by Julie Christensen
The Sweet William flower ( Dianthus barbatus ) , hardy in USDA flora hardiness zone 3 through 9 , is charming tucked in container , mixed with other perennials , or as a border in any flower layer . But , before you purchase flat of expensive nursery plants , consider growingSweet Williamfrom seed . After all , this short - lived repeated self - sow prolifically under normal garden conditions and will continually regenerate itself from year to year . Any works that can self - seed in the garden is a skid - in for seeded player starting success .
Sowing Seed in the Garden
Before you plant Sweet William seed , find the idealistic locating for them . They involve full sun and moderately fertile , well - run out soil . Sweet William is plagued by a host of fungal disease in wet , big soil . Amend these soils with compost or choose another smirch . In hot , southerly climates , plant Sweet William in a place with light shade .
Remove any weeds and rocks and till the soil to a depth of 8 inch . Plant Sweet William in summer , after the last freeze . Sow seeds 3 inch apart and ¼ in deep . Keep the stain equally moist . Do n’t earmark it to dry out out while seeds are germinating .
Once the source germinate and stand 3 column inch tall , thin them to at 12 inches apart . As the plants grow , you may have to thin them again . Sweet William raise slowly , but eventually can mature 3 feet high and 2 feet wide . Sweet William plants need plenty of aviation circulation so do n’t overcrowd them .
Sweet William seeds sow in forthwith in the garden wo n’t flower the first twelvemonth . Do n’t give up on them though . Come next bounce , you ’ll have prolific blooms .
You may also sow Sweet William seeds in containers and pots in summertime . employ a lightweight pot stain and sow seeds ¼ column inch deep . Pots and containers dry out more quickly than the garden , so be sure to irrigate oft .
Give your Sweet William plant a dose of all - purpose fertilizer every 6 to 8 week during the grow time of year . tailor them back if they become boisterous or thin out the fragrant flush and lend them indoors . Sweet William plants appeal butterflies , bees and hummingbird , making them a welcome addition to any recurrent bed .
Starting Seed Indoors
Do n’t desire to hold back a year for blooms ? A faster selection is to implant Sweet William indoors 6 to 8 weeks before the last hoar . All you need is a seed - starting tray , a starter mix and some seeds . To embed Sweet William indoors , replete credit card pots or a seed - begin tray with a seed - starting mixture . Or , make your own inexpensive mixture by combining two parts soil - less potting mixture with one part dampen backbone , such as the variety you ’d grease one’s palms for a child ’s sandpit . Add 1 tablespoon dense sack fertiliser for every 1 cubic groundwork of starting premix .
embrace the start mix with a thin level of small gravel . The crushed rock should be about the size of it of BB pellets . scatter the Sweet William seeds on top of the gravel , but do n’t cover them with soil . This process cuts your risk of soften off disease , by keeping source moist , but not too moist .
Spray the seeds with water from a spray bottle and address the trays with plastic wrap . Check them daily to ensure the gravel is slightly damp and piddle as needed .
Once the seeds bourgeon , take off the plastic wrap and set the tray in full Lord’s Day . Again , continue to monitor soil wet levels and H2O to keep the gravel slightly moist . Once the works support about 1 inch high , transfer them to individual 3 - inch throne . When they resist 3 - 4 inches high , it ’s time to move them outdoors , either into plenty or into your garden . You ’ll belike even have enough flora to apportion with friends and neighbor .
Want to learn more about growing Sweet William and other flowers from seed?
Visit the take after links :
10 Perennials Easily Grown from Seedfrom Fine Gardening .
Propagating flora from Seedfrom Washington State University Extension .
Our own article aboutSweet William disease and pests to deflect .
When she ’s not writing about gardening , food and canning , Julie Christensen enjoys spending time in her garden , which includes perennials , vegetables and fruit trees . She ’s written 100 of horticulture articles for the Gardening Channel , Garden Guides and San Francisco Gate , as well as several atomic number 99 - book .
