Gypsophila spp., or baby’s breath plants, have become somewhat of a flower arrangement cliché. In the garden, though, they can also be beautiful. This genus has more than 100 annual and perennial species with various looks. Some develop in an unattractive blooming ground cover with a creeping growth pattern. Others, on the other hand, form lighter, airier-feeling mounds that are more upright and constrained, with their slender stems heavily branching. They have tiny, thin leaves ranging from gray-green to blue-green. baby’s breath bouquet plants produce five-petaled, teeny-tiny flowers that are white, pink, or both during the summer and persist for a few weeks. It is well-known that the flowers draw pollinators like butterflies.
Gardening Tips
Once there is no longer a risk of frost, the baby’s breath should be planted in the spring. Fast growth is seen in the plants. The maintenance needed for baby’s breath bouquetplants is typically relatively low. They almost take care of themselves after you plant them in a location with plenty of sunshine and good soil drainage. They also rarely have significant pest or disease problems. Typically, you’ll only need to feed once a year and water during dry seasons. As your plants grow older, you might need to support them, such as garden stakes, to keep the delicate stems from toppling. To encourage the baby’s breath to grow around the stakes, you can also proactively place them when planting.
Deadheading is unnecessary for these plants (removing spent blooms). However, they can benefit from modest pruning after flowering, which will aid in maintaining their shape and may encourage a second bloom. The optimal conditions for growing baby’s breath plants are full daylight, which often means at least six hours of direct sunshine per day. They will, however, put up with a bit of shade, particularly from the sweltering afternoon sun. A plant will become leggy and produce inferior flowers if it receives too much shade. If the soil has sufficient drainage, baby’s breath plants can grow in various soil types. Wet clay soil is ineffective compared to sandy soil. So if you have heavy soil, think about increasing the baby’s breath in raised garden beds or containers.
Additionally, the pH of the soil is slightly alkaline for these plants, so if your soil is acidic, add some garden lime to make it more alkaline. The baby’s breath does well on the dry groundwith little water. For young plants, keep the soil just barely damp. However, you won’t usually need to water established plants unless there is an extended drought. If a plant is overwatered, it may die from root rot.
About the Author
