Column Stock

Start column stock seeds indoors eight to ten weeks before the last frost date for spring production. Sow seeds on the surface of moist seed-starting mix, pressing them lightly into the surface but not covering, as they need light to germinate. Maintain temperatures of 60 to 65 degrees Fahrenheit for germination in seven to fourteen days. Column stocks need cool growing conditions throughout their life cycle.

Transplant outdoors four to six weeks before the last frost, spacing six to eight inches apart in full sun with rich, well-drained soil. Column stocks are half-hardy and tolerate light frost, performing best in the cool conditions of spring and autumn. They produce a single, unbranched spike densely packed with double flowers in exquisite shades of purple, pink, cream, white, and lavender.

Water at the base to avoid wetting the dense foliage and flower spike, which promotes botrytis. Feed with a balanced liquid fertilizer every two weeks. Column stocks bolt quickly in hot weather, so time plantings to mature during cool periods. In mild climates, autumn plantings provide winter and early spring flowers. The intense clove-like fragrance is one of the most powerful and delightful of any cut flower.

Matthiola incana, commonly known as stock or gillyflower, is native to the Mediterranean coastlines of southern Europe, North Africa, and parts of western Asia. The species thrives naturally on limestone sea cliffs and rocky coastal habitats from Portugal and Spain through Italy, Greece, and into Turkey. Its wild form produces modest single flowers in shades of purple and mauve, quite different from the lavish double-flowered cultivars we know today. The plant was among the earliest ornamentals brought into European gardens, with documented cultivation dating back to the early 1500s. Italian and Flemish gardeners were particularly fond of stock, selecting for fragrance, color range, and the prized double flowers that made the plant a centerpiece of Renaissance pleasure gardens. By the 17th century, stock had become one of the most important florists' flowers in Europe, with extensive breeding programs in Germany, France, and the Netherlands producing distinct strains. The column type, characterized by a single unbranched flower spike, was developed primarily for the cut flower industry in the 20th century. German and Japanese breeders were instrumental in refining the column habit, improving the percentage of double flowers, and extending the color palette to include pure white, cream, salmon, rose, crimson, and deep purple. The 'Column' series became a staple of commercial greenhouse production worldwide, valued for its uniform growth habit and excellent vase life. Today, column stock remains one of the most important specialty cut flowers globally, with major production in California, Colombia, Japan, and the Netherlands. The species continues to be popular in home gardens for borders, containers, and cottage garden plantings where its intense evening fragrance is particularly appreciated.

Column stocks thrive in rich, well-drained, slightly alkaline soil with a pH of 6.5 to 7.5. The higher pH helps prevent clubroot, a devastating disease of the brassica family to which stocks belong. Amend the planting area with compost and lime if the soil is acidic. Feed every two weeks with a balanced liquid fertilizer during active growth. Stocks are moderate feeders and respond well to consistent nutrition without heavy fertilization.

Cut column stock stems when about half the florets on the spike have opened. Cut in the cool of morning and place immediately in cool water with floral preservative. The intense clove fragrance fills a room from even a few stems. Strip lower foliage and change water every two days. Cut column stocks last five to ten days in a vase. The single, unbranched form makes them ideal for formal arrangements where clean, vertical lines are desired.

Column stocks are cool-season annuals that cannot be stored over winter. Seeds can be saved from plants that produce single flowers, which set seed more readily than the desirable doubles. Store seeds in paper envelopes in a cool, dry location. A special selectable seedling trait allows experienced growers to identify double-flowered seedlings at the cotyledon stage: in cold conditions, seedlings with lighter-colored cotyledons tend to produce double flowers.