Hi. I had a question about delphs, and thought I would try this forum. Lo and Behold, the first post was about delphs! I usually raise Pacific Giants from seed. I am in a warmer climate than most of you, and I've had plants that have lasted for 5 or 6 years...and, some that barely lasted three. I think alot of it has to do with the extremely variable winters we have here. I have had some good success dividing delphs. From what I have read, one 'should always sow some seed each year' just in case...Last autumn I collected open pollinated seed from a light blue PG with a white eye. I had two plants. They yielded a bunch of seeds. When I started sowing them, (w/heat under lights), I was amazed what a difference FRESH seed makes in germination! I am interested in trying my hand at hybridizing. Has anyone tried the New Zealand Hybrids out of New Zealand? They are as tall as the PG but have a beautiful range of white through dark pink. I have tried the Butterfly delphs. I like them, but I have a liking for the compact internodes of the the tall PG's. The New Millenium delps., out of New Zealand have the height I prefer, and look very much like the PG's. Magic Fountains are beautiful but, they kind of look top-heavy to me. I am waiting for the catalog from Langston in England. I would like to try those. They may be a good candidate for crossing to our American delphs. My original question was going to be, 'Has anyone tried a hand at hybridizing delphs. So, I guess I should go ahead and post a message about that. So exicted to find you guys! Happy Growing, Sam

dig it back up.. put it back in the pot.. and put it in full shade for a few weeks.. and see if you can save it??? a top dressing of mulch.. will defeat the dryness of the surface of your soil .. the inherent blackness of the soil is retaining heat.. and on some level.. perhaps.. cooking the plants why just this one.. i dont know.. because i didnt see its root mass at planting ... ken

Marcia, My delphs get little green worms every spring. If you watch you can see the leaves start to curl. The worms are in the curled leaves. We pick them off by hand and do the squish worm dance. We have to go through the delphs 2 or 3 times each spring. If we don't the leaves get devoured and look really sad, what doesn't get eaten looks droopy and sad. If you catch them and hand pick, the plants will be fine. There was one plant this year that we didn't get to on time. I just cut it back.....and it regrew nicely and has almost caught up to the rest.....and it is going to bloom too. A few years ago we were away and we had a big storm. When I got home my delphs that were in bloom were flattened and many broken and split stems. I cut them all back right at the ground, had no choice......and they all recovered and bloomed again in the fall. Delphs are pretty tough. I wouldn't want to do this every year, that would probably weaken the plants....but it didn't harm then that one year. Good luck to your friend. Sierra

400ml is less than a pint. I'd say if you are going to water 'aggressively' then you must also feed aggressively, too. A dilute dose each week - as for houseplants in full growth mode, could be the answer. You might also like to try a dilute (teaspoon to a litre) brew of Epsom salts. If the pots are drying out so quickly then: give more sun/wind protection with windbreak cloth; check that the roots haven't colonised the pots. If the roots are starting to wind around the inside then it's time for repotting to keep them growing on without checking. You might want to add some slow release feed to the new mix to offset your watering regime.