When to plant Wallflower in Cool Australia

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

Raise wallflower seedlings under cover from January to April, transplanting them out well before winter. Germination takes 14–21 days, and as a biennial-style plant the wallflower is slow to flower, around 180 days, so a summer-into-autumn sowing sets up plants that bloom the following spring. Sow 6 mm deep and space transplants 20–30 cm apart with rows 25–30 cm across. Wallflowers are fully hardy and need cool weather to flower well, so they are perfectly at home in cool gardens like Orange, Armidale and Hobart, where the winter chill primes them for a scented spring show.

Sowing calendar — cool zone

Green months are your sowing window: January to April.

Growing notes

Wallflowers are long-haul plants that reward planning. At roughly 180 days to flower, seed sown from January to April grows into leafy plants through autumn, sits through winter, and then bursts into fragrant bloom in spring. That slow schedule is exactly why cool districts suit them: the winter chill they receive is part of what triggers a strong flowering. Raise seedlings in trays under cover and plant them into their final spot by mid-autumn so roots establish before the cold sets in.

The most common failure is planting out too late. Seedlings that go in just before or during winter fail to establish and sulk or die in cold, wet ground. Get them settled while the soil is still workable, into a sunny, sharply drained bed; wallflowers loathe wet feet and will rot in heavy, waterlogged soil over a Hobart winter.

Wallflowers belong to the brassica family, so watch for aphids on new growth and the odd cabbage white caterpillar, and for club root in beds that have grown a lot of brassicas. Rotate where you plant them and keep the soil limed and free-draining to reduce that risk. Pinch young plants once to encourage bushiness, and once flowering starts, remove spent spikes to stretch the display through spring.

Wallflower at a glance

Common questions

when should I sow wallflowers in a cool climate

Raise wallflower seedlings under cover from January to April, and plant them out well before winter. Being slow to flower at around 180 days, they grow through autumn, overwinter, and bloom the following spring. Cool-zone winters help trigger a strong flowering.

why did my wallflowers fail over winter

The usual cause is planting out too late into cold, wet soil, so roots never establish. Get seedlings settled by mid-autumn while the ground is still workable. Choose a sunny, sharply drained spot, as wallflowers rot in waterlogged soil.

are wallflowers frost hardy in Orange

Yes, wallflowers are fully hardy and actually need cool weather to flower well, so they suit Orange perfectly. The winter chill primes them for a scented spring display. Just make sure plants are established before the coldest weeks arrive.

do wallflowers get brassica pests

They can, as wallflowers are in the brassica family. Watch for aphids on new growth, occasional cabbage white caterpillars, and club root in beds that have grown many brassicas. Rotating their position and keeping soil limed and free-draining helps.

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