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Stocks
Stocks, (Matthiola), originate from Europe and are a genus of annual and biennial gardening plants. Leaves are soft, long and narrow and are greeny-gray in colour. Flowers are four petalled and come in a range of colours, red, pink, white purple. Some flowers are double. Flowers are heavily scented, especially in the evening, hence their common name “night scented stock”. Genus: Matthiola Family: Brassicaceae Species: Incana Common Names: Common stock, night scented stock, stock. Classification: Biennial. Height: 45cm (18inches). Flowering: Throughout summer. Night scented stock are a very popular gardening plant and can be found in many beds and borders, and rightly so. They are a very useful gardening plant and look good and go well with most other bed and border plants. Where: Ideal for borders and beds. They are richly scented plants. Enjoy their scent by growing near garden and patio seating areas or near windows that are open in the summer, especially during evenings. Moths are attracted to these plants. Site: Stock prefer full sun, they thrive in it! They will also do well in partial shade. Soil: Any rich and free draining soil. Sowing Time: - Outdoors April to May. *USE ONLY CLEAN EQUIPMENT *(BY DOING THIS IT WILL INCREASE YOUR PROPAGATION SUCESS RATE) Silver sand (if you are marking out the sowing area). Empty and dry used plastic water/lemonade bottle (to use for holding the silver sand if you are marking out the sowing area). Labels. Watering can. AS WITH ANY TOOLS - CARE SHOULD BE TAKEN WITH THEIR USE - BE SAFE! Rake. HANDY TIP: Don't plant all your Matthiola seeds at the same time Sow seeds every two weeks from April to May for a succession of flowering plants.
The area where you intend sowing your Matthiola seeds should have been previously prepared. (Dug over and fertilised at the end of the last season with well rotted organic compost). Make sure you remove all weeds and large stones. Rake over the surface of the soil until you have a nice fine tilth. Now you can scatter sow or sow your Stock seeds in individual areas. For scatter sowing just scatter your Stock seeds where you want them to grow. Sow the seeds thinly and lightly cover them with soil using your rake. For individual area sowing mark out the sowing area with you silver sand, from the plastic bottle, and thinly sow your Matthiola seeds within the marked area. All you have to do then is lightly cover your Matthiola seeds with soil using your rake. Whether scatter sowing or area sowing after lightly covering your seeds with soil make sure you label the area with plant type and sowing date. And of course don't forget to carefully water the seeds in. Use your watering can with a *fine rose, turned upside down, and gently water the areas you have sown. Do not flood the area or have the watering can too high, or your seeds will be washed away and uncovered. *Take care with your watering. *(By doing this correctly you will greatly increase your chance of success).
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