Seed Raising, Growing and Harvest Information

DIRECT SOW: Direct seed shallowly - larkspur likes darkness to germinate so do ensure the seed is lightly covered - in late fall or early spring. While plants do best direct sown, we have great luck transplanting using soil blocks. Larkspur has a tap root which dislikes disturbance.

TRANSPLANT: 2 weeks before you want to sow your larkspur seed, put it into a container with an airtight lid or a ziplock bag. Mist the seed with enough water that it is all fully coated with moisture. Ensure there are no extra pools of water in the bag. Close it up and put it in the fridge. Check it the next day to ensure all water has soaked into the seed. You want seed that flows and is not stuck together in clumps and you want the seed to have absorbed sufficient moisture. This is called priming the seed. Return it to the fridge. In about 7-14 days, the seed will be ready to germinate. We sow into soil blocks (to avoid root disturbance later),covering the seeds with vermiculite, 6-8 weeks before transplanting in mid Autumn or very early Spring - Larkspur thrives in the cool weather and requires 6 weeks of temperature below 10C for best bloom production.

HARVESTING/VASE LIFE: Harvest when a third of the blossoms are open on a stem for the longest vase life. If preservative is used, you can expect Larkspur to last 10-14 days. To dry, let all but the top three to four blooms open, then pick and hang upside down in a warm, dry place out of bright light for 2 weeks.