Cotton Thistle is a member of the Compositae family (Asteraceae), as are yarrow, yellow chamomile, burdock, arnica, lemon balm, wormwood, daisy, marigold, toothwort, goldenrod, globe thistle, sunflower, curry plant and lettuce. This plant is native to Central Europe, from Ukraine to Greece and from Turkey to Pakistan. It also grows wild in Great Britain, the Netherlands and Belgium, but is very rare in the latter two countries. It is a hardy, biennial plant that grows into a very broad and tall plant. The entire plant, including the leaves and stems, is covered in white felt-like hairs. The stems and leaves are very sharply spiked. The flowers are purple/red and stand above a spherical involucre.
In the first year, the plant mainly develops underground. It forms a taproot with a rosette. In the second year, the plant grows upwards. The plant dies after flowering. It is a plant that is very similar to other thistles. It has sharp, white-felted leaves that look very grey. It grows on dry, calcareous, nitrogen-rich and open soil, often found in the dunes, near rivers and in South Limburg. It can also be found as a garden plant. It is used to make thistle oil. The plant is also edible. Both the stems and the flower buds can be cooked, and the petals can be used as a cheap alternative to saffron. These plants easily become wild. It is a biennial that self-seeds very easily, making it appear to be a perennial. To prevent the plant from self-seeding, remove the flower heads before the seeds develop. The seeds usually develop one month after flowering. It flowers from July to September in the second year after sowing. This plant is very attractive to bees, butterflies and other beneficial insects. Hardy biennial. Height: 50 - 200 cm.
Indoor sowing: March - April
Outdoor sowing: September - December
Germination: 30 - 120 days
Germination temp.: 18 - 23 °C
Sowing depth: ½ - 1 cm
Planting distance: 100 - 200 cm
Plant position: full sun - sheltered
Flowering period: July - September (in the 2nd year after sowing)
Sowing indoors can be done from March onwards. Sow in small pots or in seed trays with separate cells filled with well-moistened potting soil mixed with perlite. Sow sparingly and about 1 cm deep. Cover the seeds with a thin layer of sieved potting soil. Keep well moist and warm. Don't let the temperature drop, especially at night. If the seeds haven't germinated after about 1 month, the seeds can be placed in the refrigerator for a cold period (stratification). Place the seeds in a transparent plastic bag and store in the refrigerator at a temperature of 4 - 5 °C for about 5 - 6 weeks. After this cold period, remove the seeds from the refrigerator and place them in a warm, light spot to allow them to germinate.
The seeds can also be stratified before sowing to shorten the long germination time. Place the sealed packet of seeds in the refrigerator for 14 - 28 days. The temperature should be 4 - 5 °C. After this cold period, allow the seeds to warm up very slowly to room temperature (around 20 °C). You can then sow them as described above. From the beginning of May, allow the young plants to acclimatise to the temperatures outside during the day. This hardening off process can take 10 - 14 days. After this, you can place the plants outside in a very sunny, sheltered spot with good drainage. The roots of thistles are very fragile, which is why the plants must be planted with the soil still attached. Thistles grow best in nutrient-poor soil that is sandy or calcareous.
Sowing outdoors can be done from September onwards so that the seeds of this cold germinator undergo a natural cold period. Sow sparingly and about 1 cm deep and cover the seeds with a layer of sowing medium in a very sunny, sheltered spot with good drainage. Keep the soil well moist. Sow the plants in their final location, as thistles develop a long taproot and cannot be transplanted. Also take into account the plant's sharp spines and place it where the spines cannot injure anyone. Thistles grow best in nutrient-poor soil that is sandy or calcareous. This is a biennial that self-seeds very easily, making it appear to be a perennial. To prevent the plant from self-seeding, you can remove the flower heads before the seeds develop. This seed development takes place about a month after flowering.
