Delphinium from seed

[rosiecotton19]

Hello, has anyone tried growing delphinium from seed? I can never seem to resist the perennial flower packets at the store and bought some last week. Any advice re: starting indoors, where to plant, etc?

Also, I read it's poisonous, and we have a few roaming cats in the neighborhood- should I be worried about that? I don't want to kill anybody's cat.

 

[Sheal]

Hi Rosie, there's no reason why you can't start the seeds now indoors, they will prefer a light window ledge without direct sunlight. Harden them off outside when the risk of frost has gone and then plant them in their final position after a couple of weeks. They prefer full sun but need shelter from wind. Delphiniums can be difficult to grow from seed, so you may have a challenge ahead of you.

At least 75% of plants are poisonous and most animals have a natural instinct to discern which plants are good or bad for them. My neighbourhood has to many cats and they all seem to be thriving.

 

[Pat]

Lovely plant. More information on the care in the link.

http://www.garden.org/plantguide/?q=show&id=2046

 

[rosiecotton19]

this week/ weekend one of my goals is to buy a shoplight and set up a place to start seeds indoors (probably on top of my refrigerator)- delphinium, tomatoes, and broccoli.

 

[Sheal]

Check the heat on the surface of your refrigerator with your hand. It may be warm because of the motor but it may also be cool because of the inside temperature. If it's cool I would suggest starting the seeds elsewhere.

 

[remnant]

It easy to grow delphinium from seed. Find a small flat plastic container and make 3-4 small holes at the base. Half fill with damp sterile potting mix. Sprinkle delphinium seeds on the surface and cover lightly with potting mix and put the lid on. Place in a shallow saucer next to window sills. Make sure there is a little water in the saucer each morning. Hope this helps.

 

[Jonathan Tebbutt]

Delphinium is an easy one to grow, you can sow direct into the ground but they will need to be thinned out after, or you can grow in a tray, just below the surface of the compost, once big enough to handle pot on and then the usual acclimatisation before planting out, generally they wont flower the first year but will establish themselves first and then flower May - June the second year but then will flower each year. Take all the usual precautions when handling them, wash you hands after and you will be fine as yes they can be harmful if you eat them, but to be fair many plants are harmful if eaten so don't be put off growing them.