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daniellalell

Scented Stock help?

daniellalell
15 years ago

Hello! I have ALOT of scented stock seedlings I started. Transplanted into the beds where I wanted them, a couple withered up, but most survived the shock.

The problem: They are setting buds but they are only 3" tall!

Does anyone here know if I can pinch off the buds, and maybe that will encourage more upward growth? Or will this just encourage them to get bushy, or will they die? I really wanted nice tall 18-20" plants like I had last year.

How can I get that?

Thanks!

Daniella

Comments (2)

  • bahia
    15 years ago

    Maybe you didn't start them early enough, and you've had too warm weather that encouraged them to bolt into bloom prematurely. Even here in cool, mild California, they can do this if planted out too late. They like a long cool, yet above freezing several months to get big before they bloom. Next year, you might want to start them indoors early enough to give them a good 8 weeks of perfect cool weather before it gets hot. Here in California, they are best planted in late fall to over-winter and bloom in February/March. From seed there are different strains that can bloom as early as 8 weeks, some at 10 weeks, some unbranched, others branching. Probably best to ask at local nurseries or fellow gardeners in your area to find out which work best and also the best timing to plant. You might have better luck with nursery starts when they first become available, and tip pinching when they first get planted out will usually give you bushy plants and more blooms, but doing it when they are already trying to bloom and temperatures are already warming probably won't help much.

  • daniellalell
    Original Author
    15 years ago

    Thanks Bahia. I started them outside in a pot in early March. They sprouted in 7-10 days. The ones I started indoors all crapped out on me. We have had a few hot days, but other than that our weather this spring has been alot cooler than usual. I should have had the pool goin about a month ago, and it's not even ready yet. There was no point with the weather being as it was.
    ANyway, I wound up pinching off all the buds, at first I just pinched the buds off of a couple to see what would happen, and they are growing taller..So, yesterday I pinched the rest, but I left one, its so tiny, maybe 1.5" and has these violet blooms on it, too funny. Of course it's out front and yesterday when I bent down to smell it I had to get on my hands and knees..people probably thought I was smelling the ground, or just plain ol nuts! lol.

    Thanks!
    Daniella