Why you should be starting Stock (matthiola) earlier than you think!

I first considered growing stock when I realized two things:
1) It has a fragrance that is universally appealing. Even though it’s a spicy clove type of scent, very few people hate it! This makes it a great flower for bouquets at markets
2) Double varieties fetch a premium. People who grow stock and select for doubles can do really well with florists as shipped stock doesn’t hold up as well and isn’t as fragrant
So… I started looking into stock, which means I consulted with my handy dandy Specialty Cut Flowers book by Dr. Armitage and then read whatever research papers I could find on stock. Whenever I want to learn about a new variety, I am interested in understanding how photoperiod and temperature play a role in flowering and stem length.
For stock, temperature plays a HUGE role. In fact, many publications cited stock has a negative ROI crop, simply because the plant needs temperatures of below 60F (15.6C) in order to flower. When we talk about temperatures, we are referring to nightly temperatures. I thought to myself- how many days do I get of that in the spring? Maybe a couple of weeks at the most. It often feels like we go from cold to HOT very quickly especially in the spring.
This realization and additional research made me realize that stock should be started a lot earlier than what the seed packet says. These will likely be like my ranunculus- needing a bit of babying until we move and get a low tunnel set up. But given their fragrance and premium to florists, I think these are blooms worth that effort.
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[@jenniferfisher1743]

Lisa Mason Ziegler of The Garden Workshop said cool flowers, which stock are, should be transplanted 6-8 weeks before last frost. That mean the seeds would be started indoors 6-8 weeks before the transplanting date. Your idea of starting them earlier is right on. So many seed packets don’t take into consideration that cold loving flowers should be planted out much earlier.

[@melissakarner6707]

I live in the desert of Arizona. I planted, for the first time, stock in October. They grew nice and full all winter in mostly shade. Now the sun hits them about a couple to three hours a day and full blooms. Our weather currently is between 40 at night and 60’s during the day. We are below average currently. The smell is amazing.

[@bareflowerfarm]

Yes!! If you can get it to grow, the smell is sooo intoxicating! Sounds like you figured them out 😁

[@sharoncalatayud8658]

Excellent video for providing specific info!! Thank you!

[@ladyofthewest_5512]

So glad I found this video! I was worried about starting mine too early last year, so I waited too long and really they just didn’t do anything, so disappointing. End of February now, zone 6B and I’m starting mine today! Can’t wait to see the results. :)

[@bareflowerfarm]

Good luck!! I hope you get beautiful blooms!

[@TheFragrantBunch]

Great video on stock! I’m growing the Anytime Mix from Baker Creek for the first time and I sowed them early as well (partially because I didn’t want to wait anymore lol). I’m excited to see all of yours bloom!

[@bareflowerfarm]

I was actually looking at that mix! Hoping we both get a great stock harvest this season ☺️

[@alisonburgess345]

I started stock here in Australia last spring and they pretty much did nothing for months. This year i'm planting them out shortly here (about to go into autumn) so they can overwinter. Therefore while the soil is still warm in autumn, they should get a bit of growth under their belts. Soil temperature is everything. The soil is stone cold for the first half of spring and the seedlings just sat there 🥶. I hope you have better luck than me. They're one of my favourite flowers. Great video!

[@bareflowerfarm]

Oh yes! I’m curious to see how they overwinter as a half hardy annual. You’re totally right about soil temperature and I always forget to mention that whenever we talk about temperature, we’re referring to soil/night temps, not day temps! Best of luck to you and am very curious to hear how the overwintering works!!

[@MelbourneGardensAus]

I am in Melbourne, Stocks should be sown in March. They will flower in Spring.

[@martiee6882]

This video was helpful. My stock was so disappointing this year. It barely bloomed and took up allot of space where I had them. I wish I had journaled my seed starting for them. For some reason I thought here in 4a ... I started them in Feb. But I don't know for sure. Anyways they where lots of green and very little bloom. I should try again. They did smell great. Maybe my expectations where too big, or it was the start time. Have an amazing end of year and Christmas.

[@bareflowerfarm]

Do let me know how they turn out if they try again! Nicole from Flower Hill Farm is in your zone and she had great success with them under cover (I think), so perhaps try that if you attempt again. Glad this video was helpful :)

[@sharoncalatayud8658]

I did try stock last year and yes, I goofed- planted out too late and the warm weather came in and nothing bloomed. I’m in 6b but we got extremely warm in May so my ranunculus ended early as well

[@bareflowerfarm]

I totally hear you! It goes from cold to hot nearly instantly! Jennie Love, a well known flower florist in Philly which is also zone 6 has said that she really can’t get a decent spring ranunculus crop if she doesn’t overwinter. So trying to see if we can beat the odds. And hey, you can never predict Mother Nature! Maybe it will be a true spring this year 😆

[@mckinneymindy]

This explains why mine fizzled last year....! What fertilizer for your seedlings?

[@bareflowerfarm]

Neptunes harvest with a lot of worm castings

[@sheilahurford5931]

I grow stock here in the UK we generally have 2to3 months of lovely cool weather in spring so that really suits them .

[@bareflowerfarm]

Yes! The seed packet instructions were written for you! 😆

[@elenikaouna1580]

@Sheila Hurford when do u start them? And do u bring indoors in the nights? The days are ok, 10-13 degrees but some nights even in April can go less than 4 degrees celcius. Can the seedlings manage?

[@jennijapanime]

Thanks for the tips about starting these seeds, I want to try growing these in pots this year. I live in a zone 8b area and hoping I can grow some on the patio, we don't have any decent in ground area with much sun around our house. I know the squirrels will want to dig into the pots, so I am going to have to put netting over the pots until they are big enough to survive on their own. :)

[@bareflowerfarm]

That sounds like a good plan and will give you flexibility to move them into the shade when it gets too warm! Good luck, I think you may be OK with the squirrels. At least it's not bulbs!!

[@ahavarichardson5426]

It's been in the 80's here in north central Florida zone 8b! I want to try this one this season.

[@bareflowerfarm]

You may be to overwinter stock in your area especially if you can give it some protective covering! Otherwise, try to time the planting so that when it blooms, it’s in 60 degree soil/nighttime temps!

[@gr8gardn]

I am trying both stock & winter sowing (outside in a jug) for the first time. I have never thought to try fertilizing any seedlings before at least 2 sets of true leaves. Glad you tried it and it’s working! What fertilizer do you use?

[@bareflowerfarm]

Curious to hear how winter jug sowing for stock turns out! I normally also never fertilize before true leaves. My fertilizer is a bit unconventional- I’m basically feeding my seedlings dashi. I have a ton of dried seaweed, kelp, and bonito (fish flakes). I steep it in water for weeks and fertilize it. I used to make a lot of ramen (which uses dashi) and figured i may as well find a second use for it and it seems to work!!

[@OfftoShambala]

I’ve grown stock for two years now… just experimental small batches… last year, at the first of august, I germinated them in jiffy pods… then planted some in pots and some in the ground at the beginning of October… the ones in pots never bloomed but the foliage makes a nice filler for ornamental beds… and they are still looking good at end of may, They will die in our summer heat I’m sure, but I’m seeing how long I can keep them, just so I know… but the ones that bloomed are done … I got seeds from one plant and i just checked the seeds, they look ready on that one, which is still in the ground … I do landscape design so at this point I just need to know how to use them within planter arrangements vs for cut flowers, however, I would like to get set up for cut flowers and design cut flower beds for clients personal use … eventually… I live in the desert, zone 9b… Phoenix… October is actually our big planting season, and the stock does very well here.. we have two months of chill time with an avg of ten nights where a frost might occur… stock seems chiefly unbothered by those here… but, they seem to do best in the ground and it’s good to get them planted out in the last week of September or first week of October… I’d like to set up a succession bed and try different germination times and planting times and varieties etc… to get all this worked out for max bloom times for cut flowers … hopefully this fall I can be more on top of that. Oh, and the blooms started in late february here, from the ones i planted in the ground at the first of October… and they looked long and full and amazing toward the last weeks of march… so it would be nice to try to get a succession … the ‘plugs’ were 7-8 weeks old. The first year I did Katz stock which was shorter, but respectable and with amazing scent… last fall I did column blend and whoa nelly, super tall and full… but scent wasn’t as strong as Katz… I have iron seeds… will try all three next time around with succession germinating/planting and see how they all do here in our climate. Lots of factors to consider to get max cut flowers on these beauties. But I do appreciate how nice the foliage looks as a filler in a bed with other flowers until they bloom and become the star of the show.

[@QueenPam]

Where are you, what zone. I want to start seeds outside (7B) in the fall for hopefully a spring bloom.

[@karie3]

Absolutely love stock!!!

[@shannongoshen8982]

Why did you decide to go with plugs for the column variety? Also, stock can be spaced 4x4, so you can fit a lot in which is awesome!

[@bareflowerfarm]

I went with column bc the earliest ship date was late April so realistically, I needed stock that could be “later” blooming than a Katz or Iron. Basically, I’m “succession planting” my stock based on variety bloom time. Hope this makes sense!

[@elenikaouna1580]

Very useful video, growing my seedlings in UK, may I ask, what do u ferilise them with? U mention Neptune's harvest, is this fish meal? Do u know the NPK?

[@bareflowerfarm]

Neptune's harvest is a 2-3-1 NPK ratio. It is primarily a fish & seaweed fertilizer.

[@cbak1819]

Great content. 24' will be my first time growing Stock. What do you fertilize with?

[@bareflowerfarm]

I fertilized with neptunes harvest!

[@cbak1819]

ok.. I am familiar with that one which recipe do you use?

[@daniellegrows2498]

I’m growing it for the first time for summer 2023!!

[@bareflowerfarm]

Haha you mean for spring 2023, yeah?Summer 2023 may have the stock bolting 😭

[@HillTopRooted]

Are they cut and come again or just one hitter quitters? Nice video 💜

[@bareflowerfarm]

lol one hitter quitters! I love that 😂. Most are one hitter quitters but varieties like quartet are cut and come again!

[@bareflowerfarm]

lol one hitter quitters! I love that 😂. Most are one hitter quitters but varieties like quartet are cut and come again!

[@sislertx]

I have total.failure with this...we can grow it thru the winter and bloom in winter..i.cant even get them started good but they always fail. Im thinking of continuing to do transplants.

[@mmcreads]

My first tray of stock, the cotyledons…blanched? They just kinda turned white-ish and have kinda done nothing 🙁 I fertilized them a few days ago so we’ll see. BUT, the second tray I started the exact same way and location are doing FABULOUS! 🤷‍♀️ can’t decide if I should abandon that first tray or keep at em?

[@bareflowerfarm]

Oh no! I have no idea what causes blanched leaves other than people doing that on purpose for blanching cauliflower and asparagus by covering the head to prevent sunlight. I would say that if you have little effort in maintaining the tray, I would try to keep it and see what happens?

[@mmcreads]

@@bareflowerfarm weird right? I first thought I had the lights down too close, but then the 2nd tray was fine lol a few have tiny little true leaves starting a couple days after I fertilized so I’m going to keep the ones that aren’t terribly stunted and pitch the rest next round of potting up. Will be curious to see what differences I get (if any) between the 2 trays once they’re planted and blooming

[@bareflowerfarm]

@@mmcreads just make sure your variety can be pinched! A lot of the stock grown for cut flower production are one and done, so no pinching 🙂

[@kelleyfarm]

Really good video thank u im in 9b starting stock iron rose

[@bareflowerfarm]

Good luck !!

[@ronnihannon5075]

Can I ask what you use to fertilize your seedlings?

[@bareflowerfarm]

Neptune’s harvest 🙂

[@clairegill7891]

First Time growing them this year here in the UK. They’ve flowered but only just a small section on the top and not all down the stem like they should ☹️ what did I do wrong? 🌸

[@bareflowerfarm]

By the sounds of your description, it sounds like your stock “bolted” bc it was too warm ☹️

[@clairegill7891]

@@bareflowerfarm oh no 😞 i guess it’s a lesson learnt 🌸 we did have a bit of a hot spell a few weeks ago. Luv your video by the way and you’re right about there not being much info on growing them. I would love it if you could update us on how they’re doing. Thank you for replying 🌸

[@lisacox6191]

What did you fertilize with?

[@bareflowerfarm]

These were fertilized with diluted neptune's harvest!

[@EvelynM-vlogs]

No plans for stock past or present.

[@bareflowerfarm]

Being selective about what you grow is good 🙂

[@lindasowash7054]

You are very methodical are far as flower farming goes. I’m hoping some of this rubs off on me.

[@bareflowerfarm]

:) :) :)

[@jesserai]

No flower smells better

[@bareflowerfarm]

100%!!! So intoxicating ☺️