Sainfoin

Sainfoin is fully hardy and needs no winter protection in the lowlands of Germany, Austria and Switzerland. It survives as a hemicryptophyte with its deep taproot and reliably sprouts again in spring. The only real danger is waterlogging, not frost: make sure the soil is free-draining and rather dry so that the root does not rot.

The most reliable way to propagate sainfoin is by direct sowing. Harvest the ripe, round seeds in summer, as soon as the spiny pods turn brown, and soak them in lukewarm water for 24 hours before sowing. This softens the hard seed coat and improves the germination rate. Sow from March to May, or alternatively in August/September, directly at the final site (direct sowing), because the deep taproot makes later transplanting difficult. Sainfoin germinates in the light: cover the seeds only very thinly (at most about 1 cm) or just press them down lightly, rather than burying them deep. Keep the bed evenly, lightly moist until germination. In warm weather the seeds germinate in about 2 to 3 weeks. Sainfoin prefers poor, lime-rich, free-draining soils in full sun; on nutrient-rich soils it grows rank and flowers less abundantly. If you only have a little seed, you can start it in pots in early spring on a cool balcony or in a cold frame, and carefully plant out the still young, compact plants with the whole root ball in early summer, before the taproot has grown too long. At suitable sites the plant also self-seeds.