Teasal for finches

[purds]

Has anybody tried growing teasal from seed and does it stay sustained or does planting have to be carried out annually, also have people had success attracting goldfinches by planting it in there garden.

[Alan]

Originally Posted by purds

Has anybody tried growing teasal from seed and does it stay sustained or does planting have to be carried out annually, also have people had success attracting goldfinches by planting it in there garden.

Havn't tried growing it, but if you can find the dead ones, and making sure they're empty of seed, you can always fill them up again with niger seed and re-use them so to speak.

[Tursiops]

Hallo purds
I haven't grown teasel myself (yet) but I understand it is very easy to establish and will self-seed. Goldfinches love it.
Tursiops

[henrya]

Teasel is a biennial (starts in first year with a rosette of leaves, produces flowers in second year) and it self seeds pretty well. I have it in my garden and never have to worry about it - it always turns up. I've never deliberately grown it from seed, though it must be pretty simple. But sow it two years in succession, or you might only get flowers every other year.

henrya

[purds]

Cheers for all the info, i have only ever come across it in garden centres sold in seed packs which i believe you cant sow direct into your garden but you need to germinate them first in a tray, has anyone ever come across them already established in garden centres.

[henrya]

I have given away seedlings to friends - might be the best way of establishing them. Do any of your friends or neighbours have Teasels in their gardens? Teasels have deep tap roots and are quite difficult to get up, though, especially in my heavy clay soil!

henrya

[nightshade]

Put in seed and grown it from plants.The plant came from a supplier of insect food plants and wildflowers on the web,somewhere near chew-valley somerset