How to grow Phacelia in the UK
Fluffy purple flowers that are one of the best bee plants there is - and it improves the soil.
- DifficultyEasy peasy
- WhereBeds
- Sunfull sun or part shade
- Grows to60cm
- Spacing15cm
- Time to first pickabout 8 weeks
- Typeannual
When to sow, plant and harvest phacelia
| Sow outdoors | mid March to mid September |
|---|---|
| Pick | early June to mid October |
Dates are for central England. Sow about two weeks later in the north and Scotland, and up to two weeks earlier in the south and south west. Get the dates for your postcode.
Sowing it outdoors
- Pull out any weeds and rake the top of your bed until it's crumbly, like cake crumbs
- Make a little line in the soil (1cm deep) with your finger or a stick
- Drop the seeds in, about 15cm apart in the row, with rows 20cm apart
- Gently cover them with soil and pat it down
- Water with a watering can that has a sprinkler head
- Push in a label so you remember what's there
Top tips for growing phacelia
- Fill an empty patch with it - when it's finished, cut it down and leave it on top as compost.
Soil and feeding
Poor soil - really!. Nasturtiums flower best in poor soil. Feed them and you get all leaves and no flowers.
Harvesting and eating phacelia
Enjoy the bees! When it stops flowering, cut it down and leave it on the bed.
Companion planting
Grows well with
- Runner beans: brings bees for more beans
- Butternut squash: brings bees to pollinate
- Courgettes: brings bees to pollinate
- Pumpkins: brings bees to pollinate
- Peas: brings hoverflies, whose babies eat greenfly
Saving your own phacelia seed
Late summer and autumn, as the flowers fade.
- Stop deadheading a few flowers - let them fade on the plant
- When the seed heads are dry and brown (and the seeds rattle), snip them off on a dry day
- Shake the seeds into a paper bag
- Spread on a plate to dry for a week
Where to buy phacelia seeds
Thompson & Morgan · Suttons · Amazon
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Phacelia questions
When should I sow phacelia in the UK?
In the UK, sow phacelia outdoors from mid March to mid September. These dates suit central England; sow about two weeks later in the north and Scotland and up to two weeks earlier in the mild south and south west.
When can I pick phacelia?
Phacelia is ready from early June to mid October. Enjoy the bees! When it stops flowering, cut it down and leave it on the bed.
How long do phacelia take to grow?
Roughly 8 weeks from sowing or planting until the first harvest.
Are phacelia easy to grow?
Phacelia are rated 'easy peasy' for beginners, and can be grown in the ground or a raised bed.
Plan your own garden: it tells you what to do and when, for your postcode.
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