Question About Sowing Larkspur
alameda/zone 8/East Texas
18 years ago
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hollyberry_md
18 years agoRelated Discussions
Larkspur in zone 5 winter spring sowing
Comments (3)I lost all of them when during one fall they grew too vigorously only to be destroyed in the winter. =====>>> did you hyper-fertilizer them late in the summer or early fall.. leading to lush green growth that did not harden properly before the first heavy frost/freeze???? in my experience.. peat pots are IMPOSSIBLE to use.. in a house ... especially if you have a forced air furnace ... it wicks the moisture form the media.. causing undue stresses ... [i suspect peat pots would be bulletproof in a greenhouse with super high humidity] my suggestion .. 6 oz plastic dixie cups ... and use a razor blade to cut the bottom edge in about 3 places for drainage ... and a good seedling media ... its much finer than regular potting media ... and sterilize it in the microwave or oven ... see link do you use supplemental light??? wait.. you want winter sowing outside.. or in the house??? your title plus the peat pot issue confuses me .... do some of both .... since you have a few seeds to work with .. anway .. isnt 2000 seeds a bit of overkill .. lol ... i guess you are really working on insuring success .. lol .. ken Here is a link that might be useful: link...See Morequestion about larkspur & stocks
Comments (3)They are not the same, though I can see how you might think otherwise. Larkspur are taller and far easier to grow. Stocks are highly fragrant (and tough to grow in the south). Expect the larkspur to come up in the next 1-3 weeks. The plants will form ground hugging rosettes of leaves that will over winter. When spring comes, they will shoot up tall and bloom gloriously, usually with roses and tall bearded iris. If your stocks come up, and if they don't get frozen back, they will bloom in the early springtime. In zone 7, those can be big ifs. If you wait to sow till spring, though, they don't typically have time to bloom before hot weather moves in and finishes them off. Typically, it is recommended that you set out bedding plants in the fall, or plant early blooming varieties in late winter to early spring....See MoreFrost warnings: direct sow larkspur now?
Comments (7)I'm wanting to sow somniferum poppy seeds soon, so here are my thoughts. If your soil is prepared, now. Nature's way is to sow them as the seeds fall to the ground, June or July. Last year I had poppies that seeded themselves, appeared by fall, and were so much nicer and healthier than my winter-sown attempts, or the ones I direct- sowed in December. [I've been waiting on neighbors (one said she sowed hers, both poppies and larkspurs, last June) to give me larkspur seeds since July, but I still have no larkspur seeds. ] The problem is that I mulch and also sow annuals, such as huge zinnias where I want those spring bloomers, and then want to amend the soil when they are done blooming. But if I sow them after November they come up late, and if we have an early heat wave, they don't last very long. Have you tried enclosing seeds in clay balls? If you have any clay soil at all, mix it with some compost and seeds and moisten it, roll it into little balls and place them in your garden. Thin out when they sprout. The clay prevents them from blowing away or getting eaten all at once. And you don't have to transplant, just thin. (Plants hate to be transplanted!) Another idea: place chicken wire or something else over them to deter critters when you sow them. I look forward to other responses to your question, and the problems (and blessings) of our multi-planting seasons here in the Carolinas. Andrea...See Morevarious questions: tulips, larkspur, etc
Comments (4)thanks, and yes, Jeanne, you're right, tulips LOVE our winters-- these were 2nd year blooms this year and they were all way bigger than the 1 st year. tulips are very perennial here. and we haven't had a single night over 42 yet this season, with FROST (hard ones - 28) the last 3 nights, so I think larkspure might be OK (you see flowerfarmer, why I thought April was early for sweet peas?! my climate is INSANE). I guess my concern with the tulips is that they already turned brown. They bloomed, and the next week we had a major heat wave, and all the foliage died off. I guess I can go ahead and dig them but it sure seems early to me too! Thanks, Kristen...See Morepitimpinai
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