How to grow baby's breath? A detailed guide to growing it at home

Baby's breath (Gypsophila) is mostly used as a cut flower, but it is also highly ornamental as a potted plant. You can buy baby's breath seeds online, so how should these seeds be sown? Below is an introduction to the growing methods for baby's breath.

1. Basic information on sowing baby's breath

Taking pink baby's breath as an example, it is suitable for spring sowing and autumn sowing, and generally about 16 weeks after sowing, it can bloom. However, note that the baby's breath seeds you buy back should not be stored for more than 2 years, and must be sown in time.

2. Variety characteristics of baby's breath

Baby's breath is a plant in the Caryophyllaceae family, and its flower meaning is pure love. Its plant is relatively airy, with a compact and rounded growth habit, and when it blooms, the flower quantity is very large and lasts a long time, so its ornamental value is very high.

When growing baby's breath, you can create different ornamental forms with it: potted, hanging basket, and courtyard planting are all fine, and you can also grow it as a border plant. Baby's breath is also very easy to grow.

3. Sowing methods for baby's breath

1. Choose loose soil

Actually, flower soil does not need to be bought; just dig some outside. Before planting, first wet the soil thoroughly, and after it sets, scatter the seeds, then cover with a thin layer of soil. Sunlight and temperature are essential. The watering principle is to water after it dries out; after leaving the seedling stage, the amount of watering should be reduced. As baby's breath grows, it will become leggy, so you need to keep adding soil to stabilize it, and it must not be too dense.

If you are planting more carefully, it is recommended to disinfect the soil before planting; just expose it to the sun for a few days.

2. Sowing

Because baby's breath is relatively afraid of heat throughout its growing period, and the most suitable temperature for sowing is 15-20°C, in southern regions it can be sown in spring and autumn, while in northern regions it should be sown in spring.

3. Transplant after germination

Baby's breath is very easy to keep alive; usually in about 10 days, the seedlings will germinate. However, baby's breath very easily dies when repotted, but if transplanted with soil, it is easier to keep alive. After transplanting, watering must be done very carefully, and you must not knock the seedlings over with water!

4. Precautions for sowing baby's breath

1. First wet the peat soil, then sow. When watering, water thoroughly, do not just water the surface.

2. Keep it away from light and cover with soil (just enough to cover the seeds). Pay attention to the planting depth: if too deep, the seeds will have a hard time germinating; if too shallow, the seeds will be exposed to light too early and also have a hard time germinating.

3. Cover with plastic wrap, and poke some small holes in the wrap with a toothpick.

4. Place it in a shaded place away from light, and be sure to maintain ventilation.

5. Care after sowing baby's breath

About 20-35 days after planting, side buds begin to sprout from the lower part of the plant. At this time, you can keep the lower 3-4 pairs of leaves and pinch off the main growing tip to let the side branches grow, so as to obtain high yield. Generally, keep 6-8 side branches per plant. Most varieties need 70-90 days from pinching to flowering. You can also skip pinching, but it may bloom relatively less!