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Viola 'King Henry'
Viola 'King Henry'
Seed Packet

Viola 'King Henry'

Viola cornuta
I'm just not willing to live without these little royal purple and blue charmers in my garden somewhere; they pop up every spring here and there, in the vegetable garden, along the path, anywhere they please, really. Once called Ladies Delight, Bird's Eye-None-So-Pretty, and many more pet names, they bloom all season to fall freezes in cooler areas, only lagging during the hot summer days.
SKU #S863
$3.50
Currently Unavailable
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Details
Approximate Seeds Per Packet
225
Lifecycle
Annual
Annual Hardiness
Hardy Annual
Mature Size
4" h x 8" w
Sun
Full sun to partial shade
Soil
Rich, moist, well-drained
Season
Spring and fall
Color
Dark purple and violet with a yellow eye
Features
Great for containers
Great Cut Flower
Deer Resistant
Attracts Butterflies
SOWING INSTRUCTIONS
Depth:
1/8" seeds require darkness to germinate.
Sprout Time:
7-21 days after chill
Seed To Bloom:
14-16 weeks
Starting Indoors:
Sow indoors in late winter and keep at 35-40°F for 1-2 weeks, then 65-75°F. Cover with vermiculite or a humidity dome and exclude light until germination occurs.
Starting Outdoors:
Direct sow in early spring, late summer in warm winter zones 8+.
WHEN TO SET OUTSIDE
In spring, when light frost is still possible, 3 weeks before the last frost date
PLACEMENT & CULTIVATION
A small delight, violas bloom during the first balmy days of spring, just when gardeners are getting down to planting. Many have expressive faces and whiskers of dark tracery across the velvet petals in almost every imaginable color and shade. They look great in containers, planted about the vegetable garden for their edible petals, or at the garden's edge, where many self-sow for a yearly spring treat. They dislike hot summer weather—during this time trim back and they will rebloom in fall.
Final Spacing:
8-12"
Water Requirements:
Medium Water Use
Watering Details:
Keep fairly moist with about 1" of water per week, more during especially dry spells. Do not overwater.
Soil pH:
Acidic to neutral
Fertilizer:
Mix in a couple of inches of compost before planting. Feed monthly with an organic, water-soluble seaweed or kelp fertilizer, or mix in a granular type after planting and again in late summer, when fall-blooming buds form.
Diseases & Pests:
Leaf spots and slugs are possible problems. Treat foliage with an organic fungicide and scatter pelletized iron phosphate at the base of the plants to combat slugs.
When to Cut for Bouquets:
Harvest when flowers are nearly open.
Growing Guides Fall Sowing Hardy Annuals
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