Will Stocks flower again this year?
Devon,
United Kingdom 
I got some Stocks mail order last year and they eventually started to flower in October. They only stopped flowering recently when the big freeze took over.
Now I notice new growth at the base of the plants and wonder whether it's worth leaving them in and seeing what happens. I'm afraid I can't remember what they are called; they are about 2.5 feet tall with pink and white flowers. I thought they were annuals.
This is probably a thick question that everyone except me knows the answer to.
Apropos of earlier posts, I too have taken the fleece off my baby tree fern. This website is brilliant and a big thankyou to you all.
13 Jan, 2009
Answers
Hello Merlin,
The stocks may be either Bromptom or East Lothian, both subject to rust and mildew. I've grown both, they are quite hardy and have a beautiful scent.
I've seen them flower for 3 to 4 years. Leave them in and see what happens as John says. The annuals are 10 week stock
13 Jan, 2009
yes I agree, I put some stocks in a pot seven years ago, thinking some colour for the spring while I work out what perennial to put in there.. and they have flowered every year since! ...I just tidy them up as bits of them die back ..
13 Jan, 2009
Thanks to you all. I'm delighted to hear that they will probably flower again; they were indeed blessed with a sweet scent.
13 Jan, 2009
John - as if I would be rude enough to call you crazy! We often agree, don't we - and if we don't, well, there's always room for healthy debate about what works and what doesn't.
I'd like some of these stocks - they sound great. Can you grow them from seed or buy them at the GC? Apart from mail order, I mean.
13 Jan, 2009
Seen some assorted varieties and nice looking packets of Stocks' seeds in Wilko's, B & Q and (oh dear) Woollies. So they certainly seem to be easily and cheaply available Spritz. And I wouldn't say that calling me 'crazy' is rude at all. My neighbours have seen some of the things I grow and how I grow them and they all consider me 'right out of my tree'. Lol.
John.
14 Jan, 2009
Hi Merlin. Don't think we have chatted before.
Most stocks are technically an annual but I don't believe in annuals (lol) and have sometimes kept annuals going for a few years, for example annual begonias. It is also possible that last year's flowers may have dropped a few seeds round the base. Somebody may know better, but I would leave them be (possibly cutting back last years flowering growth in spring) and just see what happens. You live in a mild part of the UK (jealous) and as Spritz will tell you I am an 'optimistic' gardener (think she means crazy), but I would certainly be interested to see what happens.
John
13 Jan, 2009