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Hardiness of Delphiniums ?

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Greg  Send Greg a private message!


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Posted on Tuesday, June 22, 2004 - 02:54 pm:   Last Buddysize PhotosCopy highlighted text to new message Edit Post Delete Post Print Post

I have seen a few people comment about delphiniums being lost over winter. Marie mentioned that often hers only grow for a few years. This happened to my first delphinium, but my white one has been blooming every year for four years now and it looks healthier than ever. I really have no idea what the lifespan and hardiness of delphiniums are. Is it a common phenomenon to lose delphiniums easily? What are the factors related to successful overwintering? Etc. Etc. I'm ready to learn from the delph experts.

Thanks.

Greg, ND Zone 4 Click to hear a voice greeting from Greg
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Posted on Tuesday, June 22, 2004 - 03:38 pm:   Last Buddysize PhotosCopy highlighted text to new message Edit Post Delete Post Print Post

They are pretty hardy down to -10C in my area. They hate being waterlogged and don't like heavy cold wet clay soils. If you have this improve drainage with fine grit and lots of humus. Cut back after flowering to ground level and remove stems as they harbour fungi and bacteria that can attack plants especially when young. I don't know about lifespan as I have had clumps that survived 18 years and then I moved. take basal cuttings to regenerate prized plants - very easy and successful. Divide very large over mature plants and replant with lots of nice compost and humus.
They are very susceptible to slug and snail damage and new shoots are stripped below ground level so it looks like the plant just died but really -it was murdered!!!!

addict suffolk zone 8 UK
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Posted on Tuesday, June 22, 2004 - 10:10 pm:   Last Buddysize PhotosCopy highlighted text to new message Edit Post Delete Post Print Post

Hmm, I have only cut off the spent flower stalks. Are you saying I should cut the whole plant down to the ground? Will this encourage a second fall bloom? .. I'll bet my first plant died because of the clay it was planted in. I'll have to remember to amend the soil well in the future. Sorry if I sound naive, what is a basal cutting?

Thanks so much for the information.

Greg, ND Zone 4 Click to hear a voice greeting from Greg
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Posted on Tuesday, June 22, 2004 - 10:11 pm:   Last Buddysize PhotosCopy highlighted text to new message Edit Post Delete Post Print Post

Never mind . . I just looked up basal cutting on Google and learned everything I need to know.

Greg, ND Zone 4 Click to hear a voice greeting from Greg
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Posted on Wednesday, June 23, 2004 - 04:58 am:   Last Buddysize PhotosCopy highlighted text to new message Edit Post Delete Post Print Post

Hi Bruce,
I was suggesting cutting everything down in late autumn when it was starting to die back anyway. removal of stems at this point reduces the amount of material available for fungi and bacteria to feed on and breed in and become a source of infection for next year.
Cutting just the flowering stems if you don't want to collect seed once they have finished flowering will encourage a second flush of flowers weather permitting. Here in suffolk I usually get 2 flushes of flowers on plants I don't keep for seed.

addict suffolk zone 8 UK
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Posted on Thursday, June 24, 2004 - 01:10 am:   Last Buddysize PhotosCopy highlighted text to new message Edit Post Delete Post Print Post

I've found that I need to keep an eye on my delphiniums when they are just starting to grow in the Spring. That seems to be when they are most susceptible to slugs. I've had delphiniums beside my wood shed for years and have just started a new bed of delphiums. I can see that I'll need to enlarge it now.

Diane British Columbia Zone 7b
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Posted on Wednesday, July 21, 2004 - 07:40 am:   Last Buddysize PhotosCopy highlighted text to new message Edit Post Delete Post Print Post

I just found this post on one of favorites, Delphiniums, however we can't grow them here and have to make do with larkspur. We don't have a bug or slug problem with them, instead it's our hot, hot summer days and hot, hot summer nights. Delphs can survive hot days but they need it to cool off at night. We can't promise that.

Gayle_nj
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Posted on Sunday, June 05, 2005 - 12:32 pm:   Last Buddysize PhotosCopy highlighted text to new message Edit Post Delete Post Print Post

they seem to like part shade it seems to me although it suggests full sun. I think the soil is the big one ... lots of fertile deep loam

Nighs - Ontario, Zone "5a"
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Posted on Sunday, June 05, 2005 - 12:51 pm:   Last Buddysize PhotosCopy highlighted text to new message Edit Post Delete Post Print Post

My experience as well. Soil is the big one and they are heavy feeders. From what I read, delphs will grow well for about 3, 4 years and then once they get really large, they die. They need to be divided after 3-4 years or you will lose them.

This is what happened to my Percival this year. Put on a great show for the last 2 years, 6 feet high and 2 feet tall blossom! It won 1st place in the local flower show. Both these past 2 years, I was able to get a second flowering in September. It was huge last year.

Anyhow, this year I had only a small piece coming up and so I moved it to a new location. I guess it told me it needed to be divided.

Hydrangea - Ontario, Zone "Canada 5b USA 4"
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Terryk  Send Terryk a private message!


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Posted on Sunday, June 05, 2005 - 02:17 pm:   Last Buddysize PhotosCopy highlighted text to new message Edit Post Delete Post Print Post

Addict, where have you been? We have not heard much from you lately, the new nursery must have you very busy!

Terryk - NY, Zone "6"
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Susanq  Send Susanq a private message!


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Posted on Sunday, June 05, 2005 - 04:09 pm:   Last Buddysize PhotosCopy highlighted text to new message Edit Post Delete Post Print Post

I'll be interesting in watching this post also. I have some very nice delphs in full morning sun but after 3:00 they are shaded. The soil is very good there too and I mulch every year with compost. Mine are about 4 years old now and they look great.

SusanQ - Zone 4b-5b Wisconsin
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Posted on Monday, June 06, 2005 - 03:23 am:   Last Buddysize PhotosCopy highlighted text to new message Edit Post Delete Post Print Post

Terry,
Thanks for the concern - greatly appreciated.
I have been in hospital having knee surgery and then trying to catch up on having several thousand hellebores and chinese woodlanders unattended for 2 weeks.
Also yes as you say trying to build polytunnels/greenhouses,dig out 50m3 of earth to level the site, install irrigation systems and move 200 tonnes of dirt, 60 tonnes of grit and 5m3 of bark chippings has taken its toll on my social life - i.e. I don't have one!!!
Hopefully in about a year's time I'll be able to stop building and get back to
propagating plants - apart from being more fun I need some income!!! - so far all expenditure - OUCH.
Here are the early photos of one tunnel and greenhouse - shall post some more showing them full when I have time.
No Delphiniums in flower yet we've had a very cold spring.

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addict Staffordshire zone 8(just) UK
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Posted on Monday, June 06, 2005 - 06:31 am:   Last Buddysize PhotosCopy highlighted text to new message Edit Post Delete Post Print Post

Hi Mike,

Knee surgery! That is just the straw that breaks the camels back to a gardener! Especially when you are just getting your business going. Hope you are 100% on the mend (or soon will be) and we get to see some of your wonderful photos again soon.

Spring is so busy and it always seems that what we think we will accomplish in short order takes so much longer. The work on the polytunnels looks great as does the glasshouse.

Here's my blue delphiniums grown from seed last year. Nothing special about them, but always nice when your seed sowing project works. I did not know they had these markings on the tips of the petals. Makes them a bit more interesting.

Terryk - NY, Zone "6"
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Posted on Monday, June 06, 2005 - 08:08 pm:   Last Buddysize PhotosCopy highlighted text to new message Edit Post Delete Post Print Post

Terryk I love your blue delph. At first glance I thought it strange that there were tiny holes in the ends of the petals.

Joan New Brunswick Zone 4b
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Posted on Monday, June 06, 2005 - 09:56 pm:   Last Buddysize PhotosCopy highlighted text to new message Edit Post Delete Post Print Post

Martha Stewart seeds from K-mart.

Terryk - NY, Zone "6"
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Jetred  Send Jetred a private message!


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Posted on Wednesday, June 22, 2005 - 11:33 pm:   Last Buddysize PhotosCopy highlighted text to new message Edit Post Delete Post Print Post

HI

I'm in Canadian Zone 3A (Winnipeg) and have been growing dels for years. Haven't lost any yet. Just get those darn worms every once and a while.

Jetred - Manitoba, Zone "3a MB"
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Twrosz  Send Twrosz a private message!


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Posted on Friday, June 24, 2005 - 01:03 am:   Last Buddysize PhotosCopy highlighted text to new message Edit Post Delete Post Print Post

Many types of delphiniums are extremely hardy here in my location in which sees all sorts of weather and temperature extremes! Indeed though they preform best in fertile soils with good drainage, they really resent winter wet!

Terry

Twrosz Alberta, Can. Zone 3a
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Posted on Tuesday, July 12, 2005 - 09:40 pm:   Last Buddysize PhotosCopy highlighted text to new message Edit Post Delete Post Print Post

Here is some of mine with heliopsis. They are really tall this year with all the rain and heat. Hope the storms don't get them!

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Jetred - Manitoba, Zone "3a MB"
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Ej  Send Ej a private message!


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Posted on Tuesday, July 12, 2005 - 10:45 pm:   Last Buddysize PhotosCopy highlighted text to new message Edit Post Delete Post Print Post

Beautiful Jan! Such a great color to enjoy. Really warms up your zone 3.

Ej So.Cal. Zone 10a Click to hear a voice greeting from Ej

   

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