Growing Sweet William

Sweet William is easy to grow, requires little maintenance, and reseeds. These pretty biennials add color and a sweet fragrance to your flower garden. This is a guide about growing Sweet William.

Solutions: Growing Sweet William

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Growing: Sweet William

Botanical Name:

Dianthus barbatus

Life Cycle:

biennials

Planting Time:

spring or summer

Height:

dwarf forms 6" to 8"; full-sized 12" to 18"

Exposure:

full sun

Soil:

dry to evenly moist, well-drained soil; neutral to alkaline pH

Hardiness:

zones 4-8

Bloom Time:

early spring into summer

Flower:

red, pink and white combinations

Foliage:

green

Propagation:

seeds

Suggested Use:

cut flowers, beds, borders, and window boxes

Growing Hints:

Sow Sweet William seeds in summer directly into soil. Don't pinch off spent flowers and they will reseed themselves for the next year. If planting transplants, space them 4 to 6 inches apart. When older flowers stop sending up new shoots, cutting stems back by half will reinvigorate them.

Interesting Facts:

Sweet William is related to the carnation.

By Ellen Brown

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Questions

Here are questions related to Growing Sweet William.

Growing Sweet William

I planted some Sweet William from seeds and love it! Do these plants reseed themselves but the plant dies (like a marigold) or does the plant survive and you just cut it back (like a daisy). Thanks so much!

By Mindy from Terrebonne, OR

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Most Recent Answer

By HAPPYINHARNED 09/27/2011

They will reseed themselves, the foilage dies awat.You can prob gather the seed pods from them when the foilge dries.

Growing Sweet William from Seed

I am planning to do a bed of Sweet William next season. I have collected seed from the few volunteers I currently have, and will get more from a buddy with an extensive garden of them.
My question: Given the different varieties of color and pattern, does each color yield seeds in that color, or do they express the entire range of colors? My worry is that the whites have yielded the most seed, yet are my least favorite. I have not seen a garden consisting of just one color.

By Brian M

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