Sophora prostrata - Prostrate Kowhai - NZ Native - 10 seeds

Description

This listing is for 10 seeds of Sophora prostrata -  prostrate kowhai.
The bright yellow flowers of New Zealand native Sophora prostrata will attract bees and birds to your garden from Spring to early Summer. Commonly called prostrate kowhai, these shrubs and small trees thrive in most parts of the world except those susceptible to snow, where you will need to grow indoors. It does make a unique and stunning indoor potplant too - the stems are highly divaricating, meaning that the branches form angles to each other.
Instructions for growing:
1.
Sand the tip of the seed lightly with 80- to 120-grit sandpaper. After sanding, soak the seed in water for between 24 to 48 hours to soften the hard outer surface. The seed is ready to plant when it swells and doubles in size.
2.
Fill a flower pot with sterile potting soil. Water thoroughly, so the soil is completely moist. Insert the seed into the soil, covering with 1/4 inch of soil. Cover the flower pot with plastic wrap and put it in a warm location.
3.
Maintain a moist environment by misting with water when the soil begins to dry out. Kowhai seeds require two to four weeks to germinate.
4.
Place the flower pot in direct sun after the seed sprouts. Water regularly, when the surface of the soil is dry to the touch.
5.
Transplant into a larger pot when the seedling is 15cm tall. If you want, you can keep the kowhai in a sun room or sunny, sheltered part of the patio or garden until it is 2 or 3 years old.
6.
Transplant into the garden in the spring, after all chance of frost is past. Kowhai prefer a neutral pH loam or sandy soil.
7.
Cover the soil around the kowhai with 12cm of mulch, pulling it 12 cm away from the stem. Mulch helps keep the soil moist and discourages weed seeds from sprouting.
8.
Fertilize the potted kowhai seedlings with a liquid 10-10-10 fertilizer according to the manufacturer's directions. Once the kowhai is planted in the garden it generally doesn't require additional fertilizer.
Sophora prostrate can be quite slow growing. Seeds are dark brown instead of the bright yellow you might be used to with other Kowhai species. This is completely normal, and actually a unique feature of this kowhai.