Based in Indiana, Molly Allman holds a B.A. Soil – well drained, ordinary. Sweet william can also be planted in … When all risk of frost has passed, and plugs are fully rooted into their pots, acclimatise them to outdoor conditions over 7 to 10 days. This variety is easy to grow and the colorful blooms make for fabulous summer bouquets. A faster option is to plant Sweet William indoors 6 to 8 weeks before the last frost. http://www.InBloomThisWeek.com Harvesting seeds from Sweet William (Dianthus barbatus) ripe seed pods Sow sweet William seeds thinly in drills 12 inches apart in a cold frame or nursery beds. Suggestions: Plant Sweet William in a border behind red and white petunias for perky, peppermint colors all season. Everett, Editor. Lift the plants carefully to keep soil around the roots. Sweet Williams are Easy to Grow from Seed If starting indoors sow your seed in your containers 6 to 8 weeks prior to first frost. ", How to Grow Polygala Myrtifolia Grandiflora, Washington State University Clark County Extension: Sweet William. The flowers will bloom in the spring before the summer the arrives. Sweet William is a biennial plant with a two-year life cycle, producing only leaves in the first year. Biennial. Here in my zone, I like to wait until mid summer (around the end of July) before starting seeds for sweet william. Required fields are marked *. If planting seeds, plan on starting them indoors six to eight weeks before the last frost for spring blooms. All of the seed we handle at American Meadows is non-GMO, neonicotinoid-free and guaranteed to grow. In these zones, you can propagate plants by division. You can also start your seed indoors 6 to 8 weeks before your last frost. Note that your sweet William will need sufficient sun to bloom, at least 3 to 4 hours of direct sunlight a day. This allows me to avoid planting them during the busiest part of the garden season (spring planting). Sowing – May to August Sweet William may evoke the royal wedding, but the common name refers to Prince William, Duke of Cumberland (d. 1765), who put down the Jacobite risings. Seeds sown outdoors in late spring bloom the following year. Grow on plants indoors until they reach 8 to 10 cm in height at which point they’re ready to plant out. Sweet William carnation doesn’t require any care once it is properly settled in. Flowering – May to September. A quick tutorial on how to grow dianthus reveals the ease of care and versatility of this attractive flowering plant. Sweet William plants only live for a few years, so you will need to allow the plants to seed or start new seeds every two or three years. You can start seeds indoors eight to 10 weeks before planting outdoors or sow directly outside in late spring or fall. Sweet William is best grown as a biennial started from seed each year. How and where to plant sweet william 1 item(s) Showing Page 1 of 1 Sweet William is sown at the end of spring or in summer for it to bloom in the following year. Our range of Sweet William Seeds are perfect for garden borders, patio pots and containers. Share your garden joys & woes! Planting Sweet William Sweet William plants, which look very similar to carnations, can be grown from seeds, cuttings or plant divisions. Sweet William grows best in slightly alkaline soil and likes a warm sunny growing area. These short-lived perennials or biennials are charming plants, and are worth their weight in gold in the cottage border. Native to Northern Europe and Asia, the Sweet William carnation variety is sought after for its cute flowers that make superb colored bouquets, and also for its leaves and stems that make it an easy flower to cut and pair. For earlier blooms, start indoors in flats about 6-8 weeks before the last frost. Need advice? Sweet William tolerates dry soil. She specializes in topics concerning health, crafts, family and lifestyles. Performing these few tasks will help enhance and extend the blooming. *I, like my Great Aunty…sow Sweet William seeds in June and/or July. Dianthus Plant. Wild Sweet William grows in sandy, clay or loamy soil conditions and grows to be about 12-24” tall, making it an extremely versatile variety. They will bloom the following year. Move the plants to rock gardens and borders or along stone walls where you want to add color. When plants are 2 inches high, thin or transplant before they become crowded. Add 1 tablespoon slow release fertilizer for every 1 cubic foot of starting mix. Sweet William can also be propagated by taking cuttings from the tips of growing shoots or layering in summer. Sweet William Tall Double Mixed Colors: Showy, spreading, fragrant and long blooming describes this variety. Suggestions: Plant Sweet William in a border behind red and white petunias for perky, peppermint colors all season. If planting seeds, plan on starting them indoors six to eight weeks before the last frost for spring blooms. If not allowed to set seed, clusters of new plants form around the old stalk. Let your carnation spend the winter outdoors. To direct sow outdoors, plant seeds 1/8 inch deep once the frost has passed. The New Sunset Western Garden Book; Kathleen Norris Brenzel, Editor, The A-Z Guide to Growing Flowers From Seed to Bloom; Eileen Powell, The New Illustrated Encyclopedia of Gardening Volume 21; T.H. It is recommended to mulch the plants well if you live in a cold climate. Sweet William grows to 20 inches tall and 12 inches wide with flat, light green leaves and 1/2-inch flowers. The best time to transplant sweet William is in September and October from nursery rows or cold frames to the area where you want them to bloom the following summer. Or, make your own inexpensive mix by combining two parts soil-less potting mix with one part washed sand, such as the kind youd buy for a childs sandbox. It grows as an annual or biennial in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 3 through 9. I tend to sow my own on the 21 June…the summer solstice…because it’s sort of cool and makes me sound like I know what I’m up to…..it’s also easy to remember. Seed Saving: At the end of the season, allow the blossoms to mature and produce seed pods. Family – Caryophyllaceae French marigold key facts Name – Tagetes Family –…, Dianthus is a very beautiful small perennial, belonging to the Caryophyllaceae family, which is excellent to decorate rocky areas and…, After your perennials have bloomed, cut back yellowed leaves and divide stumps to propagate your plants or give them away.…, Dianthus barbatus, Sweet Williams carnation. Her fiction writing appears in "Bewildering Stories," "The Other Herald" and "Spectacular Speculations. When to plant sweet william For autumn bedding, plant out your plug plants from mid-September to early October, depending on the size of the plants acquired. Type – biennial I have an entire post on how I start seeds early here. You can start seeds indoors eight to 10 weeks before planting outdoors or sow directly outside in late spring or fall. Store the Sweet William seed in a cool, dry place. Rock garden favorite sweet William (Dianthus barbatus) comes in a variety of shades, including red, white, pink, rose and purple. Sweet William (Dianthus barbatus) is a biennial plant native to the mountainous regions of southern Europe. How to Grow Sweet William (Dianthus) If sowing sweet William seeds outdoors then they should be sown at a depth of about 7 mm into a sunny part of the garden (from mid spring to July). Top Tips For Growing Sweet Williams From Seed. Cover with 1/8 inch of soil. You can grow it from seed in spring or you can transplant seedlings outdoors in fall. Its flowers are striped and only rarely of a solid color, and thus bestow pinks and whites, purples and cream colors, fuchsia and pink or even violet and black. Shake the pods over a container to remove the seeds, which are tiny black discs. You can either seed them directly into your garden, or start the seeds indoors first. in professional writing. Sweet William is sown at the end of spring or in summer for it to bloom in the following year. When plants are 2 inches high, thin or transplant before they become crowded. Read new articles immediately and get great deals delivered right to your email inbox, Easy gardening, grow food, flowers & medicine. The plants are small and usually between 6 and 18 inches (15-46 cm.) Water only during dry spells and avoid over-watering. Sweet William, or barbatus carnation, is perfect for decorating flower beds and garden boxes thanks to its magnificent colors. Exposure – full sun, part sun All our Mr Fothergill's seeds are trialled and selected for their quality. Grow from seed as an Annual. Sweet William flowers are vulnerable to rust. The dianthus plant is also called Sweet William (Dianthus barbatus) and has a fragrance with cinnamon or clove notes. Divide plants in fall in USDA zones 7 through 10. Must-Know Plant Care Tips: Sweet William must be grown from seed. Will bloom best in the second year. After the plants are finished flowering, cut back stems unless you want them to self-seed. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. tall. All you need is a seed-starting tray, a starter mix and some seeds. *You have two choices…either sow your seeds directly into the soil or instead into modules. Sprouting usually occurs about 1 week after sowing. If you wish to do the former…then rake soil to a fine tilth… (I sow mine in straight drills) Sow to a depth of about 4mm. Plant them in very late winter or early spring as soon as the soil is dry enough to work, meaning if you haven’t put your sweet pea seeds in the ground yet, you should hurry. The sweet William is a traditional cottage garden perennial, coming in a range of flower colours and forms. Biennial varieties bloom in their second year, and then die. The seeds take 5 to 10 days to germinate. Due to the multiple varieties of Sweet William and the different methods of growing them, you may hear conflicting information on when your flowers will grow and how long they will last. No comments yet – be the first to share your thoughts! The seeds require a soil temperature between 60 and 70 degrees Fahrenheit and should be just lightly covered with soil. Sweet William is a biennial which acts as a perennial by re-seeding itself. They should be grown with a spacing of 20 to 25 cm apart in a deep and rich slightly acidic to neutral soil (pH 6 to 7). Care Seeds can be sown directly into the garden, spaced 4 to 6 inches apart. Cover with 1/8 inch of soil. Young seedlings will transplant well into their permanent home. A favorite plant in my garden. Space the plants 10 to 15 inches apart. After all frost has passed plant out doors late May-early June in their summer flowering positions. To avoid this, rotate them to a different spot from one year to the next. It’s technically a short-lived perennial, but is usually grown as a biennial, with seeds sown in summer for flowering plants the following year. It will take 10-15 days for the seeds to germinate. The pods will turn dry and brown, splitting open on the top when ripe. Germination should occur in 1 to 2 weeks. Broadcast seeds without covering them after sowing, since they need light of day to sprout. In USDA zones 3 through 9, sweet William grows as a biennial. Pot up Sweet William plug plants and grow them on in frost free conditions for transplanting into borders and containers later on. Will bloom best in the second year. Your email address will not be published. Begin the seeds indoors 2-8 weeks prior to the last frost for your area. Dont want to wait a year for blooms? She works as both a writer and author and enjoys writing articles on many different topics. Sweet William plants are susceptible to rust and fusuriam wilt. *Sweet Williams Can be sown from late May until the end the beginning of August. Plant Dianthus seeds (also called sweet William or heirloom carnation) for a colorful range of sweetly fragrant cut flowers. Name – Dianthus barbatus Sprouting usually occurs about 1 week after sowing. 100% satisfaction guaranteed. The young seedlings generally transplant well and can be set outdoors after the last frost. Water in case of prolonged dry spells or heat wave only. The act of cutting wilting flowers off as they die helps prepare a second blooming towards the end of the season. Sow Sweet William seeds early in the season and cover lightly with 1/8" of fine garden or potting soil. To plant Sweet William indoors, fill plastic pots or a seed-starting tray with a seed-starting mix. © Copyright 2020 Hearst Communications, Inc. Choose an area with full sun, except for areas where summers are hot, where the plants do better with afternoon shade. Your email address will not be published. Sweet William plants, which look very similar to carnations, can be grown from seeds, cuttings or plant divisions. To grow Sweet William as an Annual (flower in the same year), the seeds should be planted in March and kept between 12-15 C. After germination the young seedlings can be moved to seed-trays and spaced around 10cm apart. Caring for sweet William plants is simple. For spring blooms, start indoors six to eight weeks before the last frost. After flowering, the attractive foliage holds the space well. Thin your seedlings to 6 inches apart. French marigold is a plant that exhibits very beautiful flowers during the summer. To stimulate appearance of new flowers, cut wilted flowers regularly (deadheading). Water using a gentle spray until seeds sprout without flooding your Sweet William seeds. Find out when your Sweet William will bloom. For earlier blooms, start indoors in flats about 6-8 weeks before the last frost. To obtain the earliest spring blooms, start the seeds indoors anywhere from 6-8 weeks before the last spring frost. Height – 8 to 16 inches (20 to 40 cm) The blossoms to mature and produce seed pods except for areas where summers hot... Want to add color ’ re ready to plant sweet William is best as! Different spot from one year to the next time I comment summer the.... Soil and likes a warm sunny growing area finished flowering, cut wilted flowers (! 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