When to plant Candytuft in Cool Australia

Cool zone — applies to Hobart, Canberra, Ballarat, Orange, Armidale and similar areas. Growing elsewhere? Temperate · Subtropical · Tropical · Arid.

Sow candytuft direct from February to April in autumn or September to November in spring, setting the seed about 5 mm deep in a sunny, well-drained bed. Germination takes 14–21 days, and this hardy annual reaches its dense clusters of white, pink or lilac flowers in around 80–100 days. Thin seedlings to 25 cm apart each way so the low, bushy plants can form a solid ribbon of bloom. Candytuft dislikes root disturbance, so sow it where it is to flower rather than transplanting, and enjoy its lightly scented flowers along path edges and borders.

Sowing calendar — cool zone

Green months are your sowing window: February to April and September to November.

Growing notes

Candytuft is a tough, undemanding annual that copes well with the cold of Hobart, Orange and Armidale, and it can be sown in either autumn or spring. Autumn sowings sit through winter as small plants and burst into flower early the following season, while spring sowings flower a little later the same year. Both work in a cool zone, so choose based on when you want the display.

The usual failure mode is legginess and sparse flowering, which comes from too little sun or overly rich, moist soil. Candytuft wants full sun and lean, free-draining ground; in shade or fed soil it stretches, flops and produces thin bloom. Pick your brightest bed and resist the urge to fertilise.

Sow direct and thin, since the seedlings resent being moved. Once the plants come into flower, a light shear over the top after the first flush keeps them compact and often triggers a second wave of bloom. Deadheading also prolongs flowering. It self-seeds modestly, so leave a few heads if you would like it to return, or clear them if you prefer to start fresh. Slugs and snails may graze young seedlings in damp weather, so protect them early.

Candytuft at a glance

Common questions

when to sow candytuft in a cold climate

You can sow candytuft in autumn, from February to April, or in spring, from September to November. Autumn sowings overwinter as small plants and flower early the next season; spring sowings flower later the same year. Both suit cool zones, so pick the timing for the display you want.

why is my candytuft leggy with few flowers

Legginess and sparse bloom usually mean too little sun or soil that is too rich and moist. Grow candytuft in full sun and lean, free-draining ground, and avoid fertilising. A light shear after the first flush also keeps it compact and encourages more flowers.

can candytuft be transplanted

It is better to sow it direct. Candytuft seedlings resent root disturbance and often check or die when moved. Sow the seed where the plants are to flower and thin them to 25 cm apart rather than raising and transplanting.

does candytuft come back every year

This species is grown as an annual and finishes after one flowering season, though it self-seeds modestly and may return from dropped seed. Leave a few spent heads if you want volunteers, or clear them to keep the bed tidy. For a reliable display, sow fresh seed each year.

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