The easy-care Sweet William belongs to the biennial summer flowers and is hardy. It flowers from June to September in white or various shades of red. The two-tone flowers are particularly decorative. In sunny locations, the Sweet William blooms particularly lavishly.
Potted carnations should also be overwintered outside
What are biennial flowers?
Biennial summer flowers usually do not flower until their second year and usually die after that. With some flowers, however, it can happen that they sprout and bloom again in the third year. This sometimes happens with the Sweet William as well.
If the "old" plants are not in your way in late summer, then simply leave them and wait and see what happens next spring. If the Sweet William does not sprout again, then at least their seeds could mature and self-seed. So there will definitely be new carnations there, provided you haven't cut off all the withered flowers.
Overwinter potted plants
Sweet William should always overwinter outside, even if they are grown in pots. Wrap the planter with fleece, an old blanket or a jute sack. (€10.99) This will protect the roots from freezing. Also place your sweet William in a sheltered place, for example on a house wall. There, the temperatures usually do not drop quite so low and the plants are protected from the icy wind.
Winter carnations in the bed
Sweet William in the bed only need winter protection as tender young plants. Cover them with a layer of leaves, brushwood or bark mulch. As these materials decompose, your sweet William will get the nutrients they need right away.
Older plants do not need protection from the cold. So that your young carnations also have a good chance of surviving the winter, plant them in October at the latest. So they can still grow well and form roots.
The best winter tips for Sweet William:
- Never overwinter sweethearts indoors
- Protect potted plants and young plants from frost
- Fleece, jute sack or old blanket for tub plants
- Twigs, bark mulch or foliage for bedding plants
tips
Always overwinter your sweet William outside, warmth damages them more than frost.