Flower-arranging is a fantastic hobby, but if youâre buying all or most of what you need from florists, it can be a costly one. Prices vary depending on market conditions, but with plants like Babyâs Breath, the fine filler just about every flower arrangement needs, chances are youâre paying a premium price per stem. Growing this plant in your garden could save you a lot of money, but you need a little gardening know-how to get it right. Read on to find out our tips on Growing Babyâs Breath in Australia.
Many Varieties â Choose the one Thatâs Right for You
Most of us know the common Babyâs Breath or Gypsophila, but itâs by no means the only one out there. Do be sure youâre getting the one you want for your flower arranging hobby, but feel free to experiment. Thereâs an awesome red variety, for example.
The floristâs Gypsophila is perennial, but not all the species in the genus are. And just because youâve chosen a perennial doesnât mean itâs going to live forever. After all, âperennialâ and âimmortalâ are two different things. Try it out in your garden and see how it does for you. Some people sow fresh seeds every year while others are happy to wait for it resprout.
How to Sow Your Babyâs Breath Seeds
If you choose to germinate your Babyâs Breath plants in containers, choose small pots so that you can transplant them with minimal root disturbance. Alternatively, sow them in open ground where they will bloom.
The seeds should be sown in spring, but the babies canât tolerate frost, so you need to choose a time after the last spring frosts have passed. In frost-free areas, you can get away with autumn sowing too, adding to your potential for a steady supply of cut stems.
Choose a sunny spot and follow the directions on the seed packet carefully. Until theyâre up and growing, ensure that watering is gentle and thorough.
Well-Drained, Not Overly Rich Soil
The most important trick to growing Babyâs Breath in Australia is to give them soil that doesnât hold too much moisture. If you have heavy clay, itâs going to be harder to succeed with Babyâs Breath, because these plants prefer sandier soils.
And, while your other plants will be thrilled with your composting and manuring efforts, Gypsophila may be less happy about it. It likes poor soil. In fact, it wants poor soil, and planting it in rich, garden loam means youâre likely to be disappointed with the results.
Just to add to the âother plants donât like this but I doâ nature of Babyâs Breath, they like slightly alkaline soil, so if you arenât in a lime-rich soil area, consider adding a little lime to sweeten the soilâs pH. Most soils tend to be slightly acid, so if youâre in doubt, add lime.
I Love My Buddies
Babyâs Breath, as we can see, is a bit of a rebel in the plant world, and another thing it likes which most plants donât is a little crowding. While thinning out your annuals may be second nature to you, itâs better to leave Gyps to their own devices â within reason. All that company from its buddies seems to promote blooming and increase your chance of success. 15cm â 20cm apart is ample, and more space wonât mean better plants. Treat âem mean to keep âem keen!
Choosing the right time to pick is important, so you donât want all your plants to be ready at once. Staggering the sowing will help you to get stems more frequently and over an extended period. If youâre trying to time them for a special occasion, that can be tricky. Hedge your bets with staggered sowing.
Donât Spoil Your Babies
Once Gyps are up and growing, they only sulk if you spoil them too much. Let it be hot. Let things be on the dry side (but not too dry), and donât give them extra liquid feeding. Iâm tempted to say they thrive on neglect, but you can go a bit too far with that too.
If youâre already growing plants like lavender and sage, theyâll be good companions for your Gyps as they need around the same amount of irrigation. If youâve grown carnations before, use a similar protocol for your Babyâs Breath.
At the same time, youâre likely to find that your results donât match those of commercial flower growers â especially at certain times of year. Thatâs because commercial growers carefully monitor and adjust everything from temperature to pH on an ongoing basis in order to get Grade 1 blooms they can sell for a good price. You wonât be doing that, and thatâs why your results may be good, but not as good.
Harvesting your Babyâs Breath for Vase Life
The best time to cut Babyâs Breath for the vase is just as the buds begin to open. Pick them early in the morning and place the stems in a bucket of cool water. Thatâs if you want to use them fresh.
You can get even more out of Babyâs Breath if you dry the flowers. Youâll need to pick them when about half the blooms have opened, and hang them upside down in a dark, well-ventilated place until the flowers are papery to the touch. Now, your Babyâs breath can last for months!
Babyâs Breath are More Than Just a Cut Flower
Lest we forget, Babyâs Breath isnât just good in flower arrangements, itâs also a real charmer in the flower garden. Do leave some stems to grace your flower beds â youâll be glad you did. Imagine: with a few flowering friends to keep them company, your garden will look just like a floristâs dream!
Whether you grow for the vase or just to enjoy in the garden, Babyâs Breath is a winner. The only slightly tricky thing about it is its soil preference, and if youâre not succeeding, chances are itâs too much water and nutrition coupled with the wrong pH. In the right soil, itâs a snip!
There you have it simple, easy to follow directions to successfully growing Babyâs Breath in Australia. Have you had success growing Babyâs Breath in your garden? Let us know how you go.