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How you time godetia depends on your winter. In mild-winter areas the autumn sowing is the main event: plants establish in the cool months, sit quietly through winter and burst into growth in spring. In cold-winter areas, where the ground freezes hard, sow in early spring under cover and plant out once the heaviest frosts have passed.
In both cases the finish line is the same. Flowering runs from late spring into early summer and ends when consistently hot weather arrives. Work backward from that point: the earlier the plants are established, the longer the display before the heat stops it.
| Season | Mild winters | Cold winters |
|---|---|---|
| Mid to late autumn | Sow direct or in small pots | Nothing; order seed |
| Winter | Small plants overwinter; watch drainage | Plan beds, lime acid soil |
| Early spring | Pinch, light feed, stake tall types | Sow indoors or in a cold frame |
| Mid spring | Buds form; check for pests | Plant out at four true leaves |
| Late spring to early summer | Full flower, cut stems | Flowering begins |
| Summer heat | Collect seed, clear plants | Collect seed, clear plants |
Autumn: sowing and establishing
In mild climates, sow once the late summer heat has clearly broken and nights are cool, relatively late compared with other hardy annuals. Lime the bed beforehand if the soil is acid, raise it if the ground is heavy, and sow direct or in small pots. Pot-raised plants go out about forty days later, at four true leaves.
The aim by the time winter sets in is a compact, sturdy plant, not a large one. Keep watering modest, do not feed heavily, and thin direct-sown patches in stages so the plants stand at their final spacing before winter.
Winter and spring: growing on
Through winter the plants barely grow. Their main enemy is waterlogged soil, not cold, so make sure water drains away from the crowns and protect young plants from slugs in mild wet spells. In cold-winter gardens this is the planning season, and the time to lime the beds for a spring planting.
As days lengthen in spring, growth takes off. This is when to pinch, give a single light feed, put in supports for tall types and start checking for aphids. In cold areas, spring is the sowing and planting season, and the same steps follow a few weeks later.
- Early spring: pinch and feed Pinch the tips of young plants once for branching and give one light dose of a balanced or low nitrogen fertilizer.
- Early spring: sow in cold areas Sow three or four seeds per small pot under cover at 59 to 68°F (15 to 20°C) and thin to one.
- Mid spring: support tall types Put twiggy sticks or a string grid in place while the plants are still a third of their final height.
- Mid spring: plant out Set pot-raised plants out at four true leaves, about forty days after sowing, once hard frosts are over.
- Late spring: watch the stems Check the base of the stems and the shoot tips every few days for rot, mildew, aphids and thrips as buds form.
Late spring into summer: flowering and finishing
This is the payoff. Cut stems for the house in the cool of the morning, remove spent flowers on the plants you are not saving seed from, and keep an eye out for stem rot and powdery mildew as the weather warms. Water at the base only when the soil is dry.
When the heat arrives and flowering slows, let a few of the best stems ripen their pods, collect the seed as the pods turn tan, then pull the plants. Fill the space with heat-loving summer annuals and store the seed for the next sowing season.
Where spring is short and summer hot, sow as early as your climate allows. Each week gained at the start is another week of flowers before the heat ends them.
A year at a glance
Godetia is a cool-season annual. It asks for effort at sowing and planting time, a little attention in spring, and very little after that. Most years the only real decisions are when to sow for your climate and whether the tall types need support.
Keep notes on your sowing date, the date the first flowers opened and when the heat ended the display. After a season or two those three dates tell you exactly when to sow in your own garden.