- 1). Plant the sweet William in a location with full sunlight or light shade.
- 2). Select a location with well-drained soil. Sweet William grows well as a border, bedding or container plant. It needs well-drained soil to prevent root damage.
- 3). Mix 2 inches of compost into the soil to enrich it with nutrients. Add a thin layer of compost every spring.
- 4). Plant the sweet William in a hole twice the diameter of the container. Place the root ball into the hole so that it sits level with the soil.
- 5). Space the plants four to six inches apart to give them room to spread and grow.
- 6). Water the soil to keep it moist. Avoid soggy soil because it can damage the flowers. Water only when rainfall for the week is less than 1 inch.
- 7). Apply a 1-inch layer of mulch around the Dianthus barbatus to control weeds. Apply the mulch lightly after the ground freezes in the fall or early winter.
- 8). Remove the spent blooms from the sweet William to encourage new ones to bloom. Deadhead the flowers to prevent seeds from forming.
- 9). Cut the stems back to an inch above the soil after the first frost. Divide the plants every three years to encourage new growth.
SHARE
