Leggy Linaria

Hello all,

In early September, I sowed some Linaria Fairy Bouquet seeds. They grew like weeds, and have now been pricked out and potted on into small modules. However, the plants are now rather leggy-looking. Should I pinch these out, or leave them in the greenhouse until spring?

Many thanks,
Rachael

 

Hi Rachael,

These Linaria are a hardy annual which should really have been sown outdoors in September or early October.I think I it was me, I would leave them in an unheated greenhouse now for the Winter. It's hard to say whether to trim them back or not without knowing their height etc.
They are usually grown in clumps as they are a bit weedy anyway ( in my experience ).

 

Hi Anthony,

Many thanks for your response - I'll hold tight and see how they do over the winter.

Kind regards,
Rachael

 

Just a thought but if you have loads why not try keeping some in the greenhouse, pinching some out and leaving some and then put a small clump in the garden too and seeing how they all do - you can report back next Spring

 

Hello all,

Just to give you an update, the linaria survived the winter in the greenhouse. I pinched out approximately half, and left the others with stakes for support. The pinched out group are bushier and are yet to flower. In contrast, the non-pinched group are much taller, and began flowering in early January, filling the greenhouse with a lovely smell!

Yesterday, I potted up the lot into a large ceramic pot, and will keep them under glass until the risk of frost has passed. As a group, they seem to be holding each other up a lot better than in individual pots.

Many thanks for your advice - I'll sow outside in clumps next time.

Rachael :-)

 

if this is what I think it is, it is flowering completely out of season, but heigh ho any flowers in early Spring are a bonus, especially if they smell lovely. I do think Anthony Rogers was right it is a hardy annual, a really old fashioned cottage garden plant and left in the garden I would expect it to self seed although never becoming a problem. I have a small clump in a sunny spot that returns every year but isn't doing anything yet. Because yours is flowering now it will set seed early and who knows how it will behave in future but do keep us posted,

Hilary