Specialty Gardening: delphinium from seed, 1 by DaleTheGardener

DaleTheGardener wrote:
Sjms,
Have you ever let one of flower trusses go to seed? I was wondering if the seed is stable or if they revert, like some hybrids, back to the parent plants.

I grow delph's as a winter annual . They will send up flower stalks every 30 days once they get established, if I keep the spent flowers cut. My most vigorous plants have bloomed 4 times in a winter. A few made it 5 times. Last year I grew the kind I know as Pacific Giants, but, too much staking. This year I am trying a shorter type (I have forgotten the variety name). I am happy with the shorter type, not as showy so I planted more starter plants, closer together.

This year I am going to try saving a few of the roots when they go dormant. Delphiniums are a member of the ranunculus family. Almost all ranunculus have a fiberous 'tuber' that regrows in cold climates. I was hoping to snatch a few before the heat of summer gets to them and they rot. I am going to dry them a little and then pop them into the fridge, in peat moss with a little sulfur. It would be nice if I could save a few. It would save me some money and I should get a larger plant over time. I guess part of me is a cheap mad scientist.

I don't have any photos of this years beds, yet. Here is a photo from last year at one of my clients.