How to Grow and Care for Sweet William Flowers

About Growing Sweet William Plants in Your Home Flower Garden

Sweet William flowers are irresistible and colorful. It is a biennial plant that grows for two years, blooming in the second year. Native to Europe, this colorful, compact plant is grown all over the U.S. Sweet William varieties include perennials and biennials. The perennials are often grown as biennials. Flowers blooms are produced in clusters in the spring. If you are not growing Sweet William plants yet, what are you waiting for!?

The compact size of Sweet Williams makes them great for containers and pots. Try them on a windowsill or vertical planter. In flower beds, put these small plants at the front of the garden. Despite their small size, they are good as cut flowers. All they need for indoor splendor is a small vase.

The Raging Name Debate– There is much debate over who Sweet William was named for. The list of honorees includes William the Conqueror, Saint William of York, and Prince William Augustus, the Duke of Cumberland.

Sweet William Flowers Plant Specifications

Flower Colors: Colors include white, red, pink, crimson, scarlet, purple, and bi-colors.

Flowers Bloom: Spring to Summer.

Plant height: Seven to twenty -four inches tall.

Ideal Soil pH: 6.0 – 7.5.

Plant Hardiness Zones: 4 – 9

Light Needs: Full sunlight to partial sun.

Toxic Plant?: No.

Deer Resistant? Yes. Deer do not like the strong scent of the flowers or the texture of the plant. So, the plants are not on the menu of deer, rabbits, and other foraging animals.

Number of Species: Sweet William flowers are members of the Dianthus family which contains 300 species.

Plant Type: Biennials and perennials.

Native To: Europe.

Botanical Name: Dianthus Barbatus

Are Sweet William Flowers Edible?

YES!!

This plant has a mildly spicy and clove-like flavor. Try it in cocktails, desserts, salads, and as a garnish,

Note: This tasty plant can cause a stomachache if consumed in large quantities.

Medicinal Applications for Sweet William Flowers

Sweet William plants are used in traditional medicine and homemade remedies. The plant has anti-inflammatory and analgesic properties. Here are some of the medicinal uses:

Put it into a tea to ease digestion.
It offers relief from bronchitis, colds, and coughs.
Creams and ointments containing this plant are used to treat arthritis, rheumatism, and muscle pains.

Light Requirements

Grow Sweet William plants in full sunlight. Select a planting location that receives six to eight hours of bright, direct sunlight. In hotter regions of the country, the plants benefit from a little afternoon shade.

However, if the plants receive too little sunlight, they can grow lanky. And, their flowers will be fewer and lackluster.

Sweet William Plant Propagation

Annual Sweet William plants are grown from seeds. They can be directly seeded into your flower garden, or seeded indoors for transplanting later. For spring blooms, start indoors six to eight weeks before the last frost. Young seedlings will transplant well into their permanent home.

Sow seeds early in the season and cover lightly with 1/8″ of fine garden or potting soil. Water thoroughly once.

Transplant Sweet William into your garden after the last frost date for your area. They will tolerate a little crowding. They will look great filling in a flowerbed, or as a border edging.

Sweet William can also be grown from cuttings or plant division.

Note: For indoor starts, we recommend using a heated germination mat, to increase the speed of germination. And, it, results in a higher germination rate.

Final Plant Spacing: Space plants 6 to 8 inches apart.

Days to Germination: Seeds sprout in 10 – 15 days.

About Seed Germination

How to Grow Sweet William Flower Plants

Planting location and soil needs:

Select a planting location that receives full sun for most, if not all of the day. Sweet William plants tolerate a light, partial shade. They prefer rich, loose soil that drains well. Give the plants a fast start by mixing in an ample amount compost during planting. Immediately after planting them, apply a general-purpose fertilizer. Then, keep the planting site lightly watered until the plants sprout.

Fertilizer needs:

Apply fertilizer once every four to six weeks. To promote blooms, apply a fertilizer high in phosphorous just before the blooming period begins.

Water Needs:

Once your plants are established, they should grow well with few problems. Keep the soil moist to slightly dry. Water them during dry periods, once or twice per week.

Other steps:

Keep them well-weeded, especially while they are still young.

Also, apply a two to three-inch layer of mulch for a tidy appearance, to help keep the weeds down, and to retain soil moisture.

Watch for insect infestations and plant disease throughout the season.

How to Grow Sweet William Plants in Flowerpots and Containers

Sweet William flowers will look great and smell wonderful growing in a flowerpot or container on your patio or deck. Try shorter varieties in a windowsill planter, too. When in bloom you will love to see them just outside your window. Leave the window open and their sweet scent will waft into your home.

In addition to normal plant care, here’s how to grow Sweet William flowers in containers:

These flowers tolerate a little overcrowding. So, grow them in containers a little closer than the normal recommended spacing.
Select a sunny location on your patio or deck.
It is important to have a drain hole in the container to allow excess water to drain from the pot.
The plant grows best in slightly moist soil. Keep an eye on the moisture level. Check the plants every few days, especially in extended periods of hot, dry weather.
Keep the soil moist, but not wet. It is okay to let the top of the soil to dry between watering.
When watering the plants, thoroughly wet the soil. Excess water will drain through the hole in the bottom of the flowerpot.
Nutrients in a flowerpot are limited. So, use fertilizer spikes to feed the plants. Or, apply a light solution of liquid fertilizer once a month.

How to Prune Sweet William Flowers

Pruning Sweet William plants promotes a healthy and shapely plant. Give the plants an overall trim in the early spring. Form it into a shapely plant. Remove leggy stems. And, thin out the stems to improve air circulation and help avoid plant diseases.

Remove dead, damaged, or diseased leaves and stems at any time of the year as soon as you spot them.

Removing spent flowers can help to promote new buds to develop and extend the blooming period.

If you want to harvest some of the seeds, leave a few spent blooms on a couple of the plants.

More on Deadheading Spent Flower Blooms.

Insects and Plant Disease

Nematodes can be a problem. Treat early with insecticides specific to nematodes. Aphis, slugs, snails, spider mites, and thrips are all occasional pest problems. Use insecticides or insecticidal soap as needed.

If disease problems occur, treat early with fungicide.

Also see: Plant Problems – Identify the causes and find the cures, too.

Overwintering Sweet William Flowers

In most areas of the country, perennial Sweet William plants overwinter in the ground with few, if any, problems. However, if you’re growing them in containers left outdoors in cold northern climates, the roots can freeze. This will damage or kill them. So, plan on sheltering the containers from the most brutal winters.

Overwintering Sweet William Plants Outdoors

Do not prune the plants in the Fall. Rather, keep this task for the Spring.

Apply a thick layer of mulch over the root area. In the early spring, rake off the excess mulch.

For Overwintering Sweety William Plants in Containers

In warmer regions, overwinter the flowerpots along the house, a garage, or a shed. In colder regions, bring the container into a cool garage or shed. Bring the containers back onto your patio or deck in early-spring.