Larkspur Growing Guide

Delphinium

Larkspur

Crop Rotation Group

Miscellaneous ●

Soil

Average garden soil with excellent drainage.

Position

Full sun.

Frost tolerant

Good. Where winters are mild, seedlings sprout in autumn and survive until spring.

Feeding

Fast growth is encouraged by mixing a balanced organic fertiliser into the soil before planting.

Companions

Upright larkspur makes an ideal flower to grow behind shorter mound-forming bloomers.

Spacing

Single Plants: 30cm (11") each way (minimum)
Rows: 30cm (11") with 30cm (11") row gap (minimum)

Sow and Plant

Sow larkspur seeds where you want the plants to grow in autumn, or first thing in spring, making sure they have had a period of vernalisation (cold temperatures). Larkspur can be transplanted with care, but plants grow best from direct-sown seeds.
Our Garden Planner can produce a personalised calendar of when to sow, plant and harvest for your area.

Notes

Well-pleased plants can grow quite tall and may need staking. In many areas, larkspur will reseed with a little encouragement. Colours include pink, purple, lavender, white and many bicolours.

Harvesting

Larkspurs make wonderful cut flowers. As flowers fade, snip them off with scissors to keep the plants looking neat. Pull up plants when blooms become scarce.

Troubleshooting

The biggest challenge to growing larkspur is getting the seedlings up and growing. Larkspur is poisonous to pets and horses, but is seldom nibbled due to its bitter taste.

Planting and Harvesting Calendar

< Back to All Plants

Pests which Affect Larkspur