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adamkr

Should I be worried...

AdamKR
12 years ago

I bought a Delphinium several weeks back and planted it. It had three beautiful stalks that flowered for a couple weeks after I planted it. After they bloomed the greens and stalks have turned brown and the plant almost looks dead (except for the bottom stalks appear somewhat green yet). Have a lost the plant or will it come back maybe next year?

Comments (15)

  • wieslaw59
    12 years ago

    It depends on what delphinium it is perhaps. I cut mine after the blooming and majority of them make new basal leaves, but only some make new stalks and rebloom. At the moment I only have 3 reblooming out of 12 or so.

  • ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
    12 years ago

    wow ..

    you bought a summer blooming perennial.. in late summer .. or a few weeks back as you say ...

    and now it looks spent..

    welllll ... yeah ...

    many not are not winter hardy here in z5 .... or very short lived ...

    snap us a pic ... and maybe we can help you try to get it thru winter ...

    i dont suppose you know what kind of delph it is???? or have a pic of it in flower???

    link below for posting pix

    ken

    Here is a link that might be useful: link

  • lefleur1
    12 years ago

    I'm pretty sure Ken is trying to be funny as well as helpful; it's so hard to put a GRIN in written words. Am i right, Ken???

  • mytime
    12 years ago

    Perhaps so, but it comes off as sarcastic...

  • duluthinbloomz4
    12 years ago

    Ken is no doubt...

    capable of making his own... explanations???

    For his apparent incredulousness!!! at what other gardeners...

    may or may not do or inquire about.

    Personally, it's the style that is often off putting; too many teeny weeny sentence paragraphs that hammer you like a blunt instrument followed for some reason by an ellipsis. The ellipsis (...) can be handy, but it is meant to signal a pause or intentional ommission.

    Oh well. :-)

  • rusty_blackhaw
    12 years ago

    oh ..

    cut the poor fellow a break...

    you know?

    For Adam - if there's no basal foliage growth evident by frost, I'd be somewhat concerned. But you'll probably have to wait for next spring to be sure. Delphiniums tend to be short-lived perennials, at least in my area, so it's good to sow seeds every spring/early summer in order to have a blooming population every year.

  • harleylady
    12 years ago

    Something you might want to check is the depth at which you planted them. They should be planted at the same depth they were in the pots as the crowns don't like to be buried and you'll get die back if you planted them too deep.

  • AdamKR
    Original Author
    12 years ago

    I have no problems with Ken's message take it easy guys... I did buy the plant somewhat late but like I said it did bloom very well until it died back and now almost looks dead. I will get a picture of it tomorrow... I am warning you, it won't be pretty.

    Also the type of Delphinium I have is Elatum "Aurora Light Purple".

  • AdamKR
    Original Author
    12 years ago

    This is what's left of it...

    Very sad indeed.

    Here is a link that might be useful: My Delph

  • mytime
    12 years ago

    It looks kind of like it didn't get enough water and too much sun, so fried (being a new plant). That doesn't mean it won't come back next year, though. Water it well! Unless the roots have already dried up, you have a chance.

  • wieslaw59
    12 years ago

    AdamKr, am I seeing correctly that you have planted your delphinium against a wall? If so, this is a 'deadly sin'. Delphiniums hate to be baked. It will be always too dry at the wall and the plant will NEVER be free from mildew.(the same applies to tall phloxes)

  • mytime
    12 years ago

    I was looking at the leaves and didn't even notice the wall, but Wieslaw is correct...even though your plant is near the downspout, the heat reflecting off the wall will fry it to a crisp. In addition, it likely won't get enough snow cover, being under the eaves, so will probably have too many freeze-thaw cycles to survive. And if it does survive all that, there's not enough space for the plant, and you'll be constantly fighting to keep the flower stems from leaning forward to the sun. So, in the case that it is alive, you should move it before winter.

  • Tiffany, purpleinopp Z8b Opp, AL
    12 years ago

    I agree, it looks like it could be a double-whammy. Baking most of the time, with occasional drowning conditions from the downspout, although it's hard to tell how fast the water would flow away from there or if it would pool in the area before doing so. What direction is that wall? If it's north or east, baking might be less of a factor than not enough/consistent enough moisture to establish, or poor drainage which can be common next to a wall. I see green on a stem. Certainly worth trying to save.

  • AdamKR
    Original Author
    12 years ago

    Really appreciate the feedback. And I will say I think you guys/gals are correct with it baking. This spot gets almost full sun from morning til late afternoon. I also think I should of watered it more. I almost was thinking about letting it die or if it does end up dying planting something else. What kinds of flowers would be good for a spot like this??

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