Larkspur

Has anyone had any luck with larkspur? I know they self sow once established but I'm having a really hard time growing them from seeds. Any suggestions will be appreciated.

Also, a general question. How do I start a new thread on another topic. I know it must be simple but I haven't figured it out? Thanks for your help.

Can't help you on the larkspur...but on posting a new thread, that's exactly what you did when you started this one. In case you don't remember what you did this time, if you go back to the main page of the forum where it lists all the topics, you'll see a link up at the top just under the tabs where it says "post a new thread".

Sawpalm,
I just scatter my seeds in the beds where I want them - usually towards the end of winter, water them regularly, and before you know it, you will have babies all over the place. Once you have big plants, you can let them self sow.

Good luck,
Elsa

I don't have much luck with mine self sowing but I do end up with one every year lol I threw some seeds out about a month ago where that one was and they came up! That was a first! Now I hope they self seed more for next year these little plants are only a few inches high now so I hope they make it to blooming stage before it gets too hot for them, they don't like the hot muggy weather do they? I don't know much about them either :) I love their blooms!

Lea

Hi Lea, I suspect they don't like hot weather too much. Mine usually flowers early summer from a late winter "sowing" (if you call it that. LOL!) The self sowed ones are about an inch high, and the others are starting to germinate...
The first ones I had were purple, the next year the seeds came back pink, and last year it was white with a purple "speck" on the flowers. Wonder what it will be this year. Hope it is the speckled one again as it was really something special. For some reason I never harvested any seed...

Hi Elsa :) I don't harvest the seed because I'm wanting it to reseed a bunch but it just doesn't happen for some reason, the one blue one that I have is beautiful I just love it, really a nice blue! I don't know what color these are going to be someone sent me some mixed seeds, I threw some compost down hoping to help them reseed a little more for next year, I don't have any mulch there that's why I don't understand why they don't reseed more than one each year. That blue and white one sounds pretty I sure hope it reseeds for you!

Elsa~ are you familiar with wintersowing? I have enjoyed successful germination and blooms using this method. Check out the wintersowing forum for details and techniques.

I don't have luck with larkspur self sowing because its too dry here in the spring. No rain til June and we don't get much snow anymore.

We don't have very low temperatures - 30F is about the lowest here in Pretoria, but I do start lots of flowers in winter. I have unheated (small) green houses that I keep them in, and I must confess, I am totally hooked. I usually start my precious DG traded seeds in them, and the rest directly in my beds.
Winter sowing definitely is the way to go - even in our more moderate climate!

Sawpalm~ check out the wintersowing forum for techniques to germinate your larkspurs.

I have a few buds on the ones I threw out a while back and can't believe it as hot and humid as it's been! WaHooo!!! I'm going to try WS some this year :)

LeBug~ Bouquets!! Larkspur blooms are so gorgeous and so worth saving the seeds for W/Sing. I think you will be happy with the germination results and the added bonus of planting them out where you want them. ;0)

One of my baby larkspurs bloomed and it's pink :) I have a question though, one of the seed pods on my blue larkspur looks like a columbine seed pod? lol I thought I was seeing things, I don't remember these looking like seed pods of the columbine before?

I've had great luck, in fact more than enough, just casting seed in the fall. They start germinating in the spring, and are just about finished blooming, and setting more seed. I've collected more than 2 shopping bags worth of seeds pods for next year's show

WOW, that's a lot of seed colchie lol So I should save the seeds instead of just letting them drop where they are then pitch them out in the fall? I'll do that :)

Wow, colchie! Shopping bags full? That's a lotta' seeds! Do you have any to trade?

Evelyn

Save some for the piggy swap colchie 8)

Thanks for all the great ideas on larkspur. I'm going to spread my seeeds on the ground in Sep.

I'm being interviewed this morning(Sunday,August 17) at 7:30 AM from KSFO 450 in San Francisco (10:30 am EDT) about a new book I've written on Community Gardening. If anyone hears it, let me know. Love to get feedback. Also is you want the book it's at www.bbg.org (site of Brooklyn Botnaic Garden, the publisher).

You can listen to the interview live on the website of the station at www.ksfo.com or on a podcast I did for another station at http://wor710.com/pages/66455.php

I'm so glad I saw this thread because I was just going to gather seeds from my Larkspur 'Round Table Mix' plants...if it'll self-sow, i don't have to do anything.Thanks for the info.