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After having yet another very poor germination of delph. seeds (to the point I wonder if I'm growing weeds instead) I was re-reading your earlier posting on delph culture. Have you ever tried doing basal shoot propagation which you article described? and what exactly is a basal shoot??
Do they mean just the stem? Or is it stem plus some root?  Help please ;D

I have one good mature plant, and I'd like to try propagating it.
Also, is this a good time of year for that?

I also have problems with delphinium from seed. Now I just take mature plants from my mothers garden where they grow like weeds ::)

However, I've done lupins.

I took several stems, each with a fair bit of root, stuck it in a 4" pot with a bag over the top and left it for a month, in a cool but light place (same place I was chitting my spuds).

75% survived to flower the next year.  :)

I took the cuttings in late March.

QuoteHave you ever tried doing basal shoot propagation which you article described?

Not with Delphiniums but I have done with many other types e.g. Chrysants & Dahlias

Quoteand what exactly is a basal shoot??

Basal growth is the new growth emanating from the root ball of a deciduous plant.

Quote
Do they mean just the stem? Or is it stem plus some root? 

What you are referring to is an Irishmans cutting (see chrysant slide show)

QuoteI have one good mature plant, and I'd like to try propagating it.
Also, is this a good time of year for that?

Yes.

Here is how to do it using chrysants as an example;

http://www.thegardenersalmanac.co.uk/Data/Cuttings%20-%20Basal/Basal%20cuttings/basal%20cuttings.html

and here is the text to go with it;

http://www.thegardenersalmanac.co.uk/Data/Cuttings%20-%20Basal/Basal%20cuttings.htm

As I didn't have specific pictures for delphiniums I thought I would nip out and take a few for you so that I can be more graphic;

New Basal growth;



A closer look at the shoots;



A cutting severed from the root ball;



A prepared cutting showing that it is trimmed to leaf node;



Cutting placed in rooting medium.

Note in practice you can root a number of cuttings round the edge of one pot.

I have only done a single cutting for demo purposes;



and thats all ther is to it!

Best of luck...Tg

Thank you both. I might try propagating a lupin next yr if one is especially pretty this yr.

TeeGee, I didn't expect an answer with slide presentation!  Thank you. A picture is worth a thousand words as they say.

Don't you need a plastic bag over the top to stop it drying out while routing ?

And would the bottom heat of a propagator help ?

QuoteDon't you need a plastic bag over the top to stop it drying out while routing ?

No! this might do the reverse and make conditions too moist.

If I see my cuttings looking a bit droopy I just lightly spray them with a pump spray containg clean water!

Remember! the cutting has no roots (yet) to take up water so moist leaves, not dripping wet leaves will sustain the cutting until it forms roots, wet compost won't. Too much moisture in the compost might cause 'rot' (botrytis)

QuoteAnd would the bottom heat of a propagator help ?

Yes but not essential at this time of year.

That demo cutting I took is sitting on the hotbed now. I don't particularly need it but I thought I would just root it now that I have taken it!

Glad to see TG says no to plastic bags they cause a lot of rotting with cuttings as they get so wet. Far better as TG says to give them a light spray with water . We used to root delph cuttings in beds of almost pure sand when I worked in a nursery for a while.