Stock (Night-Scented) Growing Guide

Matthiola longipetala

Stock (Night-Scented)

Crop Rotation Group

Brassicas (Cabbage family) ●

Soil

Fertile, well-drained soil enriched with compost.

Position

Full sun.

Frost tolerant

Stock can tolerate cool temperatures but cannot be allowed to freeze. It is best grown as an annual.

Feeding

Drench plants with a liquid organic fertiliser in early summer, a month or so after setting them out.

Companions

Stock is grown for its fragrance, so it is a good plant for containers or outdoor sitting areas.

Spacing

Single Plants: 15cm (5") each way (minimum)
Rows: 15cm (5") with 15cm (5") row gap (minimum)

Sow and Plant

Sow seeds of night-scented stock where you want the plants to grow in spring. In cool summer climates, more seeds can be planted in late spring and early summer to replenish the supply of plants. Where summers are hot, try growing night-scented stock as a fast-growing autumn flower.
Our Garden Planner can produce a personalized calendar of when to sow, plant and harvest for your area.

Notes

Night-scented stocks are grown more for their fragrance than for the pink to purple flowers on thin stems. Fast to grow from seed to bloom, stocks make good little fillers to grow among showier plants. They are at their best in cool weather.

Harvesting

Stems make good short-lived cut flowers for flower arrangements.

Troubleshooting

Night-scented stock plants are short-lived by nature, and they have little tolerance for hot weather. All stocks can be injured by insect pests of the cabbage family.

Planting and Harvesting Calendar

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Pests which Affect Stock (Night-Scented)