Delphiniums are perennials grown for their showy spikes of colorful summer flowers in gorgeous shades of blue, pink, white, and purple. They are popular in cottage-style gardens and cutting gardens.
Delphiniums are a favorite of many gardeners, but can sometimes be a challenge. They prefer moist, cool summers and do not fare well in hot, dry weather. The plants also dislike sudden wind or rain.
Except for the dwarf perennials, most delphiniums need staking.
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Our delphinium have never
Our delphinium have never done well. Out of the original three plants, only one survives (@ 4 years). Now that I've read all these ideas, we're going out back with manure, lime, and two new plants! Wish us luck! We live in central Massachusetts.
I have beautiful, green
I have beautiful, green foilage on my 3ft high delphiniums but never any blooms. When they were new, they bloomed the first few years. Now nothing. I keep thinning them out to no avail. Why won't they bloom?
How is the soil? Delphs are
How is the soil? Delphs are heavy feeders: they benefit from fertilizer and/or compost in spring and summer, and some say balanced fertilizer every 2 to 3 weeks, in growing season. Soil must also be well draining. They do not like dry, hot climates; sound like home? They like full sun to partial shade. We're betting that this, in whole or in part, is the main issue.
Do you prune/cut off lateral flower spikes? Doing so may help the main spike to bloom.
Do you cut back stalks to basal leaves in fall? This could help but not until next season, of course.
I have a healthy looking
I have a healthy looking delphinium with about 4 flower spikes but 2 of them only have a single flower at the top of the spike and no other buds down the stem! What's going on? I live in the UK.
I have one successful
I have one successful Delphinium plant at one end of a raised bed. (I planted it last year and it came back, looks OK and is budded to bloom). I planted several more this month (May) in the rest of the bed (sandy soil with accumulated compost of several years). They are not wilted or looking distressed EXCEPT that: some of the new plants' leaves are yellow, with the green restricted to the veins, although they not curled and I don't see any insect damage. The yellowed leaves have
long petioles.
I applied generous amounts of compost today (5/31) and watered it in.
I doubt the pH of that soil is as much as 7 and wonder whether I should add lime to make it more alkaline?? But if pH is the problem, why is the first Delphinium I planted last year doing all right?
Yellow leaves with green
Yellow leaves with green veins is typically an iron or manganese deficiency, which are not typically found in commercial fertilizers. However, it may be that the pH is off and those micronutrients are in the soil, but not available to the plant. There are simple pH testing kits that you can buy at most gardening stores. Make sure that the pH is between 5.8 and 6.5, which is where most plants like it to be.
About 2 weeks ago I bought
About 2 weeks ago I bought some Delphiniums at the local big box store. I wonder if they have leaf miners? All the older leaves have dead brown edges that curl under. I don't see little lines of eggs on the back, nor actual trails I can follow moving across the face of the leaf. But large areas of the leaves are covered with light tan speckles and thin lines. The area is thickened and very stiff, with a heavy, bumpy texture on the top surface. Can anyone confirm, please?
I live in North Florida and
I live in North Florida and you can imagine the summers are hot and muggy. I know it's said that growing from seeds is difficult, but I'd like to try. Do you have any tips (if seeds do their thing) for care in this climate? I'm just concerned because: "They prefer moist, cool summers and do not fare well in hot, dry summers." and I'm a mix of the two...the better two I hope. Thank in advance.
Hi Chellina, In Florida
Hi Chellina,
In Florida delphiniums are best planted in mid- to late autumn or very early winter for spring blooms during the cooler months. They will probably not survive your humid hot summers.
Jacksonville...I got about
Jacksonville...I got about two months of beautiful blooms. Started in the fall last year.
I have started these from
I have started these from seed and it is difficult but not impossible. I live in Idaho, started seeds in the early early spring. It would have been better if I had put plastic over the pot after planting seeds as a sort of hot house, you may not need to do this with your humid weather in Florida tho. Many came up but not many survived to transplant size. Good luck!
Growing delphinium from seed
I never had any luck until I planted them in a nursery bed in the fall and let them overwinter. I imagine in Florida you'd have to refrigerate the seeds before planting them out.
Easy to grow use mycorrhizal fungi
Use mycorrhizal fungi when planting and in watering. They are EASY to start and grow this way.
I purchased a couple of
I purchased a couple of Delphinium plants from Lowes on clearance because they were a little brown. I assumed they were dry and just needed to be watered so I purchased them and mixed in Miricle Grow with the soil. I watered them and kept the soil moist. They did alright for a week but then they all turned brown (stalks and leaves). When I LIGHTLY pulled on the stalks they broke off at ground level. Did the Delphinium's die or will they come back next year?
There are several reasons for
There are several reasons for brown foliage on delphiniums. Sometimes it's overwatering. Sometimes it's lack of nutrients; delphiniums are heavy feeders and appreciate compost and fertilizer.
Towards the end of their cycle, the foliage simply turns brown as it dies down naturally. They should be back next year.
Thank you very much. You
Thank you very much. You guys are great and I will keep coming back to you.
I believe what happened is
I believe what happened is you put a fertile too high in nitrogen the best fertilizer for transplanting new plants is hastagro organic fertilizer or Bills Perfect Fertilizer because it reduces transplant shock. You need something around and (not exactly ) 5-10-12
The rain has pummeled my
The rain has pummeled my Delphiniums so that they are lying on top of each other on the ground and the stems snap when I try to lift and re-stake them. Mostly they are starting to go to seed. Would it be ok to cut them close to the base so I can clean up this tangled mess or should I do my best to remove only the spikes and leave the rest until the stalks turn Brown, or something else? The flower bed is HUGE and almost completely comprised of tall Delphiniums.
Hi Juliett, Just cut the
Hi Juliett,
Just cut the spikes to the ground leaving any remaining foliage. Water and your plants may regrow another flowering spike before the end of the season.
A couple of years ago I
A couple of years ago I rebuilt our raised flower garden in our back yard using PT wood and everything we planted there (phlox, saliva, foxglove, lilies, etc.) has thrived so when it came time this year to rebuild the raised flower bed in our front yard, I felt confident using PT wood. I made a "concoction" of dirt using Scott's topsoil (they say it contains peat moss, but it can't be much), garden soil, additional peat moss (to keep the ground loose) and I threw in a little milorganite to boot. About a week ago we planted phlox and delphiniums and, after planting, I soaked the bases of the plants with Miracle-Grow's QuickStart (I followed the directions). The next day I soaked the ground with water and the third day another dose of the QuickStart. I've been watering every day since. The phlox are THRIVING!!!! It's only been a week and they all have new stems with buds coming up. The delphiniums, on the other hand, while not appearing to be dying, don't seem very "happy." The leaves are green, but all the edges of the leaves are drooping. Am I just being impatient or am I doing something wrong? Thanks!
Soory! Forgot to mention that
Soory! Forgot to mention that I live in Wisconsin, zone 5.
We really enjoyed your post
We really enjoyed your post and hearing about your gardening experience. Congrats on the phlox success. In terms of the delphiniums, perhaps it's just wilting with the heat. Be sure to deadhead delphs after blooming, too. All the best!
Not sure it can be from the
Not sure it can be from the heat. It's the end of July and we're still waiting for summer! We've had about four days in the low 90s, maybe two weeks total in the 80s, the rest of summer has been 70s (even came close to breaking a record low for last monday). If I understand correctly, once the delphinium flowers die, they should be deadheaded asap? Thanks!
Delphiniums like moist soil,
Delphiniums like moist soil, not soggy and not dry. Try to water deeply a couple of times a week. Adding mulch around the plants will help to keep the soil moist and the roots cool. Deadheading spent flowers will promote new growth and maybe more flowers before the end of summer.
I have a couple of delphinium
I have a couple of delphinium plants that have been consistently pathetic looking. They don't grow, never bloom and just take up space. I finally read somewhere that they like an alkaline environment, so I put some lime around each one. Well they are both putting up new sprigs. I wish I knew this earlier.
It's mid July in Illinois and
It's mid July in Illinois and I planted my delphinium about one month back. It gets full afternoon sun and the summer has been very hot and humid this year. All my flowers have fallen off and the stalks and leaves are turning brown. I water the plant about three times a week and it has a nice layer of mushroom compost on top of the soil. I have not cut anything back yet.
What am I doing wrong?
Since the leaves are turning
Since the leaves are turning brown after just a month, in addition to the flowers (which might fade just as part of their life cycle), it might be the heat. If the temperatures have been very hot (around 90F or above), with the full afternoon sun on them, it could stress the plant enough to dry it out. Provide partial shade during the afternoon hours. Another season, if hot temps are frequent in your area, you might try planting your delphiniums where they would get morning, rather than afternoon, sun. You might also try heat-tolerant varieties. Mulch is great, and will help to keep the soil cooler.
Also check your watering. Over- or underwatering can cause browning foliage. Water deeply and provide about 1 inch per week, adjusting for any rain or hot weather you might have; during hot spells, increase to every other day. Don't let the soil dry out, but don't let the soil get soggy either.
Bugs - many bugs! I started
Bugs - many bugs!
I started my delphiniums about 6 years ago & they have done amazingly until this year. Their growth was stunted & some of the leaves looked heavy, shiny & sticky. There was a "bazillion bugs under the leaves! The double white never made it through the Winter (zone 3) & the other 3 were so infested I cut them back completely. Husband asked if they were gnats. I have no clue - anybody have an idea?
We're not sure, Melissa, but
We're not sure, Melissa, but here are two coop ext site in which you might find a match with your plants' conditions:
• http://extension.psu.edu/pests...
• http://www.gardening.cornell.e...
We hope this helps.
Hi, My name is Marilene I am
Hi, My name is Marilene I am in Ireland and I planted my little purple beauty three weeks ago. Delphinium 'Blue Fountains' We are having lots of unusualy long hot sunny days and she has turned brown andlooks like she is struggling allot.
Today I did something terrible and cut her back completely. I thought maybe it would be better for the roots to give them time to relax in the soil without worrying about having to think about keeping its actual foliage and flowers happy.
Please tell me I have not killed her forever.
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