Sweet William is scientifically known as Dianthus barbatus and also commonly called as bearded pinks. It belongs to the family of carnations that is Caryophyllaceae.
Sweet Williams are a great choice for a greenhouse as they have spicy aroma. These plants have a shorter living period and are biennial flowering plants.
Sweet williams are also herbaceous perennials and are a great choice for container gardens, perennial beds or cottage gardens etc. These are native to Europe.
Sweet Williams bloom during spring or summer. They can be grown widely in USDA Hardiness zone 4-9. These are fast growing plants. Click To TweetSweet Williams bloom during spring or summer. They can be grown widely in USDA Hardiness zone 4-9. These are fast growing plants.
The Sweet Williams flower is approximately 2–3 cm in diameter, and it has five petals. Despite the common red flowers with white bases, additional varieties exist, such as white, pink, and violet patterns.
These plants are not only used as ornamental plants but also for culinary purposes. The flowers have a spicy aroma and a mild flavor. They grow in clusters.
Sweet William is one of the favorite flowers among chefs for garnishing their dishes such as salads, cakes, desserts, beverages etc.
They attract many pollinators like hummingbirds, bees and butterflies. Decorative flower borders make an excellent addition to flower beds, rock gardens, and walled gardens.
So, in this article there is a detailed explanation on how to grow Sweet Williams in your own garden.
Growing Guide
Sweet William plants are mainly grown from seeds. They can even be transplanted in the garden. These plants are a great choice for growing in containers and pots as they grow bushy and compact.
As these plants are summer and spring bloomers, the best time to plant them is when the frost has completely gone. Here there are two methods to grow them.
Either you can directly sow the seeds outside in your garden or else you can grow them in a pot first and then transplant the seedlings outside.
So if you are growing it outside, then make sure to sow the seeds at a depth of one eighth(⅛) inches and cover a light layer of soil on the top of the seeds.
This should be done after the frost period has passed as these plants cannot tolerate frost. Usually the seeds will start germinating within 10 to 15 days of sowing them.
When the seeds germinate, transplant the seedlings to your outside garden. Sweet Williams love to grow under full Sun and they can even tolerate some amount of light shade though.
But make sure to expose your Sweet William plants to the Sun for at least 5 hours a day so that they can bloom and grow healthier.
The soil should be fertile and well drained for these plants to grow. Adding organic fertilizers not only make the soil fertile but also provide a continuous supply of nutrients to the plants and keep them healthy.
Regular weeding is necessary for these plants, so make sure to keep the plants weed free. You can also mulch the soil in order to keep the plants weed free and also it helps in moisture retention.
Mulching also helps in good air circulation and keep the surrounding of the plant well aerated. When the plant looks bushy, thinning out the plant helps in faster and healthier growth of the plant and also it provides them more space to grow.
Provide water regularly to keep the soil moist but don’t water too much as these plants cannot bear soggy or wet soil. You can water every alternate day and check the soil’s moisture level.
The plant should get enough air especially around its stem as this will enhance their growth. However overwatering may cause the leaves to turn yellow.
Plants need filtered sunlight and rich, well-drained soil to grow well. If you use Sweet Williams as bedding plants, space them approximately eight inches apart in order to accommodate the dense foliage that appears during the… Click To TweetCaring Guide
Nevertheless, they grow only for a few years and need to be replanted afterward. Birds, bees, moths, and butterflies are attracted to the nectar produced by this flower.
Plants need filtered sunlight and rich, well-drained soil to grow well. If you use Sweet Williams as bedding plants, space them approximately eight inches apart in order to accommodate the dense foliage that appears during the first year.
Soil
Sweet William plants can basically be grown in any soil condition. But they are best grown in soil that is fertile and rich loamy that is well drained.
However they cannot tolerate too wet and heavy soils. They prefer to grow in any soil pH condition, although a little bit of alkaline soil works even better.
Light
These plants grow more healthier under bright Sun conditions that require at least 5 hours of Sunlight in a day. It helps the plant to grow healthier.
If the condition is too hot outside, then exposing your plant under afternoon Sun helps them to bloom for a longer period of time.
However these plants can also grow in light shade but again too much shade is harmful as the plant might grow leggy and floppy due to shade.
Water
Regular watering is required for these plants especially when they are growing profusely. Overwatering should be avoided as these may lead to yellowing of leaves and give rise to various fungal diseases in the plant.
Temperature and Humidity
Sweet William is basically a cold hardy flower producing plant. Hence it can tolerate a light amount of frost but cannot tolerate freezing conditions and will eventually die.
Even these plants cannot tolerate high temperatures that are above 85 degrees Fahrenheit and if exposed they will go to their dormant period. Similarly high humidity is also not good for them.
Fertilizer
A best all purpose fertilizer that contains all the micro and macro nutrients works really wonders for these plants to grow healthy and bushy especially during their growing season.
However generous amounts of organic fertilizers help in continuously supplying the plant with nutrients and make the soil fertile as well.
Some Important tips
If you want your Sweet William plants to bloom profusely then make sure to provide them with optimum conditions required for their growth like exposing them to adequate Sunlight.
Also providing them with well drained fertile soil medium and avoid more hot temperatures as this may disrupt their flowering process.
Deadheading of flowers helps the plants to bloom abundantly, but don’t do this process in late summer.
Deadheading basically means to remove the flower heads that are dead from your plants. Sweet williams have stronger stems and quite fascinating flower heads and hence are a great choice for cut flowers.
Conclusion
It is best to grow ornamental plants in cottage beds, garden borders, and containers in early spring. Most of these plants do not require a great deal of maintenance.
Sweet William plants are one of them which require a shorter period and absolutely less maintenance to grow. However, you should definitely try your gardening hands to grow these plants in your garden.
It is likely that you will have a fresh, delightful bouquet every summer, as the plants easily self-seed under ideal conditions. So plant them and enjoy their beauty.
