Delphinium (Delphinium) prefers wind-protected locations and deep, nutritious soil. If you remove the spent inflorescences and water them regularly, they will often bloom again in September. Delphiniums can be propagated by division; However, propagation from cuttings produces more young plants. But be careful: How successful you are with a certain type of propagation depends on the type and variety of delphinium.
How to propagate delphiniums?
Dark spur can be propagated by cuttings, division or sowing. When propagating cuttings, young shoots with roots are cut off in spring and planted in a sand-peat mixture. Division takes place in spring or autumn, and sowing requires cold stratification.
Propagation of delphinium cuttings
Delphinium varieties that can be propagated vegetatively are best propagated using so-called basal cuttings, which are a young shoot with a piece of root. The best time for this type of propagation is April. The young plants obtained in this way bloom in autumn or next spring.
Propagate delphiniums from cuttings
- As soon as the plant is about 15 to 20 centimeters high in spring, take cuttings.
- To do this, select young shoots with a piece of rootstock about three to five centimeters long.
- This is necessary because delphinium only roots if there is a base of old wood.
- Plant the cuttings in a sand-peat mixture (mixing ratio 1:1).
- Put the pots in the cold frame.
- A temperature of around 15 °C is optimal because young delphiniums prefer it cool.
About six weeks later, the development of new leaves indicates that the young plant is forming roots. Now you can plant the plants in your beds.
Share delphiniums
In addition, for many delphiniums, propagation by division is also very promising. Either in early spring or after flowering in autumn, the plant's rhizome is divided into two, three or even four pieces, depending on the size of the clump. Each section must have at least one, but preferably two to three shoots with roots. The outer parts of the rhizome are particularly vigorous, while the inside is usually bare.
Sowing delphiniums
It is particularly easy to propagate delphiniums by sowing, because you basically don't need to do anything other than wait. Most delphinium varieties self-sow unless the first flower is cut back in summer. The follicles, which contain numerous seeds, finally develop from the blossomed inflorescences. If, on the other hand, you want to sow delphiniums, then you should stratify the seeds - delphinium is a cold or frost germinator.
Tips & Tricks
Do not transplant cuttings and seedlings immediately, but harden them off step by step. This applies especially to ambient humidity and irrigation, which should only be reduced gradually. If you put the plants outdoors, you should first protect them from the sun - regardless of whether it is spring or summer.
