Red Hot Poker Sowing Instructions
Planting Depth
:1/4”
Seed Spacing:2”-3”
Plant Spacing:18”-24”
Days to Germination:10-20 days
Germination Temperature:70°-75°F

Kniphofia uvaria. A.K.A. Tritoma or Torch Lilies, Red Hot Pokers love sun and heat, and are perfect for that baking area beyond the reach of your water hose. Moisten seeds and then store them, wrapped in plastic, in a cold place for 4 weeks before sowing them indoors, 6 to 8 weeks before the last frost date. Keep the seeds moist until germination. Harden off the seedlings by slowly introducing them to the outdoors over the span of a week, and then transplant them after the last frost date to 12” apart in full sun and well-draining soil. If the hummingbird-beloved flowers are allowed to mature, the songbirds will make a meal of the seeds, though the seeds that elude them may sprout where they fall next spring. The tough, grassy foliage is evergreen but may get a bit battered in winter. Remove tattered leaves in spring.