Paper buttons are easy to care for. We'll show you what you should still bear in mind so that you can enjoy your plants for longer.
The paper buttonhead (Ammobium alatum) is an attractive summer flower that does particularly well in rock gardens. You can also enjoy the annual plant from the daisy family beyond the garden season, because the paper button can be used as a dried flower and made into attractive bouquets and arrangements. The frugal plants require little care. We have put together below what needs to be taken into account when it comes to care.
Proper Casting
The water requirement of the paper button is rather moderate. The plant also tolerates longer dry periods. Neglecting watering is less tragic than overdoing it with watering. Plants from Australia do not tolerate damp soil. If the moisture lasts for a longer period of time, this leads to waterlogging. The roots are attacked and the plant begins to rot.
Container plants are particularly affected by waterlogging as a result of incorrect watering. Therefore, when choosing the right planter, make sure that there are enough drainage holes for the liquid in the bottom of the container. Drainage can also protect against waterlogging. To do this, simply put broken potsherds or gravel on the bottom of the pot before potting the plant.
» Tip: Only water the plant when the substrate has dried.
Pouring paper buttons:- Water moderately
- Earth is allowed to dry out
- Avoid waterlogging
Proper fertilization
In order to promote flowering, it is a good idea to supply the paper button with fertilizer from time to time during the growing season. Liquid fertilizer is preferably used for flowering plants. This is easy to dose and can simply be added to the irrigation water.
If you mix in compost when planting, you supply the paper button with an organic long-term fertilizer that supplies the plant with nutrients throughout the summer. Additional fertilization is then inusually not necessary.
» Warning: The plant should not be over-fertilized. If the nutrient supply is too high, there is a risk that the flowers will literally fall apart.
Paper button fertilize:- Apply liquid fertilizer during the flowering period
- mix compost into the substrate
- Avoid over-fertilization
Increase Paper Buttons
The Paper Button can be propagated by seeds. Seeds are commercially available all year round. You can also harvest them from existing seed plants. Then the flower heads cannot be used as dried flowers, or you keep a few flowers and let them bloom or fade.
» Tip: If the paper buttons are to be used as dried flowers, they must be cut before the flower heads are fully open.
The seeds are grown indoors. This can start as early as March. To do this, fill a planter with potting soil and spread the seeds on it. These are covered with a thin layer of soil and germinate at temperatures around 15 degrees. After the ice saints, you can plant the young plants outdoors.
Overview of care measures
| Care Measure | Explanation |
| Casting | Watering is moderate. A dry soil is tolerated better than waterlogging. If the plant is kept in a bucket, it needs regular watering. It is important to ensure that the planter has good permeability. |
| Fertilize | To promote flowering, it is advisable to give liquid fertilizer. Over-fertilization should be avoided. |
| Cut | The paper button does not need to be cut. |
| Wintering | The plant is an annual and is disposed of in autumn. Hibernation is not necessary. In Australia alone, the plants are perennial. |
Detecting and combating diseases and pests
The paper button is rarely attacked by diseases and pests.
If the buds droop for no apparent reason, this could indicate a mold infestation. If the plants are affected by mold, this can be recognized by a whitish layer covering the leaves. The formation of mold is mostly due to care errors.
» Tip: The main causes of mold growth are high humidity and a location that is too damp.
If the irrigation water cannot drain away, the substrate will start to mold due to overwatering. This is particularly common when the paper buttons are planted in a bucket and there is little substrate available. The mold spores then spread at breakneck speed and cover the substrate and the planter like a net. All affected parts of the plant must be removed immediately. If the mold infestation is already well advanced, only chemical pesticides can help. However, this should be carefully considered, because it is an annual plant. In this case, disposal would probably be more environmentally friendly.
Danger Mildew
If the plants appear to be covered with a floury coating, a particularly stubborn mold has taken hold of the paper button. Powdery mildew is a "fair-weather fungus". Warm temperatures in combination with high humidity offer the powdery mildew the ideal habitat. If it is dry for a longer period of time, this will not bother the plant much, since the paper buttonhead feels more comfortable in dry soil than in persistent moisture. However, the leaves have a hard time fully developing in hot and dry summers. If it rains, the fungal spores find an ideal entry point.
If the mealy coating becomes visible, the hobby gardener should act immediately to prevent the fungus from spreading further.
Home remedies for powdery mildew:
- Spraying the affected parts of the plant with milk
- Spraying the infested parts of the plant with horsetail broth
- Spray the affected plant parts with garlic broth
- Spraying the affected parts of the plant with tansy tea
The tinctures should be used on a dry day if possible, otherwise the rain would quickly wash away the active ingredient. Spray the plant generously, preferably on the parts of the plant affected by powdery mildew. A one-off application is usually not enough. The plants should be treated several times a week until the characteristic white coating is no longer visible.
How can powdery mildew be prevented?
Choose a sheltered location so that the moisture cannot damage the plant. The paper buttons should not be planted too close together. The plant can develop much better if a planting distance of at least 30 centimeters is maintained. Furthermore, the leaves dry faster after the downpour andPowdery mildew doesn't stand a chance, especially in a sunny location.
» Tip: Strong and he althy plants are less susceptible to diseases. Provide a sunny location, loose soil and sufficient nutrients, this is the best prevention against diseases and pests.
Reasons for reduced growth
If the plants appear small and puny and hardly form any flowers, this can have several causes. For example, if you sow seeds too early, the seeds will germinate slowly. It is therefore advisable not to sow the paper button before April.
Other causes of reduced growth:
- too dark stand
- insufficient nutrients
- too much water
- too little water
Caution when drying
The paper button is not only endangered in the bed. Even if the dried flowers are already arranged in bouquets or flower arrangements, rot can occur. You didn't show enough patience during drying. If the buds aren't completely dried out, they won't last for long. The damp stalks begin to rot.