Candytuft

Season

Autumn (sow in September)

Name

Iberis

Common Name

Candytuft

Description

Candytuft are pretty flowers that smell lovely.

Growing Tips

Growing conditions

Likes to grow in ordinary soil in lots of sunshine.

When to grow

You can sow the seeds in September and they will flower in the following summer.

What you need

• A packet of Candytuft seeds
• A rake
• A hand trowel
• A watering can
• Gardening gloves

How to grow

1. This plant is an annual and it will reach 23cm tall. Follow the instructions on the seed packet. You can sow these seeds outside in the place where they are going to flower.
2. Make sure that you weed the space where you are going to sow your seeds using a hand trowel. Rake the soil to a fine tilth (a fine, crumbly texture), and rake the soil so that it is level.
3. Decide where your row or rows of seeds will be planted.
4. Using a hand trowel make a shallow line about as deep as a child’s thumb, in the soil (planting drill), water the drill and leave the soil to drain.
5. Carefully sow your seeds in the row, in an even way, leaving a finger space between the seeds. Gently cover the seeds up.
6. Watch as your seeds grow into plants, keep them watered if the weather is dry and weed around them so that they can grow big and strong.
7. You may need to thin out the plants as they begin to grow and watch out for slugs.

Enjoy the flowers in the summer - the insects will like them as much as you, especially the smell. The dried seed heads can also be used for decorations.