How to Grow Stock Flower (Matthiola) for Clove Scented Evenings

Stock (Matthiola) is the winter flower that perfumes a whole courtyard with a warm clove scent in the evening. To grow stock flower on the plains, sow it in October or November, grow it cool in full sun, and plan to enjoy spikes from around January to March. Above about 27°C it gives up, so this is strictly a cool season plant here.

Is stock an annual or a perennial?

NC State’s extension toolbox calls it a tender perennial usually grown as an annual or biennial, and notes it declines when temperatures pass about 80°F (27°C) and suffers from hot nights. On our plains that settles it: one season, October to March or early April.

How do I grow stock flower from seed?

1. Mix: 2 parts garden soil, 1 part compost, 1 part sand. Stock prefers soil that isn’t acidic, which suits most Punjab and Sindh soils.
2. Sow in a tray or straight into pots, about 5 mm deep.
3. Germination: usually within a week or two in mild October weather.
4. Transplant tray seedlings at 4 leaves; plant at the same depth.
5. Stagger: NC State suggests sowing in batches two weeks apart to stretch the bloom. On the plains, try a mid October and a mid November sowing.
6. Stake taller column types loosely by January.

For trays and light, see our seed starting at home guide.

Single or double flowers: can you choose?

Double stocks are the fuller, longer lasting spikes everyone wants. Ordinary packets give a mix of singles and doubles. Some seed strains are bred so you can sort the seedlings by appearance, and those packets say so and explain the method; if yours doesn’t, you can’t reliably tell and should just enjoy both. Singles aren’t a waste: they set seed, while doubles mostly don’t.

Seed or nursery seedlings for a beginner?

Seed is easy and cheap, so for a beginner with a sunny spot it’s a good first flower. Nursery seedlings are useful in late November if you missed sowing; choose short, stocky ones with green leaves and no flower spike yet.

When does stock bloom in each zone?

How should I water and feed stock?

NC State asks for consistently moist, well drained soil. In practice: water when the top 2 cm dries, about every 3 days in December pots, every 2 days by February, and daily if a warm spell arrives. Stock takes light cold well, but cover young plants on frost nights near 0°C. Feed once a month with compost or a half strength balanced feed. Too much nitrogen gives soft leaves and floppy spikes.

Why is my stock flower not flowering?

• Heat: warm nights stop it. Sowing in December on the plains often fails for this reason.
• Shade: under 5 hours gives thin, leaning stems.
• Waterlogging: yellow lower leaves and a weak base.
• Too much feed: big leaves, late or few spikes.

Pests and problems

NC State reports no serious insect or disease problems, with white mould in mild, rainy winters. Here, aphids on spikes and caterpillars on leaves turn up. Rinse aphids off, pick caterpillars by hand, and remove any grey, mouldy stems; water in the morning so leaves dry by night. If you use a spray, read the label, wear gloves, and keep children and pets off until it dries.

How do I save stock seeds?

Single flowered plants make long thin pods. Let them dry to tan on the plant in March, then snip into a paper bag and leave for a week. Split the pods and collect the flat seeds. Store dry until October. Saved seed from a mix will give a mix again.

Grow it or skip it?

Grow it if you have a sunny spot near where you sit in the evening: the scent alone makes it worth one pot. Maybe in Karachi, where warm winter spells shorten the bloom. Skip it if your only sunny space is a hot roof in late February onward. Pots or ground both work. For mixes, see our potting mix ratio guide; for a shade partner try cineraria. More winter flowers in Phool aur Paudhe.

Stock flower questions

Sources

• NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox: Matthiola incana
• Wikipedia: Matthiola incana