A brief update on Rudy Luijters’ project Carduelis carduelis. At the time of the previous newsletter, the Teasels had been sown and re-potted – by now, most have sprouted into sizeable rosettes. (As the sowing was staggered, there’s always a variety of growth phases occurring at the same time.)
The mild autumn weather has enabled growth until late in the year, but now, as the first frost has set in, everything has ground to a halt. With the greenhouse offering protection from infestation and trampling, it’s a matter of patience before the planting phase begins in late March. The Teasel is a biennial plant: although the rosettes formed this summer and autumn, the 2-metre flower stems won’t sprout until next spring.