The vibrantly colored Ascot Rainbow Spurge plant can be a gorgeous addition to any garden. With its eye-catching foliage in shades of green, yellow, and red, this plant is sure to brighten up your outdoor space. While you can purchase young Ascot Rainbow Spurge plants from a nursery, starting them yourself from seeds can be rewarding and cost-effective. However, proper storage, sowing, and germination techniques are crucial for success. In this comprehensive guide, we’ll walk through everything you need to know to grow beautiful Ascot Rainbow Spurge plants from seeds.
Storing Ascot Rainbow Spurge Seeds
The first step in the process is collecting and properly storing your Ascot Rainbow Spurge seeds. Here are some key tips to ensure your seeds stay viable until you’re ready to plant them:
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Harvest seeds from mature Ascot Rainbow Spurge plants once the seed pods dry out and turn brown. Extract the small, rounded seeds and dry them for 2-3 days
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Store the dry seeds in an airtight, glass container in a cool, dry place away from direct light. A refrigerator is ideal, with temperatures around 40-50°F.
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Label your container with the seed variety and year harvested Ascot Rainbow Spurge seeds can remain viable for up to two years with proper storage conditions
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Inspect the seeds occasionally and discard any that appear discolored, moldy, or damaged. This will prevent diseases from spreading.
Following these simple guidelines will maintain the viability of your Ascot Rainbow Spurge seeds until you are ready to get planting!
When to Sow Ascot Rainbow Spurge Seeds
Ascot Rainbow Spurge seeds can be sown in spring once the danger of frost has passed. They need warm soil temperatures of at least 65°F to germinate successfully.
Seeds can also be started indoors 6-8 weeks before the last expected frost date. This gives the seedlings time to develop strong roots before being transplanted outside. Just be sure to harden off the seedlings gradually prior to transplant.
The optimal soil temperature for germination is 70-75°F. Consider using a heat mat or grow lights if sowing seeds indoors in cool weather.
How to Sow Ascot Rainbow Spurge Seeds
Now comes the fun part – sowing your seeds! Follow these steps for better germination:
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Fill starter trays or small pots with a well-draining potting mix made for cacti and succulents. These plants require fast drainage.
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Gently press the seeds onto the soil surface. Ascot Rainbow Spurge seeds require light to germinate, so do not cover them.
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Use a spray bottle to mist the soil until it’s evenly moist but not soaked. Proper moisture is key.
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Optional: Cover trays with plastic wrap or a seed starting dome to retain moisture. Remove any condensation daily to prevent fungal diseases.
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Place trays in a warm area with temperatures around 70°F to 75°F. Provide bright, indirect light.
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Keep the soil moist but not wet until seedlings emerge. This usually takes 7-21 days.
Follow these sowing tips, and you’ll soon have Ascot Rainbow Spurge seedlings ready for transplanting into the garden!
Caring for Ascot Rainbow Spurge Seedlings
Once the seedlings begin to grow, proper care is crucial. Here are some tips for this stage:
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Provide plenty of light. Seedlings need 12-14 hours under grow lights or in a sunny window. Insufficient light will cause leggy, weak growth.
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Allow the top inch of soil to dry out between waterings. Take care not to overwater, as damping off disease can occur.
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Transplant seedlings once the second set of true leaves appear. Use small pots and well-draining cactus/succulent soil.
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Harden off seedlings for 7-10 days before transplanting outdoors. This means gradually exposing them to sun, wind, and cooler temps.
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Feed every 2-3 weeks with a diluted liquid fertilizer like fish emulsion or seaweed extract once seedlings are established.
Giving your Ascot Rainbow Spurge seedlings the proper care will ensure they grow into strong, healthy plants ready for your garden!
Common Problems When Germinating Ascot Rainbow Spurge Seeds
While Ascot Rainbow Spurge seeds are relatively easy to germinate, there are a few common issues to look out for:
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Failure to germinate: This is often caused by improper soil moisture, sowing seeds too deeply, low soil temperature, or stale seeds.
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Mold or fungal diseases: Excess moisture leads to seed rot and damping off disease. Improve drainage and air circulation.
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Leggy or weak seedlings: Insufficient light results in stretched, thin seedlings. Provide bright light immediately after sprouting.
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Pale leaves: Indicates a nutrient deficiency. Make sure to use fresh seed starting mix and fertilize once established.
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Slow growth: Could be caused by overcrowding, improper temperatures, or watering issues. Thin seedlings and optimize conditions.
With attentive care and optimal sowing conditions, you can avoid most problems when growing Ascot Rainbow Spurge from seeds.
When to Transplant Ascot Rainbow Spurge Seedlings Outdoors
Timing your seedling transplant properly is key to your garden success. Here are some factors to consider:
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Hardening off: Gradually acclimate seedlings to outdoor conditions over 7-10 days before transplanting.
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Soil temperature: Wait until soils reach 65°F or above before transplanting. Planting too early risks cold damage.
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Frost dates: Transplant after the last expected spring frost in your area. Protect young plants if an unexpected late frost occurs.
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Age of seedlings: Mature seedlings with well-established roots and 4-6 true leaves are ready for transplant. Avoid disturbing roots.
With attention to these factors, your homegrown Ascot Rainbow Spurge seedlings will transition seamlessly to the outdoors and flourish in your garden!
Transplanting Tips for Ascot Rainbow Spurge Seedlings
Follow these tips for safely moving your seedlings from pots to the garden:
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Water seedlings well the day before transplanting to keep roots hydrated.
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Gently remove seedlings from pots and loosen any circling roots. Handle by the leaves, not the stem!
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Dig holes the width of the root ball and deep enough to match its height.
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Backfill holes with a mix of compost and native soil to improve drainage.
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Place seedlings at the same level they grew in the pot. Firm the soil gently around each plant.
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Water transplants immediately to remove any air pockets in the surrounding soil.
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Provide shade for 1-2 weeks while plants establish. Gradually expose them to more sun.
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Hold off on fertilizer for 2-3 weeks after transplanting to prevent root damage.
Adhering to these transplant guidelines will give your homegrown Ascot Rainbow Spurge seedlings the best start in your garden beds. Just sit back and enjoy the fruits of your labor with beautiful, vibrant foliage all season long!
Growing Ascot Rainbow Spurge from seeds is an extremely rewarding endeavor. Proper storage keeps seeds viable until you’re ready to sow them. Following the sowing and germination guidelines provided will set your seedlings up for success. Once seedlings are transplanted outdoors at the right time, they will thrive with the right care.
The vibrant colors and texture of Ascot Rainbow Spurge make it a showstopper in any garden. Get ready to add some pizzazz to your beds this coming season with homegrown Ascot Rainbow Spurge started from seeds! Just be sure to refer back to this guide for tips and solutions every step of the way for best results.
Best euphorbias for warmer locales
It was twenty years after my first visit to England that I started experimenting with this second set of Euphorbia, which come from warmer regions of the world and, as such, are not as hardy as those in the first group. Their success in the garden relies on the top growth not getting zapped by intense winter cold. These are great plants for those living in warmer regions and even for those who live in cooler spots but like pushing the zonal limits or growing in containers.
‘Glacier Blue’ Mediterranean spurge (E. characias ‘Glacier Blue’, Zones 7–9) has enhanced blue leaves compared to the green-blue of the species. Each leaf is irregularly margined with white, which contrasts brilliantly with the blue. I’ve known this 2-foot-tall-and-wide plant to survive in Boston in protected places. Good drainage in winter, though, is key. Spring brings elongated spikes (12 to 18 inches tall) of variegated bracts that echo the leaves below.
‘Galaxy Glow’ Mediterranean spurge (E. characias ‘Galaxy Glow’, Zones 7–9) is a recent selection brought into the gardening world by plantsman Pat McCracken. The bluish leaves are burnished with coppery red tones, which is beautiful all on its own. Greenish bracts appear later in the season and are flushed with rose-bronze especially as they age. This is not a small plant—it can get up to 2 feet tall and spread much wider (nearly 3 feet is common)—so plan accordingly.
Many spurges can form a shrublike plant 3 to 5 feet tall and wide, which is awesome—if you have the space. A more diminutive option can be found in ‘Tiny Tim’ Martin’s spurge (E. × martinii ‘Tiny Tim’, Zones 7–9). It forms a compact shrublike ball only a foot high and wide and blooms not only in spring but also throughout the growing season. Each bract has a red “eye” in its center, which draws lots of attention for such dainty blooms.
Caribbean copper plant (E. cotinifolia, Zones 9–10) has deep, wine-colored rounded leaves and forms a 6- to 8-foot-tall-and-wide shrub or small tree over time. The foliage is reminiscent of a smoke bush (Cotinus spp. and cvs., Zones 4–9), and just like the colored-leaved forms of smoke bush, this woody spurge can be used to break up monotonous green foliage schemes or used as a dark foil for any number of flowering plants. It can also be planted in the garden in colder climates and overwintered in a frost-free room (expect it to get just 4 to 6 feet tall in this case). Plants can be left to go dormant and will resprout the following summer once the heat arrives.
‘Ascot Rainbow’ Martin’s spurge (E. × martinii ‘Ascot Rainbow’, Zones 7–9) has risen to prominence in the past decade, and for good reason. Its green leaves are irregularly variegated with yellow, augmented with highlights of bronze-red in cooler weather. The 12- to 18-inch-tall flower spikes also contain variegated bracts. I find in the Mid-Atlantic region that its stems are often winter-killed and that it is not as hardy as the similar-looking E. characias and its cultivars. It is great to use as an annual in a container, where it will continue to produce new flowering stems all season and look handsome well into autumn. In containers, store it in an unheated garage, and then put it out in early spring after the frost-free date.
Most of the spurges mentioned so far are upright, but silver spurge (E. rigida, Zones 7–10) is a sprawling, 2-foot-tall-and-wide, stiff-stemmed plant with blue stems and equally blue sharply pointed leaves. It blooms with acid yellow bracts in early spring on stems produced the season before. It thrives in hot, baking places that do not get much water, making it a perfect xeriscaping candidate. Silver spurge even thrives in the rocky home landscapes of places such as California’s Coachella Valley.
Some spurges are only hardy in a relatively small part of the country yet are becoming more popular in other regions as container plants for the summer season. There are hundreds of species of succulent spurge, all of which have adapted to extremely arid climates, their stems being a form of water storage. Sticks-on-fire (E. tirucallii ‘Rosea’, Zones 9–10) is a true eye-catching succulent that doesn’t fit the norms of what people in temperate climates think plants should look like. Basically, sticks-on-fire is a leafless shrub reaching up to 4 to 6 feet tall and wide in a pot, or up to 25 feet tall if planted in the ground in warm climates, with stems of yellow-green highlighted with pink and orange tones depending on the temperature. The growth rises upward and outward, bifurcating as it grows taller. Think of it as a living coral for your dryland garden. Sticks-on-fire mixes well with other succulent plants from arid regions and does very well in dry containers. It can be used as a houseplant in the winter months in a bright and sunny window. Just remember to acclimatize it to the outdoor sun upon moving it outside for the season.
Great Varieties of Euphorbia
I’ll never forget my first visit to England thirty years ago. It was April, and the first garden I set foot in was the Royal Botanical Gardens at Kew. The large shrubby euphorbias every where were a sight to behold, since I was coming from the cold winter climate of the U.S. Mid-Atlantic region. I was sold that moment on these seemingly exotic plants. Since then, I’ve grown a fair share of hardy and tender plants from the genus Euphorbia, but truth be told, I’ve only scratched the surface. Comprising one of the largest plant families in the plant kingdom, Euphorbiaceae, commonly referred to as the spurge family, contains approximately 300 genera and about 7,500 species. It would take several lifetimes in many climatic zones to truly explore their full breadth. But throughout the United States and Canada there are spurges that will grow in your garden, either as hardy perennials or as potted plants summered outdoors and brought in for the cold months.
One thing all spurges have in common is their milky sap, which is very evident upon breaking or cutting a stem. This liquid latex, a lifeblood of Euphorbia, is a deterrent for animals, which would otherwise find these plants tasty. It also is a known skin irritant to some people, and therefore caution should be taken when working with these plants. But I would say that’s the only caveat of this useful genus. The best part of spurges is their infinite variety in plant form and function. Some are hardy workhorse perennials with more traditional forms, while others look more like Dr. Seuss plants. With a genus so diverse, there are species that will do well in nearly any part of North America.
Euphorbia ‘Ascot Rainbow’ (Spurge) // Very USEFUL perennial with UNIQUE foliage and flowers
FAQ
How do you propagate Ascot Rainbow spurge?
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Can Ascot Rainbow spurge grow in shade?
The Ascot Rainbow Spurge prefers to grow under the full sun, particularly when grown in the cooler USDA zones. For the warmer zones, it grows optimally in partial shade. However, be sure to protect the plant from the harsh rays of the afternoon sun. Moreover, this plant grows well in USDA hardiness zone 5 to 9.
What is a ‘Ascot Rainbow’ spurge?
Never fear ‘Ascot Rainbow’ Spurge is here. Also known as Euphorbia martinii, this is a low growing evergreen subshrub (20 inches in height) that looks stunning in masses. This plant has an upright bushy habit with creamy green and white variegated leaves. The top of each growing tip has a tinge of magenta pink that gives off a tropical vibe.
Do spurges ‘Ascot Rainbow’ need a lot of water?
This dwarf hybrid grows well in containers and stands out in mixed borders. Spurges ‘Ascot Rainbow’ needs regular watering about once a week, especially during growing seasons. The plants don’t need great amounts of water during temperate environmental conditions, but during hot summer days they need as much water as any other plant.
When does Ascot Rainbow spurge Bloom?
The bloom time or growing season of this plant is typically between July and September. The Ascot Rainbow Spurge prefers to grow under the full sun, particularly when grown in the cooler USDA zones. For the warmer zones, it grows optimally in partial shade. However, be sure to protect the plant from the harsh rays of the afternoon sun.