How to Grow Candytuft

Candytuft is a small evergreen plant. Sometimes described as a shrub, it does not grow over a foot tall but usually remains only about half a foot tall. Grown for its beautiful spring flush of white flowers, it is attractive year round where the dark, evergreen foliage serves as a dense groundcover. Candytuft is a tough, sun loving plant that grows in poor or rocky soil. If you are starting a rock garden, save some space for Candytuft and you will not be dissappointed! The only place where Candytuft looks anemic is when it is placed in the deep shade. Candytuft also looks beautiful cascading from ornamental pots.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

1. First, select the site. Candytuft can tolerate poor soil and some shade but will not do well in deep shade or wet soil.

2. Second, determine if you will grow Candytuft from seed, purchase the plants, or will receive a division of an existing plant from a neighbor or friend. If growing from seed, plant just below the surface, cover with loose dirt and water well until seedlings are well established. If purcahsing the plants, follow the nurseryman's recommendations for planting in your area. If you are transplanting from a friends garden, rinse the roots well to remove all soil and roots of weeds or pests that may be hitch hiking from your friends garden. Examine the conditions in which the plants were thriving in the original spot, select a spot in your garden that mimics these conditions.

3. Third, In the first season, keep an eye out for the plant needing additional water. Especially during times of drought. This will not be needed in subsequent years when the plants are established. Be careful not to overwater. At the end of the season, mulch the perennial to help protect it from cold. In the spring, trim the plants to half their size to make them bushier.