From June to August the candytuft is in its bloom - depending on the variety in white, pink, red or another color. If you want to increase your stock of this perennial, you can start propagating it. It works quickly and easily with the following instructions.
How can you propagate the candytuft?
The candytuft can be propagated by sowing seeds, self-sowing or cuttings. Seeds can be sown directly outdoors or grown under glass. When self-sowing, old flowers should be left standing while cuttings are cut and kept moist in summer.
Sow the seeds specifically and directly
Most gardeners take the sowing into their own hands. For this you can either use seeds you have harvested yourself or use those from garden retailers (€2.00 on Amazon). The seeds are reminiscent of brown linseeds. They are small, oval, smooth and brown to light brown in color.
From February you can grow the seeds under glass at home or in a cold frame in the garden. From March until June at the latest (for flowering in the same year) they can be sown directly outdoors.
The seeds are sown about 1 cm deep into the soil. When sowing multiple seeds, keep a distance of at least 15 cm between them. If necessary, the young plants must be separated later. The seeds are loosely covered with soil and the substrate is kept moist during the following period. The germination time is usually 10 to 21 days.
Self-seeding: Not uncommon
The following should be taken into account if you aim to sow candytuft yourself:
- preferred in sunny places and in calcareous, dry soils
- do not cut off old flowers
- germinate in late summer
- Consequence: earlier flowering next year
- Germination temperature 15 to 18 °C
Use cuttings for propagation
The cutting method is also promising for this easy-care plant. It is ideal if you start this propagation shortly after the plant has flowered. This is usually the case between May and August.
Shoots that are not covered with flowers are cut off from the he althy candytuft. They should be green at the tip and 10cm long. A cut at a fork in the candytuft is ideal.
Here’s what happens:
- Put cuttings in pots
- keep moist
- outshine
- Rooting doesn’t take long
- It's best to plant it out in spring, as it's poorly hardy when young
Tip
Dividing the candytuft is rather unusual, but it also works.
