Larkspur announces the summer with pompous blossom candles in bright blue and pure white. Whether as a leading perennial or a companion to roses, delphiniums set eye-catching accents in ornamental and cottage gardens. Basic questions about care and plants receive a compact answer here.

Larkspur can be propagated by division or seeds

Table of Contents

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  1. Plant larkspur correctly
  2. care tips
  3. Which location is suitable?
  4. When is flowering time?
  5. Cut delphinium correctly
  6. Fertilize delphiniums properly
  7. Diseases
  8. hibernate
  9. Breeding delphiniums
  10. How do I plant correctly?
  11. Larkspur in a pot
  12. Is delphinium poisonous?
  13. Yellow leaves
  14. Collect and store delphinium seeds
  15. Sow delphinium
  16. How tall does delphinium grow?
  17. Larkspur leaves
  18. Is delphinium hardy?
  19. Is delphinium perennial?
  20. Powdery mildew on larkspur
  21. The flower of the delphinium
  22. Delphinium fades: What follows?
  23. Sharing delphiniums
  24. The Varieties of Larkspur
  25. The most beautiful varieties

    26. Plant larkspur correctly

    Even early or ready-bought delphiniums can be planted after the ice saints in a sunny, wind-protected location. Follow these steps to get it right:

    • Dig a pit twice the volume of the root ball
    • Enrich the excavation with horn shavings (€32.93) and compost
    • Plant the potted plant as deep as before and water it

    Spread a layer of mulch to create the desired shaded base. If it is a tall variety, provide the plant with a support stake.
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    care tips

    If you take care of Delphinium according to the following care program, the ornamental perennial will remain vigorous and willing to bloom for many years:

    • Water regularly and plentifully
    • Fertilize in March and after the first flowering
    • Stabilize high-growing varieties with stakes
    • Cut back to 20 cm after the first flowering
    • Cut close to the ground before the first frost

    Which location is suitable?

    Delphinium are sunbathers. Therefore, assign the plant to a location with as many hours of sunshine a day as possible. The location should be warm and sheltered from the wind, in the security of a wall or hedge. Ideally, the foot is shaded. Larkspur develops its optimum in nutrient-rich, loamy-sandy soil.
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    When is flowering time?

    The main flowering period is from June to July. A subsequent pruning down to 20 centimeters lures an autumnal second bloom from September to October.
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    Cut delphinium correctly

    If you cut Delphinium back to a height of 20 centimeters after the first flowering, you can look forward to a second flowering in autumn. Before the first frost, cut the plant down to the ground and remove the clippings from the bed. Prune delphiniums to decorate vases when 30 percent of the buds have opened.
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    Fertilize delphiniums properly

    In March, fertilize the plant with a slow-release fertilizer or compost and horn shavings. Delphinium will receive the second portion of nutrients after the first flowering, after you have made the pruning.
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    Diseases

    When delphinium causes health problems, it is usually caused by a bacterial or fungal infection. The most common diseases of delphiniums include powdery mildew and downy mildew as well as bacterial blackhead. The latter manifests itself in black spots on the leaves and spreads to the stems. While the proven milk-water mixture counteracts powdery mildew, the plant should be disposed of if it is infested with Pseudomonas delphinii.
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    hibernate

    In order for delphiniums to get through the winter in the garden well, only these precautions are required:

    • Prune the plant back to the ground in autumn
    • Do not leave any leaves lying around due to the risk of infection by fungi
    • Cover delphiniums in rough layers with straw or needle sticks
    • Water occasionally on frost-free days when there is a frost

    Place a plant in a bucket on a block of wood and wrap the container in several layers of bubble wrap. Prudent hobby gardeners cover the substrate with straw, brushwood or sawdust. In the pot, winter watering is particularly relevant if there is no snow.
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    Breeding delphiniums

    To multiply delphiniums, you have the choice of the following methods:

    • Sow behind glass in March
    • Direct sowing from May
    • Division in spring or autumn
    • cuttings in early summer

    While the sowing and division succeed even with the inexperienced hand, the propagation of cuttings is usually sluggish and has a high failure rate.
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    How do I plant correctly?

    As a classic summer bloomer, you can replant Delphinium either in spring or in autumn. By spring, the soil should be completely thawed. In autumn, one day after pruning is an option. Loosen the soil deeply and cut off the root area with the spade in a radius that is not too small. Use the digging fork to lift the plant out of the ground and put it back in the prepared new location.
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    Larkspur in a pot

    Dwarf delphiniums or hybrids of belladonna thrive wonderfully in pots. Use potting soil based on compost, optimized with sand, perlite or lava granules. (€13.99) Protection against waterlogging in the form of drainage over the water outlet made of potsherds is essential. How to properly care for the plant:

    • If the substrate surface dries, it is cast penetratingly
    • Fertilize liquid every 4 weeks from March until August
    • Cut back by two thirds after the first flowering
    • Complete pruning before the first frost
    • In case of frost, water repeatedly on frost-free days

    Regardless of their hardiness, potted delphiniums receive protection from freezing temperatures. Wrap the jar in jute or foil. A layer of straw, leaves, sawdust or needle brushwood is placed on the substrate.
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    Is delphinium poisonous?

    Voted poisonous plant of the year in 2015, botanists pay tribute to the high level of toxic ingredients in delphinium. Delphinium poses a serious to 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.
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    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 fast-acting agent such as nettle manure, horn meal or liquid fertilizer and add compost as mulch (€239.00).
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    Collect and store delphinium seeds

    After flowering, the plant develops narrow pods with winged seeds. If the pods turn brown, collect them before they burst open. Thoroughly cleaned, keep the seeds in the dry jar in a cool, dark place until next spring.
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    Sow delphinium

    Sowing behind glass from March gives larkspur an advantageous growth advantage in the bed. This is how easy it is to sow Delphinium:

    • Soak the seeds in lukewarm water for half a day
    • Fill small pots with coconut hum or peat sand and put 1-2 seeds in each
    • Sieve over 1 cm thick sand and moisten with a fine shower

    Germination takes 2-4 weeks in a semi-shady place at 20-23 degrees Celsius. Keep the seed constantly moist during this time. Alternatively, you can sow the seeds directly in the bed in a sunny location from May. Place the seeds 40 centimeters apart in finely crumbly soil and protect the young Delphinium from pecking birds with a fleece or net.
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    How tall does delphinium grow?

    The height of Larkspur varies from a dainty 30 centimeters in Dwarf Delphinium to an imposing 200 cm in Elatum hybrids.
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    Larkspur leaves

    If black spots and a cupped surface develop on Delphinium leaves, the plant is infected with Pseudomonas delphinii, or Phyllosticta leaf spot disease. Either cut back infected delphiniums completely or, to be on the safe side, remove the plant from the garden entirely.
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    Is delphinium hardy?

    Larkspur is completely hardy. In autumn, cut the plant back to the ground and spread some fir fronds over it.
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    Is delphinium perennial?

    The plant is ideal for perennial cultivation in perennial borders. In the fall, delphiniums retreat into their rhizome or main root, only to sprout again the following spring.
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    Powdery mildew on larkspur

    If Delphinium develops a mealy-grey patina, the plant is infected with powdery mildew. Using a chemical fungicide is not absolutely necessary. Treat infected larkspur with a 1:9 mix of fresh milk and water.
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    The flower of the delphinium

    Larkspur owes its name to its flower shape. Of the 5 outer petals, 4 are ovate. The top petal has an elongated, often wrinkled spur. In the inner circle of bracts, the upper two leaves are spurred and the lower two are spurless.
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    Delphinium fades: What follows?

    When the plant has faded for the first time, prune the panicles back to 20 centimetres. After the delphinium blooms a second time, cut off all parts of the plant close to the ground.
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    Sharing delphiniums

    The division comes into consideration for Delphiniums for two reasons. It is used for uncomplicated propagation and regeneration after 6-10 years in the bed. How to share Delphinium professionally:

    • The ideal time is a mild day in spring or autumn
    • Loosen the pruned plant all around with the digging fork
    • Lift the root ball out of the ground with a spade and break it up
    • Each segment has at least 2 buds

    At the new location, dig a pit with twice the volume of the piece of root. Optimize the excavation with compost and horn shavings. Plant divided delphiniums just as deep as before and water generously.
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    The Varieties of Larkspur

    The more than 5,000 varieties make it clear to us how many nuances there are to the color blue. Only a few breeds thrive in white, red, or pink. For the perennial bed in the local climate, these groups of varieties are particularly suitable:

    • Belladonna hybrids: stable, richly branching, long-lived and not very tall
    • Pacific hybrids: large-flowered delphiniums from the USA, but sensitive and rather short-lived
    • Elatum hybrids: majestic breeds up to 200 cm, some from England, which should be supported

    Keep an eye out for Delphinium from the hands of legendary German perennial breeder Karl Foerster. Such a plant has both the desired color splendor and the necessary constitution for the Central European climatic conditions.
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    The most beautiful varieties

    • Independence: deep blue Delphininium from the hand of Larkspur Pope Karl Foerster; Growth height up to 120 cm
    • Ball Gown: a light blue beauty with a fall rebloom; 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, lavishly 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 a brown eye and light blue flower spikes; Growth height 170 cm
    • Capri: historic delphininium with light blue flowers is recommended for pot culture: growth height 60-80 cm

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Vegetable garden