hello,
I have been trying to grow delphiniums from seed since early this spring. I
bought seeds from a local hardware store. Both the Pacific Giants and the
Connecticut yankees. I tried 2 different attemps to seed in my garden and 1
round in planters inside. Absolutely nothing germinated. I generally have
no problem growing anything. Could the seeds be bad from the seed company
or is there some secret that I am missing?
thanks Bill

My delphiniums germinated without much problem this spring, although I don't
know what variety they are. May be bad seed.

--
Jacqueline
Carmichaels PA
"billq" wrote in message
...
hello,
I have been trying to grow delphiniums from seed since early this spring.
I
bought seeds from a local hardware store. Both the Pacific Giants and the
Connecticut yankees. I tried 2 different attemps to seed in my garden and
1
round in planters inside. Absolutely nothing germinated. I generally
have
no problem growing anything. Could the seeds be bad from the seed company
or is there some secret that I am missing?
thanks Bill

"Jacqueline" wrote in message
...
My delphiniums germinated without much problem this spring, although I
don't
know what variety they are. May be bad seed.

I don't know the variety that I planted, either. But they germinated and a
growing nicely.

Brigitte, in Zone 5 - SE Cornbraska

"billq" wrote in message
...
hello,
I have been trying to grow delphiniums from seed since early this spring.
I
bought seeds from a local hardware store. Both the Pacific Giants and the
Connecticut yankees. I tried 2 different attemps to seed in my garden and
1
round in planters inside. Absolutely nothing germinated. I generally
have
no problem growing anything. Could the seeds be bad from the seed company
or is there some secret that I am missing?
thanks Bill



Where are you located? Delphiniums dont *do* some parts of the country well.

IMHO, Delphs germinate best after stratification, a period of cold. Sow
them in the ground in fall with your own collected seed, or sow boughten
seed in VERY EARLY spring without protection from frost-- flats, packs, or
garden row ( your choice) exposed to cold ( deliberately meaning hard frost
and freezing temperatures). If you raise veggies, plant Delphs with Peas
and Onions, in the same cold conditions.

Colors tend to germinate sequentially, the original, homozygous deep
Blue/purples first ( especially with your own, open pollinated, collected
seed), Hybrid colors a few days to a few weeks to a year longer.


Seeded Deplhs ( still IMHO) do not respond to any coddling. They thrive
best here in zone 5 (
a marginal 4) with benign neglect, and yes, I have had seed germinate
a full year after planting.

Tough love.

Sue
Western Maine





--
Breeze ( sue burnham)
"billq" wrote in message
...
hello,
I have been trying to grow delphiniums from seed since early this spring.
I
bought seeds from a local hardware store. Both the Pacific Giants and the
Connecticut yankees. I tried 2 different attemps to seed in my garden and
1
round in planters inside. Absolutely nothing germinated. I generally
have
no problem growing anything. Could the seeds be bad from the seed company
or is there some secret that I am missing?
thanks Bill

A friend of mine has had the best luck germinating them in the refrigerator
in a plastic bag with moist paper toweling around them. (I will doublecheck
her method again). As soon as she sees roots and the start of leaves
emerging from the seeds, she transplants them into small pots. So far, she
has had dramatic results.
"Sue" wrote in message
...
IMHO, Delphs germinate best after stratification, a period of cold. Sow
them in the ground in fall with your own collected seed, or sow boughten
seed in VERY EARLY spring without protection from frost-- flats, packs,
or
garden row ( your choice) exposed to cold ( deliberately meaning hard
frost
and freezing temperatures). If you raise veggies, plant Delphs with Peas
and Onions, in the same cold conditions.

Colors tend to germinate sequentially, the original, homozygous deep
Blue/purples first ( especially with your own, open pollinated, collected
seed), Hybrid colors a few days to a few weeks to a year longer.


Seeded Deplhs ( still IMHO) do not respond to any coddling. They thrive
best here in zone 5 (
a marginal 4) with benign neglect, and yes, I have had seed germinate
a full year after planting.

Tough love.

Sue
Western Maine





--
Breeze ( sue burnham)
"billq" wrote in message
...
hello,
I have been trying to grow delphiniums from seed since early this
spring.
I
bought seeds from a local hardware store. Both the Pacific Giants and
the
Connecticut yankees. I tried 2 different attemps to seed in my garden
and
1
round in planters inside. Absolutely nothing germinated. I generally
have
no problem growing anything. Could the seeds be bad from the seed
company
or is there some secret that I am missing?
thanks Bill

Bill,

I have tried to grow delphiniums for the past 3 years without success. A
couple would germinate, but would be dead by the time to be planted.
This year, one grew high enough during winter to be planted in spring,
survived for a month only. So still no delphinium in my garden.

I am successful with almost anything else. In May this year, I planted
more than 500 plants (annuals and perennials), seeded during winter in
the house. All are thriving.

Françoise.


billq wrote:

hello,
I have been trying to grow delphiniums from seed since early this
spring. I
bought seeds from a local hardware store. Both the Pacific Giants and the
Connecticut yankees. I tried 2 different attemps to seed in my garden
and 1
round in planters inside. Absolutely nothing germinated. I generally have
no problem growing anything. Could the seeds be bad from the seed company
or is there some secret that I am missing?
thanks Bill

Bill,

I have been trying to grow delphiniums from seed since early this spring.
I
bought seeds from a local hardware store. Both the Pacific Giants and the
Connecticut yankees. I tried 2 different attemps to seed in my garden and
1
round in planters inside. Absolutely nothing germinated. I generally
have
no problem growing anything. Could the seeds be bad from the seed company
or is there some secret that I am missing?

I guess this year is not really a delphinium year.... I've sown deep blue
delphiniums early this year and till now only two plants appeared - both
*pink*....

Strange, strange...

Gaby

--
Mrs. Gaby Chaudry
http://www.gaby.de/bilder/

I have been trying to grow delphiniums from seed since early this spring. I
bought seeds from a local hardware store. Both the Pacific Giants and the
Connecticut yankees. I tried 2 different attemps to seed in my garden and 1
round in planters inside. Absolutely nothing germinated. I generally have
no problem growing anything. Could the seeds be bad from the seed company
or is there some secret that I am missing?

Cold stratification. Delphinium seeds will germinate better if chilled before
planting.
sed5555

It might be that your climate is also not hospitable for delphiniums. Do
other people in your area grow them?Where they are hardy and conditions are
to their liking, delphiniums are easy to grow, although usually not
long-lived. (This includes, surprisingly, large swaths of Alaska, so cold is
obviously not an issue for them). If your climate is too humid, and has a
lot of warm-to-hot summer nights, failure is almost certain. Also, slugs
will find young delphiniums and chew them to the ground nightly, if given
half a chance. Many people simply opt for buying an inexpensive pack of them
in spring at the garden center.
"Françoise" wrote in message
.. .
Bill,

I have tried to grow delphiniums for the past 3 years without success. A
couple would germinate, but would be dead by the time to be planted.
This year, one grew high enough during winter to be planted in spring,
survived for a month only. So still no delphinium in my garden.

I am successful with almost anything else. In May this year, I planted
more than 500 plants (annuals and perennials), seeded during winter in
the house. All are thriving.

Françoise.


billq wrote:

hello,
I have been trying to grow delphiniums from seed since early this
spring. I
bought seeds from a local hardware store. Both the Pacific Giants and
the
Connecticut yankees. I tried 2 different attemps to seed in my garden
and 1
round in planters inside. Absolutely nothing germinated. I generally
have
no problem growing anything. Could the seeds be bad from the seed
company
or is there some secret that I am missing?
thanks Bill

I live in Canada where we have deep freeze in winter. I have seen
delphiniums around here before. Next fall, I am going to seed some in
the ground and see what will happen. If I fail, that will be it for
delphinium. If they grow but are kill because of our hot summer, again,
that will be it!!!

Scabiosa is another flower that does not seem to like me.

Françoise.


gregpresley wrote:

It might be that your climate is also not hospitable for delphiniums. Do
other people in your area grow them?Where they are hardy and
conditions are
to their liking, delphiniums are easy to grow, although usually not
long-lived. (This includes, surprisingly, large swaths of Alaska, so
cold is
obviously not an issue for them). If your climate is too humid, and has a
lot of warm-to-hot summer nights, failure is almost certain. Also, slugs
will find young delphiniums and chew them to the ground nightly, if given
half a chance. Many people simply opt for buying an inexpensive pack
of them
in spring at the garden center.

Scabiosa is another flower that does not seem to like me.

Françoise.

They don't like anyone lol. I treat them as an annual here. I put them in for
the butterflies but never expect more then a sparse one year from them.
Colleen
Zone 5 CT

In article ,
(GrampysGurl) wrote:


Scabiosa is another flower that does not seem to like me.

Françoise.

They don't like anyone lol. I treat them as an annual here. I put them in for
the butterflies but never expect more then a sparse one year from them.
Colleen
Zone 5 CT

Can't make single assessments for all scabious species. I find all that
I've tried to be very easily grown, but not if the measure is their
ability to perennialize for years. Some (such as S. atropurpurea, my
favorite) really are biennials & will do super well for two consecutive
summers, then they're done. Others like S. stellata often bloom themselves
to death in two seasons but are wonderful for the time being. Others (such
as S. columbaria) will perennialize but are shortlived even in the best
case scenario & need to be restarted at intervals. The sturdiest perennial
pincushion flower is probably S. caucasus, but even this tires after a
very few years & needs to be dug up, the thick woodier parts of the root
trimmed out of it during division, thus revitalized for a couple more
years -- so few people bother to do this that it ends up being a poor
plant after a very few splendid years.

As for delphiniums, some are likewise biennials or in cooler zones defacto
annuals, & the hardiest that do perennialize nevertheless tire out after
a very few years so could be considered shortlived or at least not long in
their prime, & many varieties are so prone to tipping over they might as
well die they're so annoying. A lovely substitute for them in cool
temperate gardens is monkshood, many species of which live long lives &
rarely need (& usually dislike) division.

-paghat the ratgirl

--
"Of what are you afraid, my child?" inquired the kindly teacher.
"Oh, sir! The flowers, they are wild," replied the timid creature.
-from Peter Newell's "Wild Flowers"
Visit the Garden of Paghat the Ratgirl: http://www.paghat.com