The elfin spur, also known as diascia, is actually an easy-care container plant. However, you should pay attention to a few things when watering.
With its pretty little pharyngeal flowers, the elf spur beautifies many a flower box. The figwort plant from South Africa does not make any great demands on the hobby gardener. With proper care, the plants grow quite luxuriantly and bloom throughout the summer. You will now find out what should be considered when caring for the elf spur.
Casting elf spur correctly
The elf spur should be kept evenly moist. It is important to find a measure that prevents the root ball from drying out, but also prevents waterlogging. So keep the plant evenly moist. In a sunny location, the plants in the bucket need watering several times a day. The plants should not be watered in the blazing midday sun. On the other hand, it is advisable to water in the morning and evening hours.
Excessive watering leads to waterlogging, especially if the substrate is not loose enough and the irrigation water accumulates in the planter. A drainage of coarse gravel or broken pottery can prevent this.
Pouring the elf spur in keywords:
- keep evenly moist
- Root ball must not dry out
- Waterlogging must not occur
- Water more often in sunny locations
- Water several times on hot days
Fertilize Elfspur correctly
The Elfspur does not require excessive fertilization. If compost is added to the potting soil in spring, the plants are usually supplied with all the necessary nutrients.
➔ Tip: Commercial potting soil already contains fertiliser. If transplanted in spring, it is not absolutely necessary to apply fertilizer over the summer.
You can also work with commercial long-term fertilizers. This is mixed once under the substrate and supplies the plants with all the necessary nutrients for months. Conventional liquid fertilizer can be used to promote flowering. This can be added to the irrigation water at 14-day intervals. The plant is only fertilized between April and the end of September.If the elf spur overwinters, no fertilizer is necessary.
Fertilize the elf spur in keywords:
- during the growth phase
- Compost acts as a natural long-term fertilizer
- Common green plant fertilizer can promote flowering
- 14-day doses of liquid fertilizer possible
- No more fertilizing from October
How can the flowers be kept for a long time?
The elfin spur accompanies us through the garden year with its pretty white to reddish flowers. With good care, flowering begins in May and can last until October. In a sunny location, the plants grow quite luxuriantly and form dense cushions. If you water and fertilize sufficiently, you also have a good chance of a rich bloom. A sheltered and, if possible, covered location is ideal to ensure that storms and downpours do not damage the plants.
Care measures for a rich flowering:
- sunny location
- protected place
- regular watering
- sufficient fertilization
- enough space in the planter
When choosing the planter, it should be considered that the plants grow quite quickly and thus the space requirement increases. There should be a distance of about 20 centimeters between the individual plants in the flower box. Then the plants can spread without endangering other neighboring plants.
Overview of important care instructions
| Care Measure | Explanation |
| Casting | » The plants must be kept consistently moist. » The root ball must not dry out completely. » The substrate can dry out slightly before the next watering. » Waterlogging avoid excessive watering. » On hot days in midsummer, several waterings may be necessary. |
| Fertilize | » If the plant is supplied with a long-term fertilizer in spring, it will usually get through the summer well. » The potting soil can be mixed with compost as a natural fertiliser. » To the To encourage flowering, fortnightly liquid fertilizer for flowering plants can be given. |
| Cut | » No regular pruning is necessary. » The plants only grow 20 to 30 centimeters high. » Old flowers and withered leaves should be removed regularly. This encourages growth and further flowering. |
Popular elfin strains shortfeatured
- Elfensporn Lilac Belle
This variety is characterized by white to soft pink flowers, which are reddish to purple in the middle. - Elfenspur Apricot Queen
This variety is quite common in stores. The apricot-colored blossoms are a special splash of color in summer tubs or boxes. - Elfensporn Whisper White
If you like it very classic, this variety is a good choice. The flowers are particularly large and pure white. - Elfenspur Blackthorn Apricot
This variety impresses with its salmon-colored flowers.
Cutting Elf Spur
Regular cutting measures are not necessary. If you want your plants to be in full bloom all summer long, it is a good idea to remove faded flowers and occasionally cut back the plants. This promotes compact growth and allows new flowers to develop.
➔ Tip: If you want to propagate your elfin spur, you should leave a few flower heads on the plant so that seeds can form. However, this is at the expense of new flowering.
How to overwinter Elfspur?
Elvenspur may move to winter quarters after flowering. A prerequisite is, of course, that the varieties are perennial. The plants should be overwintered in a bright and cool place. Frost must not prevail in the winter quarters. Before moving to the winter quarters, the elf spur is freed from all dried leaves and flowers. The ideal temperature is eight to ten degrees.
Occasionally the elven spur should get some water. The root ball must not dry out. Too wet a stand damages the roots. Since the plant needs significantly less water in the winter quarters than outdoors in summer, it is sufficient to check the root ball every two weeks and water it if necessary.