sharon mc
West Wales, UK
Posts: 82
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| Posted: Mon Sep 01, 2008 9:23 am Post subject: Sweet Williams - Advice, please |
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My Sweet William flowers have all died back now and the plants are looking really tatty. I want to tidy them up, so do I just cut off all the dead foliage and seed heads, back to ground level, does anyone know, please?
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Sjoerd
West - Friesland
Posts: 6915
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| Posted: Mon Sep 01, 2008 12:27 pm Post subject: |
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Well Mc-- when I grew them I them before...I let them die back, turn brown and overwinter in situ.
Come spring I looked carefully to see where the new shoots were forming and removed what debris there was at that time.
My theory is that leaving the dead or dying plant material in place protects it a little from frost that can get into the roots and freeze them dead.
...secondly it has been proven that it is better for one's top soil to have it covered with something (even weeds) during the winter. The sun, wind and elements can combine to detract from the topsoil's quality.
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Sjoerd http://www.volkstuindersvereniginghoornenomstreken.nl/Page11.html
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sharon mc
West Wales, UK
Posts: 82
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| Posted: Mon Sep 01, 2008 2:44 pm Post subject: |
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Thank You! Sounds like a very low-maintainance method! 
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Netty
 Regular Plants Contributor
Southern Ontario zone 5a
Posts: 9958
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| Posted: Mon Sep 01, 2008 8:51 pm Post subject: |
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I like to cut off the flower stalks after they bloom, just to make them look tidier.
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sharon mc
West Wales, UK
Posts: 82
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| Posted: Tue Sep 02, 2008 2:09 pm Post subject: |
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I might trim them back a bit, just to tidy them up a bit but I'm happy to leave some seed-heads on the ground to see if they germinate and to protect the soil.
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gardengater
NC
Posts: 1544
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| Posted: Tue Sep 02, 2008 6:00 pm Post subject: |
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I agree with everyone. That's what I do. Good luck with those seeds.
Gardengater
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Gardengirl
Hertfordshire,UK
Posts: 1020
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| Posted: Fri Sep 26, 2008 9:26 pm Post subject: |
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Sweet Williams are biennial, planted out in the Autumn to flower the following spring/summer. However, I usually take a chance and leave them in for a further year after which they tend to get a bit tatty. When that happens, I collect the seeds and start all over again. That way you get nice new fresh plants and you never know what colours you are going to get as the bees cross polinate. Isn't gardening fun!
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