Baby's Breath
Baby’s Breath Gypsophila Elegans
Baby's breath's light, with its airy texture and petite white or pink flowers, make it a wonderful addition to the garden. This annual flower is native to the Caucasus and is related to the carnations. Description of of baby's breath: Annual baby's breath grows to 11/2 feet tall, forming an airy bush with many forked branches covered with flowers. Although the flowers, up to 1/2 inch in diameter, are usually white, there are pink, rose, and carmine forms. Most popularly used as a cutting plant, baby's breath is a dense flowering border and bedding plant covered with tiny, loosely-scattered, white flowers. You can purchase both annual or perennial varieties. Perennial baby's breath will bloom for a long period during the mid-summer season. The annual plant will bloom for the summer, then die-off, whereas perennial varieties continue to bloom year after year.
Planting Baby’s Breath
While starting seeds of the Baby’s Breath is not necessarily difficult, the right conditions will make the process successful. Sow Baby’s Breath seeds directly in the ground in the spring when the threat of frost has passed or start in containers several weeks before transplanting into soil. Keep the ground moist but not wet for the first couple of weeks. Pick a sunny, well-drained spot for planting for the best performance. Prefers a well-drained fertile soil in a sunny position.
Height: 12-18 inches Spacing: 18-24 inches Depth: 1/2 inch Germination: 15-21 days Starting from Seed Indoors
Place a few seeds (5 to 10) into each pot and push them into the soil with your finger. Cover the seeds to a depth of approximately 1/2 inches of the potting mix. Mist each pot with water until the soil appears moist. Place the pots in an area which will provide both light (which is required for germination) and heat, preferably about 65 to 70 degrees F and at least 8 hours of light each day. Check on the seeds every day and keep the seeds damp but not drenched by misting with your plant mister. You should see sprouting in about 15 to 21 days. Once your seedlings have reached about 2 to 3 inches in height, choose an area in your garden to transfer them. You can also use containers like barrels or clay pots. Dig holes twice the width and depth of each of your pots. Fill up each hole with water then let it drain off. Place a pot in the hole center and level so that your seedling is at the same level as the surrounding soil. Push dirt in carefully all the way to fill the hole back up. Water each seedling carefully so as not to soak the leaves or stem.
Direct-seeding into the Garden
Turn over the area you've selected to a depth of approximately 1/2 inches. Rake the area until it's level and smooth. Water the area until the soil is damp but not saturated. Scatter the seeds in the area. Gently rake the area to distribute the seeds further and protect them from birds. Or, press the seeds into the soil and cover with no more than 1/2 inches of soil. You can also place 2 to 3 seeds every 3 to 4 inches in rows approximately 18-24 inches apart, and cover seeds with 1/2 inches of soil. Place planting stakes around the area so you will know where to water. Check on your seeds about once a day. Make sure to mist the soil whenever it appears dry. Germination for Baby’s Breath plants is approximately 15 to 21 days, depending on the warmth of the soil.
Germination Problems
Growing plants from seeds successfully depends on a lot of factors and this makes it impossible to guarantee success on every batch of seeds planted. Factors include, soil composition, PH, temperature, moisture levels, seed depth, soil density, seed viabilty, seed storage and many others. We tested the germination of all our seeds and this seed variety is around 80%, but your results may vary based on exactly how you plant and all the environmental factors. Good luck.