Baby Blue Stock is a compact, early-blooming heirloom stock with lavender-colored flowers that deliver genuine fragrance in a remarkably short season. From seed to bloom in just 80-90 days, this branching variety reaches a tidy size that slots effortlessly into containers, borders, and cutting gardens. The edible flowers are a genuine bonus, lending both visual appeal and delicate flavor to salads and beverages, while the plant's frost hardiness means you can start it early in spring for season-extending color.
Full Sun
Moderate
6-10
?in H x ?in W
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Moderate
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The lavender blooms arrive with a delightful fragrance and come on a densely branched, multi-stemmed plant that flowers earlier than taller stock varieties. Its compact habit and edible flowers make it unusually flexible, thriving equally well in tight container spaces or tucked into garden borders where other stocks might overwhelm the scene. At 80-90 days from seed, you get results faster than many ornamentals, and the flowers last well in arrangements, delivering both garden impact and vase life.
The lavender flowers are edible and work beautifully as a delicate garnish for salads, cocktails, and other beverages, adding both visual interest and subtle fragrance. The blooms also cut cleanly for indoor arrangements, where they hold their scent and color for an extended period. Beyond the edible applications, Baby Blue functions as a traditional ornamental border plant and container specimen, valued for its early flowering and compact form.
No timeline data available yet for this variety.
Start seeds indoors 6-8 weeks before your last spring frost. Sprinkle seeds on the surface of moist seed-starting mix and cover lightly with soil to a depth of 1/4 inch. Keep the soil temperature around 60-70 degrees Fahrenheit for germination, which typically occurs in 7-14 days. Provide bright light once seedlings emerge, and maintain consistent moisture without waterlogging.
Harden off seedlings by gradually exposing them to outdoor conditions over 7-10 days before transplanting. Move them to the garden in early spring, even after light frosts, since Baby Blue is frost hardy. Space plants 12 inches apart in soil that drains well. Transplant when seedlings have developed their first true leaves and the soil is workable.
Direct sow seeds in place in early spring as soon as soil can be worked. Plant seeds at a depth of 1/4 inch, spacing them appropriately for thinning to 12 inches apart. Keep the seeded area consistently moist until germination occurs in 7-14 days.
Cut flowers for arrangements once the lowest flowers on each spike have opened, typically 80-90 days after sowing. Harvest edible flowers throughout the blooming period by snipping individual blooms or small sprays as needed. Pick flowers in the morning when they're fully hydrated and fragrance is strongest. For arrangements, cut stems just above a leaf node to encourage further branching and flowering from that point.
Pinch back the growing tip when seedlings are 3-4 inches tall to encourage the multi-branched, compact habit that Baby Blue is known for. Remove spent flower heads regularly to extend the blooming period and redirect energy into continued flower production rather than seed set.
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