Rose campion: Sowing, planting and harvest calendar
When and how do you sow rose campion outdoors?
Sow rose campion, Silene coronaria, outdoors in late spring, often in May or June depending on your region and the seed packet. Choose a period with warmed soil when you can keep the sowing moist without excess. A small nursery bed makes young plants easier to monitor, although sowing directly in the intended position is also possible. This species often forms a rosette first and flowers the following season.
Prepare a fine surface in well-drained soil, in sun or light partial shade. Remove weeds, large stones and clods. Moisten the ground before spreading the very fine seeds. Sow thinly and press gently to establish soil contact. Leave the seeds on the surface because light aids germination. Do not bury them under a layer of soil or try to place every tiny seed at the distance required by a mature plant. Mark the area.
Water with a fine rose to avoid shifting seeds. Keep the surface slightly moist during emergence, without saturation or drying out in strong heat. Carefully remove small competing weeds. Once seedlings are well developed, thin them or prepare to move them, considering mature width, around 50 cm for many forms. Keep the small rosettes: a lack of immediate flowers does not mean the sowing has failed.
How do you care for rose campion during flowering?
