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How to grow Sweet Williams in the UK
Clusters of spicy-smelling flowers in pinks, reds and whites. Sow this summer for flowers next year.
- DifficultyEasy peasy
- WhereBeds or Pots
- Sunfull sun
- Grows to45cm
- Spacing25cm
- Time to first pickabout 40 weeks
- Typebiennial
When to sow, plant and harvest sweet williams
| Sow outdoors | early May to mid July |
|---|---|
| In flower | mid May to mid July |
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 25cm apart each way
- 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 sweet williams
- Grow them in a spare corner, then move them to their flowering spot in autumn.
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 sweet williams
Cut them for a vase - they last for ages.
Saving your own sweet williams seed
It only makes seed in its second summer.
- This plant flowers in its second year, so leave one or two strong plants in the ground over winter
- Next summer they grow tall and flower - bees love them
- Cut the seed heads when they're brown and dry, and shake out the seeds
- Cabbage-family plants cross with each other, so seed may not come true
Where to buy sweet williams seeds
Thompson & Morgan · Suttons · Amazon
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Sweet Williams questions
When should I sow sweet williams in the UK?
In the UK, sow sweet williams outdoors from early May to mid July. 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 enjoy sweet williams?
Sweet Williams is ready from mid May to mid July. Cut them for a vase - they last for ages.
How long do sweet williams take to grow?
Roughly 40 weeks from sowing or planting until the first harvest.
Are sweet williams easy to grow?
Sweet Williams are rated 'easy peasy' for beginners, and can be grown in the ground or a raised bed or in pots and containers.
Plan your own garden: it tells you what to do and when, for your postcode.
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