Allotments 4 All

The delphinium seedlings have one set of true leaves now. Two questions: How long does it take for these to grow into flowering size plants?

Some of you said you grow these only in pots due to slugs. How big should the pot be if I leave them potted at maturity? 

Two years ago I bought 3 mature delphiniums, planted them in the ground and they had one good summer, the next summer only one appeared then none perhaps due to the heat and  humidity here. The problem with pots is keeping them watered ::)

i think they flower the first year, but are better the year after! i had some  mature ones i brought and they never came back, i think it could have been slugs, they eat them as soon as they appear!

Yes slugs have done for many of mine in the past. I use organic slug pellets these days and beer traps

Hi GrannieAnnie,
                         I use copper rings around my delphiniums and lupins as slugs just love them as they push up the first buds there grazed off and then fail to come.If you put copper collars around them as you plant them they should be ok. :D There not cheap  :( but I find they work as your plants are'nt cheap either.

   Pickle ;D

Quote from: Pickle on March 20, 2008, 10:01:39
Hi GrannieAnnie,
                         I use copper rings around my delphiniums and lupins as slugs just love them as they push up the first buds there grazed off and then fail to come.If you put copper collars around them as you plant them they should be ok. :D There not cheap  :( but I find they work as your plants are'nt cheap either.

   Pickle ;D

So THAT's why people wear copper bracelets ;D
I used to do some stained glass work using a copper tape with a sticky side...hmmm...wonder if that would work. It was only about 3/8 inch wide though which a slug could skip over.
I'd still like to hear how wide a pot I'd need.

I use self adhesive copper tape. I put it on all my staging and around a few choice pots.
I get mine from the local DIY place (B&Q). It costs around £5.00 for 4 metres and is 30mm wide.

It doesnt stop every single slug, but it certainly puts the vast majority off, so i use a few pellets as well, just to make sure.

the way I used to try and stop slug damage with delphiniums was to keep growing them in pots a lot longer than for most things, and to let them get very big before planting out. Also to dig them up and divide and repot every autumn, and keep them over winter in the greenhouse