Delphiniums

I was thinking of letting my delphiniums go to seed, since I´d rather have more plants next year tham a few more blooms this autumn (that is because I have still loads of space to fill, I guess in the next years it will be different). Does it make sense? is there a chance that they come reasonably true from seed (I have only three plants of the same deep blue, and I would not mind some paler blue anyway). Also how long does it take to get a plant of blooming size? never had delphiniums before!

 

Wow, I looked up some things with google they seem to be really fast. Ok, then, definitely seeds.

 

I cut the flowering stalks off my lupins last year - shortly before they burst open - but they will probably ripen a fair bit if you cut them slightly two early.

I raked a part of the veg patch that wasn't in use and just laid them Lupin stalks on top. I've got hundreds of little plants this year, and it wasn't exactly a lot of work ... but I haven't told the village do-gooders yet, because they will have me potting them all up for the next Bring & Buy :(

 

Lupins or delphiniums?

 

Lupins, but I reckon the same approach would work fine for Delph's - they both grow like weeds from seed! However, if they fall where the plants stand they likihood is that they will get hoed up etc., planting them in a seedbed means you know where they are.

You can plant them in seed trays, pot them on, and all that, but its more work, compost-cost, and will take up valuable greenhouse space.


Who am I to talk - I have grown in excess of 1,000 perennials from seed this year, all potted on and planted out ... but my Lupins have gone a good job on their own.

 

Well, I have no green house so no green house space to worry about!

I can start them in a tray inside in february or march and then put them in the porch... or start them now and overwinter them in the cold frame that I intend to build in autumn... Potting is not a big problem, yes, I am a mad potter too :D

 

would the same work for foxgloves?

I have a good display of foxgloves this year and want to save the seed to plant up a few more for next year. I guess they might take 2 years before they flower, am I right?

My Delphs are a lovely deep blue and I am going to grow them on from the seeds anyway, I don't mind what colour they come up, plus I'm a great one for not spending money if I don't have to.

 

"would the same work for foxgloves"

I reckon. I don't think there is anything hard about growing Delphs, Foxes or Lups ...

 

Probably not. Just never grown them before, the old garden was too hot and dry for them.

 

Kristen - thats an awful lot of perennials you have been growing. How come so many and where are you going to put them all? Are they all for your garden? And what sorts are you growing. Large quantities of standard garden plants, or any exciting, different ones?

 

Sadly mostly rather boring things; initial plan is quantity, not quality, and to replace them with more interesting things when we have some more in the piggy bank.

I started to write up what we have been up to, in case you are interested, but I wrote so much it was inappropriate to put in this thread, so I started a new one:

Kristen's Project