If you’re looking to introduce a new variety of dainty, charming flowers to your outdoor display, you’ll absolutely love the sound of alyssum. Alyssums are a stunning variety of umbels that are known for their vibrant white and pink-purple blooms. With a unique shape typical of umbels, these truly beautiful flower plants are guaranteed to bring a new look to your growing space. 

If you’re new to gardening, don’t worry yourself! As advanced as these scene-stealing blooms may sound, they’re actually pretty straightforward to grow. Fothergill’s is all about making gardening as simple as possible - we all deserve to experience the joys of having the soil between our fingers! So, keep reading our guide to find out how to sow alyssum seeds, how to care for alyssum plants, and more.

Now, when it comes to how to grow alyssum, it’s important that we start from the ground up - literally. Preparing your soil is an important step for creating the ideal growing environment for your plants to truly thrive and is definitely worth the short amount of time it takes! Alyssum thrive in free-draining soil in full view of the sun.

Next, let’s get into how to sow alyssum seeds. Start by sowing your flower seeds indoors in pots and trays in March. Spread your seeds across your tray inserts, and be sure to cover them up with around 0.5cm of compost. As they begin to grow into seedlings, thin them out so they’re around six inches apart. As spring begins to set in, consider hardening off your alyssum plants by leaving them outdoors for short intervals before planting them in their final position.

We recommend planting out your alyssum from mid to late spring once the last frosts have finally passed. You can choose to plant your alyssum in beds, large containers or pots - whatever best suits your growing space. Just make sure you allow your alyssum plenty of space to thrive, and pay attention to our soil preparation tips.

One of the most important steps in the growing process is learning how to care for alyssum plants. Although they don’t require much maintenance once they’re established, there are plenty of ways to maintain their health and appearance, so listen up!

Watering

After planting, be sure to keep your soil moist until the plants are fully established. During dry spells, keep an eye on the moisture of your soil and water regularly when dry. 

Fertilising

One of the best parts about growing alyssum is that they can grow in beds and containers that don’t necessarily have the best quality of soil, meaning that feeds and fertilisers aren’t entirely needed. You can, of course, still fertilise your soil annually. 

Pests

If we’re being honest, we can’t blame pests for being drawn to these gorgeous flowers! That said, you’ve got to keep them away. Slugs are particularly fond of eating away at seedlings, so use the necessary crop protection or slugs and snail deterrents to keep your alyssum safe and healthy.

Disease

Downy mildew is the enemy of many flower varieties - unfortunately, including alyssum. This disease thrives in wet environments, leaving a purple tinge on leaves. This is why it’s so important to make sure that you’re planting your alyssum in well-draining soil with plenty of space between plants.

Pruning and Cutting

You may be glad to hear that alyssum don’t actually require pruning. You can, however, wish to give them a mid-summer trim to encourage further growth throughout autumn. Cutting can also help prevent self-seeding, keeping your displays neat and organised.

If you’re wondering, ‘Does alyssum grow back every year?’, you may want to allow your plants to self-seed. Whilst certain varieties of alyssum are perennials, certain species are annuals and will only return the following year if allowed to self-seed. We recommend checking your packet for more information on your specific variety of alyssum.

Now that you've got a better idea of how to care for alyssum plants, it’s time to get growing. Take a look at Fothergill’s range of alyssum seeds today and get the whole family involved in the garden! If you’ve got any further questions regarding how to grow alyssum or need any more gardening inspiration, don’t hesitate to contact us or take a look at our growing help and advice blog.