Cheiranthus Bowles Mauve Planting Instructions

Cheiranthus "Bowles Mauve" is more commonly known as shrubby wallflower. This perennial growing ornamental is easy to recognize thanks to its gray-green foliage and upright growth. Although once classified in the cherianthus genus, it is now found under the genus erysimum. The Bowles mauve variety produces spike-like clusters of magenta-mauve flowers that will bloom continually throughout the growing season. You can plan Bowles mauve in early spring; it grows best in regions with mild summers and winters.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You’ll Need:

• Cheiranthus Bowles mauve plants
• Shovel
• Garden hoe
• Fertilizer

1. Select a site in full sun that will give the cheiranthus adequate room to grow. Keep in mind that these plants can grow to between 3 and 4 feet tall with an equal width.

2. Hoe the area to remove weeds. Pick out all garden litter, like rocks, sticks, weeds and roots, as you hoe the area.

3. Use a shovel to turn over the soil down to about 12 to 14 inches deep.

4. Dig planting holes for each cheiranthus you are planting, keeping each hole about 3 feet apart. Dig holes approximately 12 inches wide by 12 inches deep if you are planting 1-gallon pots. If you are planting 3 gallon pots or larger, dig each hole about 24 inches wide and about 1 1/2 times the depth of the pot.

5. Incorporate into the soil you removed from the planting hole about 1/2 cubic feet of sphagnum peat moss, leaf mold or well-aged cow manure. Cherianthus prefer being grown in soil that is quick-draining. Using one of the above amendments improves the drainage of the soil.

6. Remove a cheiranthus from its planting pot. Tip the pot horizontally while you push downwards along the rim of the pot until it slides free from the roots. Loosen any ensnared roots around the root-ball using your fingers.

7. Plant the cheiranthus into the planting hole. Make sure you plant it at the same depth it was growing at in its container. Scoop in some soil to fill the hole about half full.

8. Fill the hole with water, letting it settle back before you fill the rest of the hole with soil.

9. Fertilize the cheiranthus once it becomes established and is actively growing. You can use a liquid fertilizer, a granular fertilizer, such as 12-12-12, or a similar type. Plan on fertilizing the plant about once a month from late spring through mid-summer.

Tips & Warnings

• Cheiranthus are moderately drought-tolerant once they are established.

• To keep cheiranthus from growing scraggly, cut it back about 6 to 8 inches after blooming.

• Cherianthus are hardy in USDA zones 6 through 10.