
How to Plant, Grow, and Care for Delphinium Flowers
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I live on the southeast coast of Florida, can I grow these in the ground in partial shade?
Delphinium is technically a perennial, but it can be grown as a winter annual in Florida. Otherwise, Florida is just too hot and wet for this cool-weather plant to survive a summer season.
Delphiniums do need full Sun to grow but they prefer cool weather. So let seeds germinate in winter and the plant will bloom in early spring. Once temperatures rise in summer, the plants will fade and you’ll need to remove them.
I have 3 delphiniums (pale blue/white) growing and flowering nicely in a pot on the deck in SW Iowa. How should I winter them to see them grow and bloom in the Spring again?
As noted at the top of this page, delphiniums can be a challenge; not all grow as perennials. Many are short-lived plants. Knowing that, you could experiement: Cut them back as advised in Care above. Put them into a garage or basement and water them occasionally. Or, if you are in zone 7 or lower, lift them from the pot now and plant them (you could also plant the pot), then lift them in the spring and repot to see if they come back.
There are two conflicting suggestions on this page regarding the ideal soil pH for growing delphiniums. The intro says they are alkaline-loving, but later you say that the soil pH should be between 5.8 and 6.5. A pH of anything less than 7 is considered acidic, not alkaline (basic). Please clarify what the ideal soil pH should be for successfully growing delphiniums. Thank you!
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