Stock
Matthiola incana
flowerStock is a fragrant cool-season cut flower with 12 to 28 in. spikes of densely packed single or double blooms in pastel pink, white, lavender, cream, and burgundy. The clove-and-honey scent is the strongest of any cottage-garden flower and fills an entire room from a single bouquet. Stock is short-day-loving and stops blooming above 60F, so it is a spring or fall flower in most regions and a winter-greenhouse crop for cut-flower growers.
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Sun
full sun
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Water
Every 5 days
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Bloom
~75 days
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Difficulty
medium
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Lifecycle
annual
One season, then done
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Spacing
6 in. apart
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Planting Depth
Surface-sow (needs light)
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Soil pH
6.5-7.5
Growing Details
Soil Type
Rich, well-draining, neutral to alkaline
Hardiness Zones
Zones 2 – 10
Grown as an annual — this range is its winter hardiness, but you can grow it for a single season in any zone.
When to Fertilize
At transplant and again before flowering
Fertilizer
Balanced 10-10-10 or compost
🌱 Growing Guide
Sow Stock indoors 8 to 10 weeks before transplanting at 65 to 75F; seed needs light, so press onto the surface. Stock is unusual in that the seedlings can be sorted at the cotyledon stage - lighter-green seedlings are usually the doubles, darker-green ones the singles. Transplant on 6 in. centers in full sun and rich, well-drained, neutral-to-alkaline soil; stock dislikes acid soil. Time outdoor planting so flowering happens in cool weather (under 60F). Water consistently and feed lightly. In hot climates, this is an October-to-February crop.
🌼 Have a different variety?Cultivars of the same species usually share the same basic care — they differ mainly in flower color, height, and bloom form, not in how you grow them. So this guide still applies even if your exact variety isn't the one shown.
Planting Calendar
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Start seeds indoors
Feb 18
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Transplant outdoors
Mar 18
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Projected first bloom
Jun 1
JJan
FFeb
MMar
AApr
MMay
JJun
JJul
AAug
SSep
OOct
NNov
DDec
✅ Plant alongside
Good neighbors that attract beneficial insects or deter pests
- Sweet Alyssum — Honey-scented low partner that doubles the fragrance and shares cool conditions
- Snapdragon — Another cool-season spike that pairs well in bouquets and the same bed
- Calendula — Adds bright color in stocks cool window and draws hoverflies that prey on aphids
- Pansy — Cool-loving carpet beneath taller stock stems in spring borders
🛡️ Pest & disease prevention
Proactive ways to stop trouble before it starts — tap a name with an arrow for its full guide
Aphids find stock easily; hose off colonies, plant alyssum for hoverflies, and inspect inner stems weekly
As a brassica, stock can be pitted by flea beetles; cover seedlings with row cover until they are established
Use grit barriers or traps in cool damp spring weather
Give plants airflow with 6 in. spacing, water at the base, and remove infected leaves promptly
🌸 Blooms & cutting
Cut stock for the vase when the lower third of the spike is open and the rest still tightly budded; later-stage spikes drop flowers fast. Cut deeply, strip the lower leaves, and place stems immediately in cool water. Stock benefits from a flower-food treatment or, for cut-flower growers, a brief dip in ethylene-inhibitor solution before storage. Vase life is 5 to 10 days. The fragrance intensifies in a warm room.
🥗 Nutrition & benefits
Stock is a pollinator plant for the cool seasons: its tubular fragrant flowers feed early-spring bumblebees and butterflies when little else is in bloom. The fragrance is one of the most powerful of any cottage flower and is the reason stock has been grown for the cutting garden for over 400 years. Like other brassicas, stock can be lightly browsed by deer.
For educational and informational purposes only — HomeSown is not medical, health, or other professional advice. Always positively identify any plant before handling or eating it; some plants, and some parts of otherwise-edible plants, are toxic. Consult a qualified professional before consuming or otherwise using any plant, especially if you are pregnant, nursing, taking medication, or have a health condition.