Landris heralds summer with pompous flower candles in bright blue and pure white. Whether as a leading perennial or as a rose companion, delphiniums create eye-catching accents in ornamental and cottage gardens. Elementary questions about care and plants receive a compact answer here.
What is the best way to care for delphiniums?
To optimally care for delphiniums, you should water regularly, fertilize in March and after the first flowering, support tall-growing varieties, cut back to 20 cm after the first flowering and cut off close to the ground before the first frost.
Planting delphiniums correctly
Plant even pre-grown or pre-purchased delphiniums in a sunny, wind-protected location after the ice saints. Follow these steps to do it right:
- Dig a pit with twice the volume of the root ball
- Enrich the excavation with horn shavings (€52.00 on Amazon) and compost
- Place the potted plant as deep as before and water it
Spread a layer of mulch to create the desired shade base. If it is a tall growing variety, provide the plant with a support rod.read more
Care tips
If you look after Delphinium according to the following care program, the ornamental perennial will remain blooming and vital for many years:
- Water regularly and abundantly
- Fertilize in March and after the first flowering
- Stabilize tall-growing varieties with stakes
- Prune to 20 cm after the first flowering
- Cut off close to the ground before the first frost
Which location is suitable?
Delphinium are sun worshipers. Therefore, assign the plant a location with as many hours of sunshine per day as possible. The location should be warm and protected from the wind, in the safety of a wall or hedge. Ideally the foot is shaded. Delphiniums develop optimally in nutrient-rich, loamy-sandy soil.read more
When is flowering time?
The main flowering period is from June to July. A subsequent cut back to 20 centimeters attracts autumnal blooms from September to October.read more
Cut larkspur correctly
If you cut the delphinium back to a height of 20 centimeters after the first flowering, you can look forward to further flowering in autumn. Before the first frost, cut the plant close to the ground and remove the clippings from the bed. As a vase decoration, cut delphiniums when 30 percent of the buds have opened.read more
Fertilize delphiniums properly
Fertilize the plant in March with a slow-release fertilizer or compost and horn shavings. Delphiniums receive the second portion of nutrients after the first flowering, after you have pruned them.read more
Diseases
If he alth problems occur with Delphinium, there is usually a bacterial or fungal infection behind it. The most common diseases of delphiniums include powdery mildew, downy mildew and bacterial blackhead. The latter manifests itself as black spots on the leaves and spreads to the stems. While the tried and tested milk-water mixture counteracts mildew, the plant should be disposed of if it is infested with Pseudomonas delphinii.read more
Wintering
So that delphiniums in the garden get through the winter well, all you need is these precautions:
- Cut the plant back to the ground in autumn
- Do not leave leaves lying around due to risk of infection from fungi
- In rough locations, cover delphiniums with straw or needle sticks
- If there is a clear frost, water occasionally on frost-free days
Place a plant in the pot on a block of wood and cover the container with several layers of bubble wrap. Prudent hobby gardeners cover the substrate with straw, brushwood or sawdust. In pots, winter watering is particularly relevant as long as there is no snow.read more
Propagate delphiniums
To propagate delphiniums, you can choose from the following methods:
- Sowing behind glass in March
- Direct sowing from May
- Division in spring or autumn
- Cuttings in early summer
While sowing and dividing can be achieved even by an inexperienced hand, propagation from cuttings is usually slow and has a high failure rate.read more
How do I transplant correctly?
As a classic summer bloomer, you can transplant delphinium either in spring or autumn. In spring the ground should be completely thawed. In autumn, a day after pruning is an option. Loosen the soil deeply and use the spade to cut off the root area within a radius that is not too small. Use the digging fork to lift the plant out of the ground and place it back in the prepared new location.read more
larkspur in pot
Dwarf delphinium or belladonna hybrids thrive wonderfully in pots. Use compost-based potting soil optimized with sand, perlite or lava granules. Protection against waterlogging in the form of a drainage system made of pottery shards over the water drain is essential. How to care for the plant properly:
- If the substrate surface dries, watering is carried out thoroughly
- Fertilize liquidly every 4 weeks from March until August
- Prune by two thirds after the first flowering
- Complete pruning before the first frost
- If there is a clear frost, water repeatedly on frost-free days
Regardless of their winter hardiness, potted delphiniums receive protection from frosty temperatures. Wrap the container in jute or foil. A layer of straw, leaves, sawdust or needle twigs is placed on the substrate.read more
Is delphinium poisonous?
Voted poisonous plant of the year in 2015, botanists pay respect to the high content of toxic ingredients in delphiniums. Delphinium poses a serious or fatal threat to humans and animals if parts of the plant are consumed. Since even slight skin contact causes irritation, wearing gloves is a top priority for all care and planting work.read more
Yellow leaves
If the leaves turn yellow in the middle of the flowering period, the plant is suffering from a lack of nutrients. Fertilize with a quick-acting agent such as nettle manure, horn meal or liquid fertilizer and add compost as mulch.read more
Collecting and storing delphinium seeds
After flowering, the plant develops narrow follicles with winged seeds. If the pods turn brown, collect them before they burst open. Thoroughly cleaned, store the seeds in a dry container in a cool, dark place until next spring.read more
Sowing delphiniums
Sowing behind glass from March gives delphiniums an advantageous growth advantage in the bed. This is how easy it is to sow delphiniums:
- Soak seeds in lukewarm water for half a day
- Fill small pots with coconut humm or peat sand and insert 1-2 seeds in each
- Sift with sand to a thickness of 1 cm and moisten with a fine shower gel
In a partially shaded place, germination takes 2-4 weeks at 20-23 degrees Celsius. During this time, keep the seeds constantly moist. Alternatively, sow the seeds directly in the bed in a sunny location from May onwards. Plant the seeds 40 centimeters apart in fine, crumbly soil and protect the young delphiniums from pecking birds with a fleece or net.read more
How tall will delphiniums grow?
The height of delphiniums varies from a delicate 30 centimeters for dwarf delphiniums to an impressive 200 cm for Elatum hybrids.read more
The leaves of the delphinium
If black spots and a curved surface develop on the leaves of delphinium, the plant is affected by the bacterial black spot Pseudomonas delphinii or the Phyllosticta leaf spot disease. Either cut back infected delphiniums completely or, to be on the safe side, remove the plant completely from the garden.read more
Is delphinium hardy?
Dark spur is completely hardy. In autumn, cut the plant back to the ground and spread a few pine fronds over it.read more
Is delphinium perennial?
The plant is ideal for perennial cultivation in perennial borders. In autumn, delphiniums retreat into their rhizome or main root, only to sprout again the next spring.read more
Mildew on delphiniums
If a mealy-gray patina appears on the delphinium, the plant is affected by powdery mildew. It is not absolutely necessary to use a chemical fungicide. Treat infected delphiniums with a mix of fresh milk and water in a ratio of 1:9.read more
The flower of the delphinium
Dark spur owes its name to its flower shape. Of the 5 outer petals, 4 are egg-shaped. The top petal has an elongated, often wrinkled spur. In the inner perianth circle the upper two leaves are spurred and the lower two unspurred.read more
Dark spur withered: What follows?
Once the plant has bloomed for the first time, cut the panicles back to 20 centimeters. After the delphinium blooms a second time, cut off all parts of the plant close to the ground.read more
Share delphiniums
Division is an option for delphiniums for two reasons. It is used for uncomplicated propagation and rejuvenation after 6-10 years in the bed. How to divide Delphinium professionally:
- The ideal time is a mild day in spring or autumn
- Loosen the cut back plant all around with the digging fork
- Lift the root ball out of the ground with the spade and break it up
- Each segment has at least 2 buds
At the new location, create a pit with twice the volume of the root piece. You can optimize the excavation with compost and horn shavings. Plant divided delphiniums as deep as before and water generously.read more
The varieties of delphinium
The more than 5,000 varieties clearly show us how many nuances of the color blue there are. Only a few varieties thrive in white, red or pink. For the perennial bed in the local climate, these groups of varieties should be considered:
- Belladonna hybrids: stable, richly branching, long-lasting and not so tall growing
- Pacific hybrids: large-flowered delphinium from the USA, but sensitive and quite short-lived
- Elatum hybrids: majestic breeds up to 200 cm, some from England, which should be supported
Look out for Delphinium from legendary German perennial grower Karl Foerster. Such a plant has both the desired splendor of colors and the necessary constitution for the Central European climate conditions.read more
The most beautiful varieties
- Independence: deep blue Delphininium from the hand of the delphinium pope Karl Foerster; Growth height up to 120 cm
- Ballgown: a light blue beauty with a rebloom in autumn; Growth height 90-120 cm
- Piccolo: the plant impresses with ultramarine blue flowers and a white eye; Growth height 80-100 cm
- Green Twist: romantic delphinium with white, lush double flowers; Growth height 120-160 cm
- Pagan Purples: characterful F1 hybrid with striking, double flowers in dark blue; Growth height 120-160 cm
- Morning dew: the plant surprises with brown eyes and light blue flower candles; Growth height 170 cm
- Capri: historical Delphinium with light blue flowers is recommended for pot cultivation: height 60-80 cm
