Alyssum Growing Guide

5 steps to Alyssum Success

• Choose a warm, sunny spot in full sun or part shade.
• Prepare your soil with organic matter like compost and sheep pellets.
• Plant in free-draining soil from spring through to autumn. Alyssum tolerates light frosts, but not frozen ground.
• Feed through the growing season to prolong flowering.
• Water consistently throughout summer.

Follow our full guide below on how to grow easy-care alyssum.

Alyssum is also known as sweet alyssum and is an easy-care flowering annual that isn’t too fussy and self-seeds prolifically. Plant one alyssum plant and you may never need to plant another!

Alyssum can be found growing happily in cracks and crevices and other unexpected places in the garden and is equally happy in pots and containers putting on a summer display of masses of sweetly scented clusters of dainty flowers in white, cream, apricot, shades of pink and lilac.

This very drought tolerant flowering annual grows 10-15 cm high and as wide, and is a great filler for rockeries, garden beds, pots and hanging baskets.

prepare

Plant in full sun or part shade in a warm sunny spot, in free draining soil from September to March. Plants will be smothered in dainty flowers from early summer through to late autumn. Alyssum tolerates light frosts, but not frozen ground, and in warmer regions will flower through winter.

Before planting, dig in generous amounts of Tui Compost and Tui Sheep Pellets to the soil to replenish nutrients, add organic matter and to aid moisture retention.

Popular varieties include white ' Snow Cloth', ‘Snow Crystals’ and ‘Carpet of Snow’, apricot ‘Peaches n Cream’, Easter Bonnet Pink, Easter Bonnet Violet.

Shop Tui Alyssum Seed - Snow Cloth to create a carpet of sweet scented pure-white flowers that are heat tolerant and bee-attracting. 

plant 

Growing from seed

You can sow seeds indoors in winter into seed raising trays or small pots using Tui Seed Raising Mix or directly into the garden in early spring.  If sowing directly into the garden add a 5cm layer of Tui Seed Raising Mix to plant into and space rows 30cm apart.

• Sow seeds and space as per seed packet instructions.
• Press down lightly to make sure the seed is in direct contact with the seed raising mix and water in well.
• Alyssum needs light to germinate so do not cover the seed.
• Do not allow seed to dry out during germination, cover with a sheet of plastic or glass and keep moist.
• If sowing in seed raising trays, once the seedlings have two true sets of leaves they can be hardened off and planted into a prepared garden bed.

Planting in garden beds

• Before planting, soak seedlings, still in their pots, in a bucket of Tui Organic Seaweed Plant Tonic.
• Remove the plants once the bubbles stop rising and allow to drain before planting. 
• Dig a hole twice the diameter of the original pot.
• Gently remove the seedling from its pot with minimal root disturbance.
• Position the plant in the centre of the hole.
• Fill and firm soil around the plant.
• Water in well.

Tui Organic Seaweed Plant Tonic helps prevent transplant shock to the seedlings and stimulates root growth. 

Planting in pots, containers & hanging baskets

• Before planting soak seedlings, still in their pots, in a bucket of Tui Organic Seaweed Plant Tonic.
• Remove the plants once the bubbles stop rising and allow to drain before planting. 
• Half fill your container with Tui Pot Power or Tui Outdoor Container Mix.
• Gently remove the plant from its current container, loosen the root ball and remove any loose or dead plant material and roots.
• Position the plant in the centre of the new container and fill up to 3cm from the top to allow for watering. The new potting level should be at the same level as it was in the previous container.
• Gently firm mix around the base of the plant.
• Water your plant well and continue to water regularly.

nourish 

Apply Tui Novatec Premium Fertiliser to garden beds in spring and summer to prolong flowering. Remove spent flower heads to encourage repeat flowering through summer and autumn. Toss the flower heads on to garden beds for self seeding plants next season.

For pots and containers use Tui Enrich Pots & Containers controlled release fertiliser which feeds for up to six months, in spring and again in late summer, early autumn.

Liquid feed plants in the garden, pots, containers and hanging baskets every 2-4 weeks with Tui All Purpose Liquid SuperFood through the growing season to supercharge your plant growth, help prolong flowering and to keep plants looking fresh.

Water consistently throughout summer, depending upon the weather.

A well watered, well nourished garden will have a better chance of keeping insect pests and diseases at bay. Regularly apply Tui Organic Seaweed Plant Tonic to give them a welcome boost throughout the growing season.

Alyssum is a great companion plant attracting beneficial insects to the garden, plant in amongst vegetables and underplant fruit trees with alyssum to encourage pollinators to the garden.  Discover our companion planting guide here >