Re: Delphiniums in the Midwest

Oh, wonderful, Janis.
I just put in a few delphiniums here in Springfield and was wondering if
I was condemning them to certain death... looks like there just might be
hope. 

		Mary in Missouri, zone 6

On Thu, 19 Nov 1998 12:40:27 EST LONDE@aol.com writes:
>Margaret --   I have seen Dowdeswell's delphiniums and it is easy to 
>see why
>you want some.  Me too!  The problem is that the English climate is 
>very
>little like the US climate, especially here in the Midwest where you 
>and I
>garden. 
>
>Most of the experts around here say you can't grow delphiniums in the 
>St.
>Louis area.  Well, it can be done, because I do it.  I just love them 
>so much
>that, like you, I have to try.  That is really odd for me because my
>philosophy of gardening is to grow the right plant in the right place. 
> I grow
>mostly natives and insist on having only plants that don't need 
>pampering.  I
>see my yard as more of an ecosystem than a garden.  And we have so 
>many
>wonderful, wonderful natives to choose from.
>
>And yet I make an exception for delphiniums because they are so lovely 
>and I
>just adore them.  They are one of the few plants I consider worth 
>pampering.
>So I give them lots of special attention.  Since the rest of my plants 
>don't
>need much, I can afford the extra time.   They need staking, dividing,
>deadheading, watering, topdressing, and constant fertilizing.  Not a 
>plant for
>beginners or the lazy.  
>
>You are right, you should amend your soil for delphiniums.  They like 
>rich,
>organic, moist and well-drained soil.  If the soil is not well-drained 
>they
>will get crown rot.  
>If they are too dry they won't grow or bloom.  That is a nice 
>balancing act -
>moist and well drained.  Best done by adding lots of organic matter (I 
>use
>compost) to the bed and then keeping them watered, but not too much 
>water or
>they get powdery mildew, etc.  Delphiniums prefer slightly alkaline 
>soil.  As
>organic matter tends to be acidic, I also add some lime in the form of 
>calcium
>magnesium carbonate.  After preparing the bed and getting the plants
>established, I top dress with compost and lime every spring.  
>
>Delphiniums are heavy feeders.  If not fertilized regularly they just 
>sit
>there and pout, refusing to grow or bloom. The annual topdressing of 
>compost
>that serves the rest of my plants well is certainly not enough for my 
>delphs.
>That well-balanced diet of nutritious, homemade compost food is not 
>enough for
>them.  They are fast food junkies!    
>
>If that were not enough, they are susceptible to lots of diseases. 
>Although,
>knock on woodys, I have not had any disease problems with mine.  And 
>they are
>often short-lived.  I just keep adding a few plants each year, and I 
>have been
>letting them go to seed after the second bloom, so I always have a new 
>crop to
>replace any that fade away.  
>
>You can do all of that, but the biggest problem with growing 
>delphiniums in
>the midwest is that they just do not like our climate.  You can amend 
>the
>soil, but you just can't amend climate.  I always put them in the back 
>of the
>garden (which is a good idea anyway since they are tall) and try to 
>put them
>where they will get lots of morning sun and then be shaded from 
>mid-day on in
>the heat of  July and August.  
>I try to shelter them with plants that emerge late and get large by 
>late
>summer.
>They really like more sun than just in the morning, but they can't 
>handle the
>heat here so it is a compromise that must be made.  In the hot sun of 
>the
>midwest they slow down, sometimes even die.  (They are much more 
>disease-prone
>in full sun, too.  And I think that is true anywhere.)    
>
>Have you tried the belladona delphiniums?  They do much better in 
>midwest
>climates, especially Delphinium x belladona 'Bellamosum'.  That, and 
>the old-
>fashioned species delphiniums are much easier to grow here.  They have 
>a
>longer bloom time, and more flowers, but the flowers are smaller.  
>They are
>fine plants, but not so grand as those Dowdeswell beauties.  Some of 
>the big
>D. elatum cultivars are more heat-resistant, too, like the 'Blue 
>Fountain'
>strain.  I like to fill in with the belladonas and then have a few 
>grand, huge
>stars as focal points among them.  
>
>And so, Margaret, if I can grow Delphiniums in Missouri, then you can 
>grow
>them in Indiana.  Have fun, and good luck!  --Janis, Zone 6, Missouri
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>In a message dated 98-11-18 12:06:04 EST, Margaret wrote:
>
><< Thank you.  A nice post is always welcome.  I have only bought 
>plants of
> the plants you listed, but I'm going to have to train myself on 
>delphiniums
> because Dowdeswell will be collecting fresh seeds from his English 
>delphs
> in January (in NZ), and I want to grow some.  I'm going to have to
> seriously amend my soil, though, because a friend did start some of 
>his
> plants last year and gave me a few, and those that didn't just up and 
>die
> didn't do much at all.  It's probably also a matter of water.  We're 
>on a
> meter and the water company keeps getting rate hikes to pay for 
>extending
> their system.  Grrrrr.  A dry summer can give us $100 per month water
> bills.  Margaret
>  >>
>
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