Question for experienced dianthus/sweet william WS'ers

16 years ago

Hello Experts!

Can you give me the run down on these great little seedlings that are new to me? I have about 8 containers, all looking robustly healthy, most getting their second set of leaves. Should I HOS and plant out now? Seperate them (the tiny guys are very close together)? Wait till it's a bit warmer?

I am so excited to finally have something for "the front of the beds" - I tend to be attracted to large plants/ flowers with everyting competing for space in the middle and back of the beds. I think these will look great in the front, along with lambs ears, low nepa, creeping profusion zinnia (if I ever get it started!)and other low annuals.

Will any of these flower this year? Is it hard to collect seeds? Anything special I should know? This is what I've got:

Sweet William "Wee Willie" (2)

Dianthus Â Magenta

Dianthus Albus

Dianthus "French Frills"

Dianthus "Confetti Cherry Red"

Sweet William "hollandia mix"

Sweet William Mix

Thanks so much for all your help,

Nancy

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Comments (9)

bakemom_gw
16 years ago
I would HOS them out right now in your area. Mine all bloom the second year. Sweet william acts as a biennial for me.

Seed collection is fun and easy as you will see.
carrie630
16 years ago
HOS both - they sow beautifully and easily to plant out in hunks. Sweet William and Dianthus hunks are gorgeous even in the first year - the greenery (sowed in hunks) is really pretty. Good luck

Carrie
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northforker
Original Author
16 years ago
Thanks! You know, I'm actually fine with no flowers till next year as I'd just like to get something established in this "if nothings there, the weeds/creeping lawn/etc have a party" front zone of the bed.

I think at another house I did have sweet william (purchased, way before winter sowing)and I think I remember it made a nice spreading mound and sharing some with a friend. Does this sound right...does it mound/spread?

Thanks again,
Nancy
magnoliaroad
15 years ago
Could someone please tell me what HOS means?

TIA
andrea81
15 years ago
HOS means hunk of seedlings.

Andrea
andrea81
15 years ago
I have a question. Does this mean that I should sow my dianthus now rather then waiting until winter?

Thanks, Andrea
PVick
15 years ago
If you have the biennial Sweet William (dianthus barbatus), you can sow them now and you'll probably get flowers next spring/summer. You can wintersow them too, but you will most likely have to wait a year for them to flower.

The perennial dianthus (usually called some kind of "pink" - maiden pinks, cottage pinks, etc.), you can winter sow; most of them will give some flowers the first year, but will definitely show off in years to come.

That's been my experience ....

PV
andrea81
15 years ago
Thanks PV!

Andrea
pyrgal
15 years ago
This is the second year in the ground for mine but still no blooms. That's been disappointing.

Question for experienced dianthus/sweet william WS'ers

Comments (9)

bakemom_gw

carrie630

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Question for experienced dianthus/sweet william WS'ers

Comments (9)

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