Mattiola Incana (Scented Stocks) Grow Along
Sowing Guide UK
Matthiola incana (scented stocks) are a florist’s dream—famous for their spicy-clove scent, soft pastel colours, and those elegant, long stems stalked with blooms. But let’s be real, they can be notoriously temperamental. Despite endless tries, you might still end up with squat, scentless, or sparse stems—just like I did—because, honestly, most of us expect perfection from the start.
This Grow Along is the cure for that frustration. Expect clear guidance through choosing the right variety—whether it’s robust Iron, long-stemmed Katz, or the near-perfect, florist-favourite StoX (packed with almost 100% double blooms)
I'll dig into sowing tactics, double-selection tricks, timing, and care tips—steering you away from wasted trays and toward armfuls of fragrant, florist-quality stocks.
Sow in September for early blooms
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Stox Champagne
Iron Marine
Katz Blue
Pastello Mix
Katz Apricot
Stox Rose
🎧 LISTEN TO THE BLOOMING GARDEN PODCAST
Episide 6
GROWING MATTHIOLA INCANA
For years, I couldn’t get scented stocks right. I’d sow a tray here and there, but the results were always disappointing — short, wispy stems, far too many singles, and not nearly enough flowers to be worth the effort. I knew how incredible stocks could be — the fragrance is unlike anything else, and the colours range from dreamy apricots and yellows to deep purples. But in my own beds, they never looked like the florist-quality stems I needed.
Eventually, I decided I had to crack the code. Instead of half-hearted trays, I went all in — growing multiple varieties, experimenting with trays and soil blocks, and really focusing on giving them the conditions they need. That’s when things changed.
In this episode, I share everything I learned about getting Matthiola incana right, including:
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The mistakes I made at the start — not growing enough plants, planting too far apart, and skipping staking.
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The genetics behind doubles vs singles — why only around 50% of plants produce doubles, and how to spot the difference at the seedling stage.
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Why I don’t throw out my singles anymore — and how they’ve found a useful place in my designs.
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Spacing, feeding, and staking tips that transformed my results into tall, strong, florist-quality stems.
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When to harvest for the best stems — and why patience pays off with these one-hit wonders.
Stocks won’t give you endless flushes like cosmos or zinnias. But when you get them right, their single harvest is spectacular — long, scented stems that elevate weddings, bouquets, and arrangements.
If you’ve struggled with Matthiola incana before or written them off as too difficult, this episode will give you the exact steps I now follow for reliable, beautiful results.
