I saved the seed from a Delphinium menziesii plant I found growing wild on my property and planted them early this year. They germinated within a couple of weeks but in over 2 months since, have never produced true leaves. The cotyledon leaves were a nice green colour when they first appeared but are starting to go yellow and die. I wonder if they need a mycorrhizal fungus in the soil to continue growing? Do you have any thoughts to help me be more successful next year?
I'd suspected, that the soil is not well aerated. Your potting mix looks like a peat, which is sprinkled with a granite debris. Peat itself creates low oxygen environment and these tiny rocks on top are messing with soil aeration even further. These plants should do well in a sandy or loamy mineral soil.
Good question - I think we have this growing on our acreage and in the hills in Okanagan Our version seems taller ... at least 12 inches when flowering I wonder if you wait a while longer they will spring forth w the next stage of leaves (« true leaves ») I found this quickly hoping it would have info — look at the seedling photo Delphinium menziesii - Puget Prairie Plants Do you know anyone at the Cowichan Garry Oak Préserve near Duncan BC (Nature Conservancy of Canada ) — I believe they grow wildflower seeds native to the meadow so maybe they have info to help ? Here is an advice forum that maybe might offer something - I believe you have enough experience to « weed » thru armchair advice Ask a Question forum→seedlings never get true leaves - Garden.org (What does our fav Dr Linda WSU say, I wonder)
The soil drains quickly. It is the same purchased, sterile, seed-starting mix I have used successfully to germinate many other seeds. I am going to tip out the pot and 'plant' the entire pot near where I transplanted the Delphinium last year. It's doing very well and will likely grow taller as time goes by. I notice that D. menziesii grow over a large area in southern BC so it is probably the same as the ones you see in the Okanagan. One interesting thing I noticed is that several of the germinated seeds have 3 cotyledon leaves. Thanks for all your tips. I checked the 'Ask a Question' link but I didn't see anything that applies. The advice you usually hear about growing native plants (and I do a lot) is to plant them at as close to the time as they would fall to the ground naturally and to leave them to the elements over winter. I think I'll let most of the seeds the mother plant produces this year on the ground around it.
Plants may have different demands for soil aeration. Peat is widely used substrate for germinating seeds, but that does not mean, that every plant will thrive in the peat. The issue is caused not by wet potting mix, but peat's poor ability to aerate (slow replacement of air in the soil). Peat suits relatively well for fast growing plants. For slow starting plants peat can compact too much, before germinated plants are ready for up potting.
