Winter sow Larkspur

I have never tried WS Larkspur. I love this plant. I have tried several years to try to get it to grow from seed by planting outside in the fall with no success. My brother's larkspur grows like weeds and even in his grass. If I could ever get it started, I would like to think it would self sow.
Do any of you have any suggestions to WS larkspur? Does it need a certain amount of days of cold or freezing temperatures. I don't find much research on growing larkspur from seed.

I first wintersowed them (in 2006 I think), they sprouted and grew. Just didn't get much height. Direct sowing in fall works best. Remember, you do have to keep them moist until they germinate. They sprout in fall and winter over as tiny seedlings. I don't sow them anymore, have more volunteers than I can handle. They get 4-5' tall.

Karen

I wintersowed larkspur last year and they were very successful. Great germination. I transplanted them when they got their first set of true leaves, and they did great (except for the ones that got eaten by the bunnies). They bloomed the first year, and were lovely.

I am going to try Larkspur again this year. I read the other day that Japanese Beetles like Larkspur and it is poisonous to them. So they eat and die!

If you're going to Wsow them, I suggest you do it asap.

Karen

I've wintersowed them a couple times and even the expensive ones for T&M only gave me maybe 2 seedlings which promptly died. I want to try them again though....maybe I can get them out there today. Just need to find a container...

These double carmine larkspur from Seeds of Change simply reseeded from a couple of plants the year before.

WOW! They are beautiful! I just wintersowed 'Earl Grey'. I really hope it comes up well this time! :D

I was wondering what seeds to wintersow first. Larkspur is at the top of the list for tonight! I already did the poppies and columbines.

OH No! I forgot about the poppies! Should I be doing them already?

I am going to start a new thread about what and when to wintersow. i am not sure which ones to do first, which to wait for warmer weather, etc. this is my first year wintersowing and first year seed trading...Needless to say, I need advice!

I'll check out your thread!

I do think Trudi Davidoff's website www.wintersown.org has several germination record charts for the individual hardiness zones.

For zone 6, look at
http://wintersown.org/wseo1/WS_Database_Z6.html

The chart shows plant names with corresponding dates (sown and germinated).

Remember to keep an open mind. Just about anything can be sown by using the wintersowing method. Sometimes sowing at a different time (spring, summer, or fall) are also possibilities using the same milk jug type approach, and might work better than in winter. Just because you see no results listed for a particular seed might just mean that nobody on that forum reported their results, not that it can't be done or hasn't been done.

Karen

I just got my Larkspur from Diamond... and it's sown. I'll hope for the best.

tcs,
I'm in zone 6b, and last year I didn't wintersow my larkspur until Feb 23rd. They germinated beautifully. I would not worry. Good luck!
--Pam

thanks Pam.

Bought some larkspur and poppie seeds in grocery store 2 nights ago..I am in Zone 7(DC/Md)area..should I be WS those seeds now? Have many more perennials to get sown, hopefully will get it done within next week. Two snowfalls expected this week. Would be nice to be able to get out in back yard to check my WS jugs for sprouts but the ground is so wet from previous snowfalls. I know I have sprouts of Malva Zebrina in one container on the breezeway. Need to get to store to buy another Sterlite container..in between snowstorms.

Definitely sow larkspur and poppy now. They both germ at low temps and handle the cold without a problem. Larkspur is one of the few that I recommend direct sowing in fall. The seeds sprout in fall and overwinter just fine in a garden bed. If you have lots of those seeds to spare you could direct sow now. Your two feet of impending snow might move them around, though.

I took this picture a couple of weeks ago. The blanket of green volunteers is by far mostly larkspur which have been there since fall. Weeks at a time of lows in the single digits and highs in the teens didn't faze them.

Karen

Thanks for all the larkspur info, and the absolutely beautiful pic! Mine are going in this weekend, better late than never I guess! Have never done larkspur from seed, so had no idea what to do........... LOL

Ooneek: beautiful flowers and garden.
Love Trudi's website. I haven't checked it out this spring yet to see if it has been updated.

Regarding which seeds to sow first: I usually ws seeds that bloom the earliest first. Larkspur and poppy both bloom in the Spring. Also, some seeds require stratification for many weeks before they sprout and need to be started early. Penstemon comes to mind.

Ooneek, that pic is gorgeous! What are the tiny pink and white blooms at the base of the Larkspurs?

I finally grew larkspur last year by repeated sowing right in the soil by my back door. To my surprise it bloomed most of the summer--it was some heirloom purple sold by an organic seed company. I think my very acid (5.5) soil is part of the problem, may try a pelletized (and expensive) lime right on the snow and then seed s soon as the super market gets those seeds; I'm hoping they seeded themselves last fall as well. Unfortunately I also planted Yellow gem marigolds by the larkspur----my wife says I'm color blind., as that yellow and purple were really gross------------------Weedy

I love yellow and purple together! They're complimentary colors, opposite each other on the color wheel. A friend of mine said she always found yellow and purple unpleasant together too, which I found odd because she was an artist.

I really like yellow and purple together too. In fact, I really like the complimentary color schemes. However, I think you have to match the hue of colors. If it's a soft lavender then a soft buttercup yellow.

I'm trying larkspur this year too so glad to see it seems like an easy one. Question--sometimes I see Larkspur and Delphiniums referred to like they are the same or interchangeable. I thought Larkspur was more like an annual version of the perennial delphiniums. I may be confused:lol:

gemini sage: the small pink flowers are Silene coeli-rosa and the small white ones are a chrysanthemum in bud.

Larkspur used to be in the Delphinium genus, but at some point taxonomists changed it to Consolida. They do seem very like an annual Delphinium to me.

What kind of Chrysanthemum blooms when Larkspur does? I know there's lots of Chrysanthemums, but the only ones I can think of are the ones that bloom in the fall.

Some of my Chrysanthemums behaved strangely last year, started blooming in mid summer and just kept on. It was a mild summer, but I thought it was day length that triggered bloom?

So, I guess it is the Chrysanthemums I was thinking of. I try to figure out what will bloom when and then try to color coordinate the two concepts together. I have a difficult time trying to find plants that will bloom at the same time. Gemini, your color scheme is very pretty. I tend to screw up a lot, however. Sometimes it works and sometimes it just doesn't. Or the colors you thought it was going to be isn't the right colors, or the flowers bloom in succession--just missing the blooming period of the other one. Sigh.

Annual Poppies and Asiatic Lilies are typically in bloom with the Larkspur here, and they combine really nicely- the contrasting forms of the 3 make for a pleasant grouping. I screw up a lot too, its a constant trial and error, but that's part of the fun of it :-)

I can see annual Poppies and Larkspur blooming at the same time, but I would not have thought of Asiatic Lilies. Yes, I bet that's a pretty combination. I am going to keep your suggestion in mind. This year, I plan to spend some time moving plants around that would look better together. Yes, that's part of the fun of it: gardening.
When do Oriental Poppies bloom? I'm assuming right after the Annual Poppies.

ooneek,

Thanks for sharing the link.

I just dug out all of my seeds and looked at the list and wrote on the seed packs when to sow. Now I have a grip on when to start each one.

That really helped me out.

Amos

Here the Oriental Poppies bloom first (before the annual varieties),in late May with Peonies and bearded Iris.