Dianthus 'Cocktail Cosmopolitan'

Dianthus is generally trouble free but can have issues with Slugs and Snails as well as Aphids. For Slugs and Snails, it is important to keep the area around the plant debris free and as dry as possible, especially at night as slugs and snails love damp conditions. You can use barriers such as egg shells or copper wire to surround the plant to prevent slugs and snails reaching the leaves. It is also a good idea to spray your plant with water which has boiled some garlic in it for around 2 hours. For more serious slug and snail control you can also use specific nematodes that will find the pests and cause them to die. To combat Aphids you can pick away the bugs with your hands and also wash the infested areas down with soapy water.MORE

Dianthus thrive in moist soil so make sure you water often so that the soil does not dry out. During hot and dry spells this could require watering every couple of days.

Will prefer full sun but can cope partial shade–somewhere where it will receive at least 4-6 hours of sun every day.

You will want to mix in plenty of organic matter such as garden compost into the soil before planting and more every spring. If your soil is particularly clay-heavy and easily becomes waterlogged, add some perlite into the soil to improve drainage.

Don't worry, this isn't a hungry plant so your food bills won't be going up!