your own plants. To do this, harvest the mature seed pods, which are surrounded by the green bracts, in late summer and autumn and place them in the desired spot in the garden. Alternatively, you can leave the propagation to the cow carnation itself, since the plant propagates by self-sowing.

Since the poppy (Papaver rhoeas) also grows on arable sites, you can plant it in a bed together with the cow pink. what to do Planting and caring for the poppy should be considered, you will find out in our article.