The hussar button is one of the most popular summer flowers in the garden. Anyone who avoids care mistakes will have a lot of fun with the sunflower in mini format.
The hussar's button or the hussar's button (Sanvitalia procumbens) belongs to the daisy family. The plants create extensive carpets of flowers in the bed and impress with colorful yellow flower heads.
The mini sunflowers require little care and are among the most popular summer flowers in beds, boxes and tubs. In the following we present the plants in more detail and give tips and advice for successful care and planting.
Special features of the hussar button
The plant got its name because the small yellow flower heads resemble the buttons of the hussar uniform. The species name "procumbens" in turn refers to the "low-lying" growth of the decorative summer plant. The botanical name "Sanvitalia" is reminiscent of an Italian botanist of the same name who lived in the 18th century.
The plant has been known in Europe since the late 17th century. At that time, explorers brought the hussar button from its ancestral homeland of Guatemala and Mexico to our region.
The plants are popularly referred to as dwarf sunflowers. In their natural environment, hussar buttons grow up to an altitude of 1,300 meters and are considered a weed as they spread prolifically, much to the chagrin of farmers.
Find a suitable location
In order to experience the full bloom of the hussar button, choose a sunny and warm location. Although the plants also thrive in partial shade, they will produce significantly fewer flowers and will probably also generally lag behind in growth.
The hussar button can be cultivated in beds as well as in flower boxes or can be kept as a traffic light plant. The plants prove to be insensitive to wind and rain.
Tip: The hussar's button is particularly attractive in hanging baskets due to its slightly overhanging growth.
Selecting the ideal substrate
A loose and well-drained soil forms the ideal basis for growth.Heavy clay soils are less suitable for the cultivation of Hussar's Button.
Tip: Heavy soils can be made more permeable by adding sand or gravel.
The greatest enemy of the Hussar Button is waterlogging. This can be counteracted by placing a drain in the bottom of the vessel. When planting in tubs and boxes, make sure there are enough holes in the planter so that excess water can drain off easily.
Planting hussar buttons - step by step
1. Select location2. Prepare soil
3. Dig planting hole
4. Observe planting distance5. Insert the plant
6. Fill in the substrate
7. Press the soil
8. Water the plant
The annual plants can go outside in mid-May. The danger of night frosts should be averted. I therefore offer to wait until after the ice saints before planting.
A planting distance of 10 to 15 centimeters must be maintained. The young plants are potted and placed in the prepared planting hole. The substrate can be pre-spread with gravel, sand, compost or horn shavings to loosen the soil and improve the nutrient content.
The group planting of the hussar button is a good idea. The yellow carpets of flowers come into their own in rock gardens and natural beds.
The hussar button can also be used as underplanting for shrubs and standard trees. Popular bed neighbors are marigolds, verbena, bluebells or daisies.
Planting in the flower box
If you want the hussar buttons to look good in the flower box, planting them on the front or on the edges of the container is a good idea. Some species overhang slightly and are ideal for hanging baskets.
A few things should be considered when planting in boxes and tubs.
| Activity | Explanation |
|---|---|
| Choose planter | The planter must offer enough space and be able to accommodate the root ball well. Sufficient drainage holes in the floor prevent waterlogging. |
| Fill in substrate | Space is limited in the box or bucket. So that the plants can supply themselves with nutrients, the soil must be upgraded accordingly. |
| Watering and fertilizing | Potted plants need to be watered regularly. The substrate dries out much faster than outdoors. Regular fertilization ensures abundance of flowers. |
Casting hussar buttons correctly
When wateringthe hussar button requires a bit of finesse. The plant is only watered when the soil has dried slightly. However, the substrate must not dry out completely.
Waterlogging must be avoided in any case. If the plant is too wet, the roots will rot and the hussar button will die.
Tip: When cultivating in a rock garden, planting close to stones is an advantage. The stones prevent the water from evaporating and keep the soil evenly moist.
Fertilize Hussar Buttons Properly
The hussar button can be supplied with a conventional liquid fertilizer during the flowering period. A capful of fertilizer is added to the irrigation water every two weeks.
If a nutritious garden soil is used, which has been mixed with compost, it does not have to be fertilized in the first few weeks after planting.
Does the hussar button have to be cut?
Pruning is not necessary, but under certain conditions it is beneficial for growth and flowering. If the plant grows sparsely and hardly produces any flowers, pruning is advisable.
Cut back the hussar's button by two-thirds. This promotes new growth and flowering. Shoots that are too long can be shortened at any time. Cutting off faded blooms will encourage rebloom.
Hussar Button Popular Varieties
The diversity of varieties allows species-appropriate planting. For example, if you prefer a particularly flat-growing and early-flowering variety, the "Gold Carpet" is a good choice.
“Gold Braid” offers a particularly colorful appearance. The organ-flowering varieties "Mandarin" and "Irish Eyes" provide a nice contrast. A rarity among the hussar's buttons is "Plens" with its semi-double flower heads.
Overview of selected varieties
| Type | Bloom |
|---|---|
| Gold Carpet | compact yellow flowers |
| Gold Braid | yellow flowers with brown-black centre |
| Emily | dark yellow flowers |
| Cuzo Ideal | medium yellow flowers |
| Million Suns | medium yellow flowers |
| Sunbinii | warm yellow flowers |
| Mandarin Orange | orange blossoms |
| Irish Eyes | dark yellow to orange flowers |
| Sanvitos Sweet Penny | dark yellow flowers |
| Solaris, Sunvy Trailing | medium yellowBlossoms |
Increase Hussar Buttons
The Hussar Button is available as a ready-grown plant in every garden center in spring. Alternatively, it can be grown from seeds. You can get the seeds from the previous year's faded plants and store them in a cool, dry place over the winter. Seeds are also available in retail stores.
Tip: There are up to 1,500 seeds in one gram of seeds.
Sowing step by step
1. Place seeds in plant pots
2. Cover seeds only lightly with soil
3. Set up plant pots bright and warm
4. Keep seeds evenly moist
5. Wait for germination
6. Prick out young plants
7. Plant out young plants from mid-May
The cultivation of the plants can begin in mid-March. You put two or three seeds in a small seed pot, mix them with sand to spread them out better and cover the seeds only lightly with soil.
The necessary germination temperature is 18 degrees, so you can set up the plant pots at normal room temperature. After about two weeks, a slightly cooler location can be chosen. A light stand is necessary in any case so that the seedlings can develop well.
Once the young plants have grown sufficiently, they are transplanted. After the ice saints, the hussar buttons can be planted out.
Recognize diseases and pests on the button of a hussar
The hussar's button is an extremely hardy plant. Disease and pest infestation are rare. Even snails despise the lush summer bloomers.
Care mistakes can do some damage though. Waterlogging leads to root rot and the plants can then usually no longer be saved. Too wet a stand can also be the cause of botrytis infestation. This fungus is what causes gray mold to form.
Grey mold can be recognized by a grey, dusty covering. The leaves, stems and flowers will soften and the plant will rot.
Tip: Only water the plants from below so that no water can get to the flowers and leaves.
All affected parts of the plant must be removed immediately. Gray mold can be prevented by giving field horsetail broth.
Hussar buttons overwinter
As these are annual plants, overwintering will not be possible. The mother plant dies in autumn. Since the plants sow themselves, seeds can overwinter in the bed anddrive out spring. However, this assumes mild winters.