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.