Grow Well Guides

Polyanthus

With its vibrant and cheerful blooms in a multitude of colours, Polyanthus brings a burst of joy to any garden. Its compact size and abundant blossoms make it a perfect choice for brightening up borders, containers, or flower beds.

Planting Calendar

Summer
Autumn
Winter
Spring

Polyanthus prefer the cooler parts of the year, so are best planted from autumn into winter.

Prepare

Polyanthus are versatile and can be planted en masse for a spectacular display. They are also great when planted under deciduous trees, as a border in the garden, in pots or baskets.

Position

Plant your polyanthus in a sunny to partly shaded position in a moist but free draining soil, rich in organic matter.

Soil

To improve the organic content of your soil, break up the soil and add Kings Compost and Kings Sheep Pellets then mix together well. When growing in containers or baskets, plant into Kings Container mix. This mix contains added water storage crystals and Saturaid, two products that help maintain moisture in the soil

Plant

Space plants approximately 20 cm apart. When planting into the ground, gently tap the plant out of its pot. Dig a hole twice the depth and width of the plants root ball. Mix Kings Compost into your existing soil at a 50/50 ratio, add Sheep Pellets, then mix together well. Back fill the hole with this soil, so that when planted the top of the plant’s roots sit level with the surrounding ground. Firm the soil down gently and water in well with Aquaticus Organic Garden Booster. In heavier clay soils, where drainage is likely to be an issue, plant onto a raised mound and sprinkle Gypsum Clay Breaker into the bottom of the hole, this helps slowly condition the soil and will help to break down the clay. When planting into containers, plant in Kings Containers mix, as this has water retention crystals in it, which will help in keeping the soil moist. Firm the soil down gently and water in well with Aquaticus Organic Garden Booster.

Care

Watering

Avoid planting in soils that will get waterlogged for long periods; Polyanthus do not like constant wetness, it can cause fungal problems and the centres of the plants will rot away. With plants growing in pots, don’t leave the pots sitting in saucers of water either.

Feeding

Feed with a well balanced fertiliser that is not to high in nitrogen such as Kings Liquid Fast Food.

Protecting

Slugs and snails are partial to polyanthus, so protect by applying slug bait such as Quash around the plants.

Spraying

Fungal diseases can be a problem with Polyanthus, if problems arise spray with Kiwicare Super Sulphur.

Pruning

Regular dead heading (removing old flowers) is important to encourage more flowers. Make it a weekly routine to snip off damaged or dead flowers. It’s so important that you do this by reaching right down into the flower head to remove the spent flowers at the very base of their stalk. If you don’t, the remaining piece of stem will rot and likely infect developing buds. Remove damaged, dead or yellowing leaves at the same time.

Expert Tip

For vibrant coloured flowers apply Dried Blood. Sprinkle it around the base of each plant at planting time, then again six weeks after. It stimulates flower buds and promotes healthy dark-green foliage growth.

Frequently Asked Questions