Collect delphinium seeds
It is usually advisable to cut off the dead stems of the delphinium in summer so that a second flower can develop in autumn. Instead, you can simply leave them standing and wait until the narrow follicles are ripe for harvest. In these - each flower usually forms up to three of these seed pods - are also narrow, winged seeds. The harvest can take place as soon as the fruits are brown but have not yet opened.
also read
- Collect and sow seeds of the black-eyed Susanne
- Cranesbill - collect and sow seeds
- Blue pillow collect seeds, dry them, sow them
Keep seeds you have collected yourself
So collect the fruits that have not yet burst from the plant and open them at home on your work table. At best, collect the seeds on a cloth or piece of kitchen paper, which you can use to clean them thoroughly. Let the seeds air dry in a dark and cool place for a day or two and then place them in an airtight container. They can stay there until next spring. Remember, however, that the older the seeds, the worse they will germinate.
Larkspur is a cold germ
Larkspur is not only a light, but also a cold germ. This means that seeds you have collected yourself should be stratified before sowing in order to improve the germination rate. Although this measure is not absolutely necessary, it increases the breeding success. Purchased seeds, on the other hand, are usually pretreated in such a way that stratification is not necessary.
Correctly stratifying delphinium seeds
Prepare Delphinium for sowing by storing the seeds in a cool place for a few days, with temperatures between 0 and 5 ° C being optimal. However, you should definitely avoid frost. Stratification can be carried out outdoors from March or in the vegetable compartment of the refrigerator. Then soak the seeds in lukewarm water for 24 hours and then sow them.
Tips & Tricks
You can either prefer to sow the plants as early as March or sow them directly between May and September. Do not cover the seeds with soil, or only cover them very thinly, and you should protect them from birds with a net or similar. The seed site must be kept continuously moist.
