How to grow stock flowers and why they are must for cut flower gardens

Unleashing the Magic of Stock Flowers - for your cut flower garden

Looking for you new favorite flower for your cut flower garden or landscape? Look no farther than the sadly named stock flower. These beauties are actually part of the broccoli family but fear not, they don't smell like their edible cousins. Stock flowers actually smell amazing, like fresh cloves. Producing multiple blooms along a singular stock you can see a perfect example of these beauties in the design below, its the juicy cluster of purple flowers to the right of your screen.

Why Grow Stock Flowers?

1. The Alluring Scent of Cloves

One of the most magnetic qualities of stock flowers is their fragrance. Often compared to cloves, this enchanting aroma can turn your garden or coffee table into a sensory delight. Studies show that gardens with fragrant flowers can increase time spent outdoors by up to 25%, making stock a compelling addition. Not to mention, its a natural way to freshen up a room wit a vase of these beauties.

2. An Array of Colors to Enjoy

Stock flowers are celebrated for their stunning colors, ranging from soft pastels to bold hues. You can find them in pure whites, soft pinks, juicy apricots, deep purples, fun fuchsias, and creamy yellows. This versatility makes them perfect for any garden style or floral arrangement.

For example, combine purple stock flowers with pink asters yellow snapdragons to create vibrant bouquets like the one shown above, or pair the pastel hues with caffe au lait dahlias for a soothing, monochromatic effect. In flower design stock flowers function somewhere between a line flower (like snapdragons) and a filler flower because they are so juicy. For the landscape they make a lovely intermediate layer in front of taller plants such as dahlias or delphiniums and behind your lower growing border flowers such as orlayla or clover.

3. Lasting Beauty in Bloom

A lot of people skip out on growing stock because it only produces one floral spike per plant, we avoided the flower on our farm for years because of this. But we've learned from the error of our ways and would argue that despite not being a 'cut and come again' flower, stock is well wortth growing.

For floral design purposes this is because once cut and arranged, stock flowers can brighten your space for up to two weeks with proper care. This remarkable longevity supports your floral arrangements, making stock the perfect choice for bouquets, centerpieces, or even special events.

In the garden the flowers are incredibly long lived with the singular stock of flowers continuing to grown and bloom for weeks and weeks!

Tips for Growing Stock Flowers

Now that you see the benefits of stock flowers, let’s dive into just how to grow them effectively. Here are two key tips to ensure your stock blooms flourish:

1. Start Seeds Indoors Early

Stock flowers thrive in cooler weather, making timing essential for your planting schedule. For a spring bloom, sow seeds in late winter to early spring. For fall blooms, plant another batch in late summer.

To jumpstart your stock flowers, sow seeds indoors about 5 to 6 weeks before your last frost date. Use seedling trays filled with seed-starting mix, ensuring they remain moist but not overly wet. Stock flowers will germinate better with a seed heating mat but one is not required for success with this flower. Do lightly cover the seeds as darkness aides in germination.

Starting seeds indoors not only protects them from unexpected frost but also gives them a crucial head start. With this preparation, you can expect a vibrant garden full of stock blooms when the season rolls around.

Because stock does prefer cooler weather I recommend doing two indoor starts of the flowers. Once in the late winter for post-frost planting and one in late July or early August to plant out in September when temperatures again turn cool.

2. Do not pinch

Because stock flowers produce just the one flowering stalk per plant, it is crucial you do not pinch this variety.

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Double versus single bloom seedlings

Double vs single blooming stock seedlings can be confusing because stock never produces a second bloom of flowers. What is meant by double blooms are the fullness of the flowers on the stalk. Some seedlings produce stalks with sparser flowers and these are called single bloom seedlings. preference is usually given to fuller, called double, stalks. Luckily it is easy to select for double bloom stalk seedlings early on to give crucial growing space to only the best specimens.

The key in identifying double blooming seedlings are in the cotyledons, the first leaves that emerge from the seedling. These are not 'true' leaves but the embryonic leaf. When these leaves emerge fuzed the seedling will produce a more spindly single bloom. In contrast, when the cotyledons are fully formed, separate leaves the seedling should become a double bloom stalk.

Final Thoughts on Growing Stock Flowers

Growing stock flowers not only enhances your surroundings but also lets you indulge in their fragrant beauty and visual appeal. Gather your seeds, get your garden ready, and watch as your space transforms into a vibrant floral haven.