Stock flower 'Iron Cherry Blossom' (Matthiola incana)

Stock flower ‘Iron Cherry Blossom’ (Matthiola incana) – A high-quality Japanese-bred stock variety, specially selected for cut flowers, with strong, upright stems and elegant, double blooms in a soft pink–cherry tone and a pleasant fragrance.. This variety stands out for its excellent flower spike quality, uniform growth, and high proportion of double flowers, making it particularly suitable for professional cut flower production, with approximately 55% double blooms. Plants reach about 70 cm in height. Pinching is not recommended.

The most important thing to know about stock is that it is a cool-weather flower – it grows and flowers best in moderate temperatures. The most abundant flowering occurs when night temperatures are below 15–16 °C. Stock can tolerate light frosts, whereas warm temperatures signal the plant to stop growing and flowering. In hot conditions, flowering quickly declines, so in most regions, stock is grown as a spring crop, but it can also be successfully grown in autumn when temperatures become moderate again. Timing is crucial – seeds are sown indoors, and seedlings are transplanted outdoors after the risk of frost has passed. Stock seeds require light for germination, so they should be only lightly covered with soil or pressed gently into moist substrate. Seeds must remain consistently moist throughout germination, avoiding overwatering. The ideal germination temperature is 15–21 °C, and seedlings usually appear within 10–14 days. For continuous flowering, successional sowing every 2 weeks is recommended.