THE CULTURE OF DELPHINIUM HYBRIDS 
Seed . . . Delphiniums can easily be grown 
from seed which can be sown practically any 
time of the year, according to the climatic con- 
ditions, equipment available or time of flow- 
ering desired. Under California conditions, for 
early spring flowers, sow from June to Sep- 
tember; for midsummer blooms, December to 
January; and for fall blooms, February to 
April. In regions with severe winters, the early 
summer sowing, from June to July, is recom- 
mended, so that the little plants are well es- 
tablished before the winter sets in. Otherwise, 
the most practical time to sow is early spring. 
Seed can be kept in good condition for sev- 
eral years if kept in air-tight containers in a 
refrigerator. In fact, it is practicable even with 
fresh seeds to place it between two moist blot- 
ting papers and leave it directly under the 
freezing compartment of the refrigerator for 
at least a week to induce higher germination. 
For best results, sow in flats in a mixture of 
two-thirds coarse leaf mold and one-third 
loam, covering slightly with the same mix- 
ture, and moisten thoroughly. To prevent 
evaporation, cover the flats with newspaper 
and glass until germination takes place. Ilm- 
mediately after the young plants begin to ap- 
pear, both the glass and the newspaper should 
be taken off; however, the plants should be 
kept shaded and kept moist constantly. 
Germination. . . Artificial heat can be 
used for germination in early spring and it 
will give far better results than the natural 
heat in summer. To get the best results in ger- 
mination, bottom heat is necessary, with a coo] 
temperature overhead. This is well supplied 
under glass in early spring; however, in sum- 
mer, due to hot weather conditions, it is 
usually the opposite and this is why many 
people have failures even with the very fresh- 
est seed. At temperatures of 85 degrees Fah- 
renheit and up, the germination is often very 
poor and what germinates stands a very good 
chance of being simply cooked. To prevent 
this, after the seeds are sown in flats, place 
them on the floor in a cool room or shed, 
where they can be kept dark for the first ten 
days, until germination takes place. Then give 
light and fresh air, but keep them well pro- 
tected against any drying out. We have re- 
peatedly checked on seeds which were sown 
under greenhouse conditions in summer or 
the cool shed method or a well-shaded lath 
house, and the results in each case were from 
20 to 50 per cent better under lath house 
conditions than under the greenhouse condi- 
tions. Under slow, cool germination practically 
every seed will gradually come up. Under 
quick, hot conditions only a few will germi- 
nate, the rest remaining dormant in the soil. 
Dampening off will occur only if flats are kept 
too wet in the greenhouse, without proper 
ventilation. 
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Transplanting... When the second leaves 
are developed and before the plants are too 
crowded, prick in flats 3 inches apart in a 
mixture of two-thirds sandy loam and one- 
third leaf mold. Keep shaded for two or three 
weeks; then gradually give more light and, 
when larger, harden off in full sunlight before 
planting out in permanent position about two 
or three feet apart. Open, sunny location is 
necessary for best development. In shade they 
will grow too spindly, with only small flower 
spikes. If too close to walls, they will mildew 
more than in the open. The ground should be 
well prepared for planting. A liberal applica- 
tion of well-rotted cow or sheep manure, with 
a sprinkling of bone meal mixed with the soil, 
which should be dug a foot deep, will produce 
fine growth. Heavy, wet soils will require a 
slight addition of lime. Good drainage and 
uniform supply of moisture during the growth 
is essential. 
Feeding... When the first crop of blooms 
has faded, cut the flower spikes off just above 
the foliage and keep slightly dry for two or 
three weeks, to give the plants time to rest be- 
fore the new shoots appear above the ground. 
When this takes place, cut the rest of the old 
stock off, sprinkle a spoonful of ammonium 
phosphate around each plant, rake it into the 
soil slightly and water thoroughly. From the 
new shoots appearing from the ground select 
two or three of the strongest and break the 
rest out. The remaining ones will develop into 
fine spikes again. 
Diseases . . . Mivpew will attack plants 
grown Close to a wall, or planted thickly to- 
gether, especially later in the fall. Sulfur, 
dusted on the foliage, will act as a preventa- 
tive before the disease is established. GREEN 
FLoweER—So far this virus disease has been 
reported only west of the Rocky Mountains 
and is most prevalent close to ocean areas. It 
is transmitted by a species of leaf hopper from 
infected weeds to the Delphinium plants. All 
plants showing signs of the disease should be 
immediately discarded. CRowN Rot may be 
caused by several fungi prevalent in the east- 
ern and southern sections of the United States 
where high temperatures and humidity pre- 
vail during the growing season. For best in- 
formation send parts of infected plants to 
your state university for identification. Fur- 
ther information on this subject can be found 
in the Yearbooks of The American Delphin- 
ium Society. 
Length of Life. . . Length of life of Del- 
phinium plants is governed by several factors. 
In climates with a long resting period in win- 
ter, the plants will usually live much longer 
than in districts such as central and southern 
California where this period is confined to but 
one month of the year. Some may die after 
the first flowering, while other live for years. 
