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Do these Sweet William look ok?

graigrai Posts: 78
in Plants
hi everyone

I've never grown Sweet William in containers and I'm wondering if they look ok to you

They seem congested and the lower leaves near the soil are yellowing and harbouring slugs

Do I need to take leaves off or thin them out?
Or shall I just let them get on with it?

Thanks for any suggestions x
(PS the kebab skewers are to stop pigeons trampling them to a pulp 😡)


Posts

  • Bright starBright star Posts: 1,153
    My sweet Williams looked exactly like yours, I’d forgotten all about them and consequently they were very pot bound. I cut off most of the leaves and loosened all the roots and have planted in the ground, watered well and fingers crossed they will grow new leaves and flower well. I’d get rid of the slugs/ snails as they will have a feast of the new leaves. 😀
    Life's tragedy is that we get old too soon and wise too late.

  • graigrai Posts: 78
    thanks Bright Star
    I'm in a London flat with balc onies front and back so I'm limited to pots
    I've been tidying them up but I'm worried I'll kill them with kindness
    the slugs get skewered by the kebab sicks! *No Mercy!*
  • FireFire Posts: 19,096
    edited March 2022
    Mine looked like that about three weeks ago, and then we got some warmth, sun and rain and they put on a growing spurt. The ones that had survived the slugs over winter (about half the total)  have put on a load of new growth and will hopefully now out-compete the molluscs.  It's so rubbish for you that you have slug problems on a balcony! Is nowhere safe?

    If seeming congested, then, yes, pot on to bigger containers and feed a bit.
  • graigrai Posts: 78
    thanks Fire - one pot off a friend a couple of years ago brought the slugs and they have been here ever since - three floors up!
    I don't know what Sweet William is supposed to look like as this is my first effort so I think I will see how they go - I've taken out the very weedy twisted plants as they were obviously never going to do anything
  • dave125dave125 Posts: 178
    Mine always look like that this time of year. The first time I was surprised as I thought they were annuals. They will look scruffy for a bit but usually flower as nicely as ever.
    Luv Dave
  • graigrai Posts: 78
    thanks Dave125
    they looked like they were particularly unhappy but it's encouraging to know it's normal
    I love the flowers so I can't wait😀
  • FireFire Posts: 19,096
    edited March 2022
    @grai When did you start yours?

    Mine are bare root from about September. Small but extant. They are easy to take cuttings from. Maybe trying taking some pieces from unprepossessing bits of your plants while you are repotting. With some luck you might be able to double the amount of plants you have. Make sure you have nixxed all the slugs under the pots and in the crevices so that you don't face more plant armageddon.





  • graigrai Posts: 78
    I grew these from seeds last year
    I was expecting them to look more like yours where you can work out what they're going to do - mine are such a mess I can't really see what the plan is - but they have their own way of working that out
    Good to know you can do cuttings from them it will skip the seed phase which will be great
    From what I've read on the net they're technically biennial but can behave like a perennial and last a few years
  • FireFire Posts: 19,096
    grai said:

    From what I've read on the net they're technically biennial but can behave like a perennial and last a few years

    Certainly for me they go on, and layer themselves and new plants pop up. Good value plants!
  • graigrai Posts: 78
    I've always loved them so I thought I'd give them a go
    I must admit it's been a lot more work than I thought it was going to be!
    But it will be worth it once they get going
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