Delphinium Culture 
Mature plants are safely moved throughout the fall and very 
early spring. Except in very wet, cold soils, autumn planting 
is strongly recommended. They are not checked when spring 
growth starts. 
After getting well-grown plants, allow a two-foot space for 
«ach and open the earth to same depth, and 12 inches in 
breadth, filling the lowest foot with a mixture of very old manure 
and garden soil, with a good sprinkling of raw bone meal, 
thoroughly incorporated with the soil, then tamp. 
Where the sub-soil is very heavy, dig the hole six inches 
deeper and fill that depth with coarse gravel to insure perfect 
drainage. Then for the upper half add to your very best garden 
soil a good half pint of this mixture: raw bone meal, commercial 
potash and sulphur, equal parts. If soil is naturally acid include 
a little lime. Mix this very thoroughly with some dry soil before 
incorporating with the larger amount. Set crowns two inches 
below the surface, the roots well spread and soil firmed against 
them before leveling. Avoid dense shade, roots of trees, and 
stuffy locations. 
When growth first starts in spring, dig around each plant a 
trowel of bone meal, mixed with an equal amount of hardwood 
ash or commercial potash. Cut faded spikes to prevent seeding. 
It is the nature of hybrid Delphiniums to bloom a second time 
in the season and as the second growth appears the old stalk 
yellows, is no longer required, and should be cut down. After 
a short resting period, give another supply of bone meal and 
ash, being careful not to destroy the fine surface-feeding roots, 
and water as needed. If the weaker growths are removed when 
plants are a few inches high, the remaining ones will benefit. 
Well-grown Delphiniums will bloom the first season after plant- 
ing and, being true perennials, should, with favorable condi- 
tions, increase in size and grandeur each year. 
In much heated sections, as the Southern States and South- 
ern California, the best time for watering Delphiniums seems to 
be in very early morning, as evening sometimes proves unsafe. 
Frequent ground-stirring is better than heavy watering in such 
sections. 
As figs do not grow on thistles, no matter how we tend them, 
no more can you expect show spikes on your Delphiniums if 
stock is procured from unskilled growers. 
If all fertilizers are first mixed with a larger amount of dry 
soil they will work without injury. 
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