Stock Virginia Mix

🌱 Getting Started: A Quick Overview

Stock is a cool-season annual with a low, spreading habit, producing an abundance of small, four-petalled flowers in soft pinks, purples, whites, and blues. It thrives in full sun and well-drained soils, making it an ideal filler for borders, pots, or tucked around slower perennials.

In Australia, the best time to sow depends on your climate:

• Cool to temperate regions: Sow from late summer to mid-autumn for late winter/spring blooms.
• Mild winters: You can also sow in early spring for a quick summer flush.
• Tropical/subtropical areas: Grow through the cooler months, avoiding the summer humidity.

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🌿 Sowing from Seed: Trays vs. Direct

You’ve got two main options: sowing in seed trays or direct into the garden. Each method has its pros, depending on your space, time, and weather.

✅ Sowing in Trays

Perfect if:

• You want more control over germination.
• Your garden beds aren’t ready yet.
• You’re in a region with unpredictable weather (hello, late summer heatwaves!).

Steps:

1. Use a fine seed-raising mix in trays or punnets.
2. Scatter the tiny seeds on the surface as they need light to germinate, so don’t bury them.
3. Mist gently with a spray bottle and keep moist but not soggy.
4. Germination takes around 7–14 days at 10–25°C.
5. Once seedlings have 2-4 true leaves, transplant carefully into garden beds or containers. They don’t like root disturbance, so be gentle and use a dibber or spoon to ease them out.

Tip: Harden off seedlings for a few days before transplanting by gradually exposing them to outdoor conditions.

✅ Direct Sowing in the Garden

Great if:

• You’re after a natural, meadow-style look.
• You want to fill gaps quickly and easily.
• Your soil is prepped and the temperature is right.

Steps:

1. Rake over your garden bed to create a fine tilth (crumbly soil texture).
2. Scatter seeds sparingly on the surface.
3. Gently press them in but do not cover deeply. A light mist to settle them is perfect.
4. Keep the soil consistently moist during germination.
5. Once seedlings are up, thin to 10–15 cm apart to give them space to bush out.

Tip: If sowing into a larger area, mix your seed with dry sand to help distribute more evenly.

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👩‍🌾 Companion Planting with Stock

Virginia Stock is not only lovely, it’s also useful in the garden. Here’s how to make the most of its company:

✅ Best Companions:

• Lettuce & leafy greens: Stocks can act as a living mulch around these, helping suppress weeds.
• Beetroot & carrots: Tuck Malcolmia in between rows to brighten up veggie beds.
• Herbs like chamomile and chervil: They all appreciate the same cooler growing window and will share space happily.

🌼 Why it works:

• Its compact habit means it doesn’t compete aggressively for nutrients.
• The scented flowers are attractive to beneficial insects like hoverflies and bees and are especially useful during cooler seasons when fewer blooms are about.
• It’s a good filler crop, protecting bare soil from erosion and drying out.

🚫 Avoid planting with:

• Heavy feeders like pumpkins or tomatoes as they’ll outcompete it for nutrients and light.
• Brassicas if you’re rotating crops for pest management (cabbage moths, for instance).

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💡 Growing Tips

• Keep your Stock well-watered during germination and establishment, but avoid waterlogging.
• Once blooming starts, cut back lightly after the first flush to encourage more blooms.
• Great in containers, hanging baskets, or as edging and anywhere you want a pop of soft colour and scent.

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🌾 Saving Seeds from Stock

One of the joys of heirloom gardening is saving your own seed and Stock makes it easy.

🛠 What You’ll Need:

• Small paper bags or envelopes
• Scissors or secateurs
• A tray or plate for drying
• Airtight jars or tins for storage
• A dry, cool, dark spot to store seeds

🌸 How to Save Seed:

1. Choose your plants: Select healthy, well-formed plants that bloomed early or particularly well. Avoid any that showed signs of disease or pest issues.
2. Let seed pods mature: Once flowering finishes, small seed pods will form. Let these dry naturally on the plant. They should turn brown and papery, often splitting slightly.
3. Harvest time: When dry and brittle, snip off the stems with pods and place them in a paper bag or container to dry fully indoors for another week or two.
4. Threshing: Gently crush the pods by hand or roll them between your palms. The small round seeds will fall free.
5. Cleaning: Winnow or sift to remove chaff. A fine mesh strainer can help.
6. Storage: Store your clean, dry seeds in a clearly labelled envelope or jar with the variety name and date. Keep them somewhere dry and cool, an old biscuit tin in a linen cupboard works well.

Stored properly, Stock seed will remain viable for around 2–3 years.

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