Purple Rockcress Seeds

Surface sow Aubrieta Deltoidea seeds, as they need light to germinate. Press the seed gently into the seed starting mix and leave the seed uncovered. The tray should be at 60-65°F; if you heat it any higher, the germination rate will noticeably decrease. It will take 10-14 days for the seedlings to appear. Start the seeds indoors 6 weeks before the last expected spring frost, or directly outside in late fall to ensure the seeds are stratified. Both methods will give you the same results: the first bloom will just be earlier if you start the seeds indoors!

Aubrieta Deltoidea performs best in full sun. While it will tolerate part shade, it will get leggy and sparse with too much shade. Drainage is more important than fertilizer with Aubrieta. Gritty, poor soils are best. Amend heavy beds with coarse sand or fine gravel before planting. Raised beds and rock garden crevices are also good sites. While the seeds need to be kept consistently moist, the established plants will survive dry spells with no watering at all, except extended drought in the summer.

After blooming, which is late May to early June, shear back the whole plant by half. A proper cut removes old flower stems and cause new compact growth to emerge from the base of the plant. If you fail to shear back, your plants become woody and have an open center within a year or two. Divide clumps every 2-3 years to keep them healthy. Deer also leave it alone, which is a good thing if you live in an area with a lot of deer. If your soil is very poor, feed lightly in early spring. If your soil is average, no fertilizer is necessary, as it encourages too much soft growth.