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Not so sweet Williams ....

BerkleyBerkley Posts: 428

I sowed seed last July, overwintered 30+ little plants and planted them out this Spring. I now have 30 healthy, bright green plants - and just two flowers. I sowed in May this year, in  case I had left it too late last year. Goodness knows where I'll put them if your advice is to leave the non-flowering ones in for another year!  What do people think?

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  • Pete.8Pete.8 Posts: 11,130

    I had the same a few years ago. Nurtured them as seedlings, planted them out, watched them grow bigger and stronger - but no flowers all summer! The following year they were huge plants and flowered exceptionally well, but too closely packed together. That was 5-6 yrs ago and their self-sown offspring have just finished this year's display
    It'll be worth the wait


    Billericay - Essex

    Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit.
    Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.
  • BobTheGardenerBobTheGardener Posts: 11,391

    Yes, they're biennials but if they don't grow large enough in their first year because of late sowing or poor weather they need an extra year before flowering.  The ones you sowed in May this year should flower next year as they will have had a long enough growing season this year.

    Last edited: 17 July 2017 14:39:01

    A trowel in the hand is worth a thousand lost under a bush.
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  • BerkleyBerkley Posts: 428

    Thank you for all your support and useful advice. I'll leave the ones I've got in for another year ..... there's got to be room for the "newcomers" somewhere, hasn't there ....

  • Pete.8Pete.8 Posts: 11,130

    Always! They're beautiful plants and come up year after year from self-sown seed

    I took some seed from dried flower heads in the garden on the 14th July and I've already got a pot full of little seedlings - they're in a hurry!


    Billericay - Essex

    Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit.
    Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.
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