I bought some comfy seed, and they have now come up. So where to put them? Would they be ok in a pot? Ive no idea what they look like,Ive never seen plants for sale anywhere. How big can they get? Will they come back next year? sun or shade? Help!
If you've grown them from seed then they are the sort that will spread - self seed - rapidly. They can get quite tall - over a metre - white, pink or purple-y flowers that the bees adore. And they will probably pop up everywhere next year. If you have a wild bit of your garden, put them there. I doubt they'd do well in pots, they are very deep rooted. They don't mind partial shade or sun. But don't put them in the middle of your flower beds, they'll take over. Many farms around here have a clump by the gate - it's a very useful plant but better on the fringes of the garden than front and centre.
Are you growing it to use for making plant food?
“Light thinks it travels faster than anything but it is wrong. No matter how fast light travels, it finds the darkness has always got there first”
Yes, for the food! I am doing a wild part of the garden, just for pollinators, by the runner beans, so they will be just fine there. Thanks for the info
I think the advice is to let them grow without cutting in the first year so they become established. You might want to take the flowers off reasonably diligently this year to reduce the self seeding (and also to encourage them establishing). It's a bit of a shame because the bees do love them but if you've got plenty of other bee friendly plants then it will be worth it. In future years, cut the plants down to make your food as you see the flowers begin to open (or sooner) - that way you should control the spreading habit. You'll probably get a few extra coming up, but not in unmanageable numbers.
“Light thinks it travels faster than anything but it is wrong. No matter how fast light travels, it finds the darkness has always got there first”
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Are you growing it to use for making plant food?