How to Plant a Delphinium
Delphiniums produce spikes of blue, white, pink or yellow flowers in early summer. The flowers provide a colorful background to low-growing summer annuals and perennials. These short-lived perennials bloom the first year when planted from nursery-purchased transplants, or in the second year when grown from seed. Planting occurs in spring after the danger of frost has passed. The height of the mature flowers depends on the variety, with most types growing between 2 and 6 feet tall. Does this Spark an idea?
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Instructions
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Spread 2 inches of compost or composted manure over a well-drained planting bed. Turn the compost into the top 8 inches of soil with a spade.
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Dig the planting hole to the same depth as the nursery pot and make the hole twice as wide as the pot. Space the holes 1 foot apart in all directions and 1 foot away from neighboring plants in the bed.
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Water the soil in the nursery pot 30 minutes before transplanting. Turn the pot on its side and slide the delphinium out of the pot and into your hand.
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Set the delphinium into the planting hole. Add or remove soil from beneath the root ball until the top of the root ball sits even with the soil surface.
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Fill in the hole around the roots with soil until the delphinium is planted at the same depth it was growing at previously. Firm the soil around the stem lightly with your hands.
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Water the newly planted delphiniums with a 10-10-10 or other balanced blend starter fertilizer. Water as necessary to keep the soil bed moist but not soggy.
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Tips & Warnings
Delphiniums can also be started by seed indoors. Sow the seeds four weeks before the last spring frost date in your area.
The heavy flower spikes of delphinium may fall over under their own weight. Installing stakes behind the flowers at planting provides support for the plants once they mature.
References
- Photo Credit David De Lossy/Photodisc/Getty Images
