Some varieties grow up to 3 feet tall, though most are between 12 and 24 inches.
Too much hot bright sunlight will overwhelm them, so morning sun is better than afternoon sun.
Soil
These flowers like a rich, well-drained soil that has a pH close to neutral.
The Spruce / Jayme Burrows
It likes cool weather, but cold winters may prevent it from returning as a perennial.
It doesn’t like extreme humidity and so consistently moist, tropical conditions are not ideal.
Fertilizer
Stock doesn’t tend to need fertilizer, but it’s somewhat particular about soil.
The Spruce / Jayme Burrows
Types of Stock Flower
Stock’sbotanical nameisMatthiola incana, and it is a member of the brassica family.
If you see pests on the leaves, gently remove them and cut off any damaged plant parts.
Avoiding overwatering will help prevent most of these.
The Spruce / Jayme Burrows
In cooler weather, they can also bloom in the fall.
What Do Stock Flowers Look and Smell Like?
Stock flowers can have either single or double blooms that grow in clusters on spiky stems.
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Stock has a subtle, clove-like scent and attracts pollinators like bees and butterflies.
How to Encourage More Blooms
Deadhead spent blooms to promote new growth and flowering.
As a cool-weather annual, hot summer temperatures will stunt new flower growth.
The Spruce / Jayme Burrows
Keep an eye out for these issues.
Gray Mold
Gray mold can affect plants where theres poor air circulation and humid, cool weather.
Remove diseased plants, space out plantings, and water using drip irrigation.
Try drip irrigation and space out plantings.
If leaves turn yellow and fall off, verticillium wilt may have spread through contaminated tools or soil.
Remove diseased plants and rotate plantings.
Brown Spots
Hot, humid, and wet conditions can promote the growth of leaf spot.
Space out plants, use drip irrigation, and remove diseased plants.
Remove affected plants, space out plantings, and improve soil drainage.
Stock flowers were popular during the Victorian era and were commonly known as gilly flowers in England.
Scoble, Gretchen and Field, Ann.
The Meaning of Flowers, Myth, Language & Lore.
