Delphinium Soil Ammendments
Hi! I am new to the forum, as well as to gardening. Since I moved to Italy, I struggle with translating names and info.(I find in English on the internet), as well as finding the equivalent products in Italy.
I love Delphiniums, but have difficulty maintaining them in my garden-living in the north part of Italy, where temps can get below zero-since I don't know what I'm doing! This is the second time I am trying to grow them, so I bought various types: Cliveden Beauty, Galahad, Astolat, & Blue Bird to put in different locations in the garden. I have learned that I am either given vague or wrong info., and that, regardless of the plant info. tag, I have a better understanding of a flower by trying it in various locations (for exp. sunny) to see what they prefer and how they progress!
I have found a lot of info. on adding ammendments to the soil for these heavy feeders. I am starting my own compost pile, but in the meantime, I wanted to buy something to help them grow and stay healthy. I would greatly appreciate any help you could give me regarding:
1. What is 'lime' (lupini?)-does it have anything to do with the fruit? I don't know how to properly translate that in Italian, let alone if they would have it here.
2. fish blood and bone meal-I am having a hard time translating this. I have found 'Cornmeal' (Cornunghia- N10), which is ground up horns (if thats right) and nails of cattle?? Also, I found 'dried blood powder' N12%-is that the same as fish blood; could this also be used in the soil? These types of ammendments are usually used for crops-would it still work for flowering plants like Delphiniums? All the various specialty liquid or granular 'concime'-fertilizer (??) will list NPK % (for exp.: 20-20-20; 20-10-10; 16-7-15; 10-16-25) on the bottle-but still not clear as to needed ingredients for a Delphinium. It is also hard to find the pH on a soil ammendment to understand which one to buy for Delphiniums or other perennial flowers!
3. I found Stallatico (horse manure??) or Pollina (chicken) pellets to add to the soil. Would this be good for Delphiniums?
I was told to just plant them, and to use those stone balls to keep the roots warmer and for better drainage., and to add ammendments/fertilizer later in the season. So sorry this is long! I can really use some clear advice. Thank you!
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Hi, we have a regular contributor known as Italophile who lives in Italy - I've sent him a Message asking if he's able to help
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
Hi BleuFairy
I'm in Central Tuscany, where are you? I only know a little about delphiniums but I can help with most of your questions.
1. Lime is calce. If you add it to soil, it makes soil more alkaline. Delphiniums like soil a little alkaline, but soil in Italy is already naturally alkaline anyway. I would be surprised if you needed to add calce.
2. You won't find fish blood and bone meal in Italy. I found blood and bone (sangue e osso) only once. Cornunghia, alone, contains too much nitrogen. The same with dried blood powder.
You can use any Balanced Fertiliser (Concime Bilanciato), either liquido or granulare. 10:10:10 would be best.
3. Delphiniums need very well drained soil. You can use Stallatico
because it will help the drainage. You could also mix in some grit/sand (sabbia) and/or fine gravel (ghiaietto molto fine) to help the drainage.
EDIT. BleuFairy, I just double-checked Stallatico. It's pelleted horse manure. I was thinking of a manure-based soil improver that looks like potting mix when I suggested using it for drainage. I can't remember what it's called here - probably something like Concime di Cavallo (horse) or Animale (animal).
The pelleted (horse or chook) manure won't hurt providing you keep it away from the roots when planting. It has low nutritional value. Your main nutrients will come from the fertiliser (concime) used later.
pansyface, it's much easier writing in Italian with time to stop and think! If only the same luxury were available when in conversation with a non-English speaking Italian. There's very little English spoken in our little town.
They're called Lumachicida, from lumaca for snail.
Oh I am sooo thrilled to have someone who can understand exactly what I need, how to call it, and if it is available or not!! Thank you soo much! Are you Italian, who speaks a very good English? You live in Toscana?-my favorite region. I am in Novara.
I did find a 20-20-20, but not (so far) a 10-10-10, would that work as well for a balanced fertilizer or are the numbers too high for Delphiniums?
Does looking at the pH (if it is alkaline) not matter when searching for a liquid fertilizer? Should I just look for the NPK% instead?
All the research I did says that Delphiniums like a 'well-drained, humus-rich (what does that mean?) basic soil (alkaline-pH5 or 6?); they are heavy feeders: so add compost or manure (what kind-stallatico or pollina pellets) to the soil, as they like constant moisture; in growth: use a balanced liquid or granular fertilizer (same as manure or now we're talking liquid 'concime'); and once a year a high phosphorus fertilizer (what would that be?).
Also, how do you translate the soil types: Chalky (gesso?), Loamy, Sandy (sabbia)?
I did, in fact, find many different (I'm not sure how to call them-manure, fertilizer: concime, terra, humus, torba, etc) ones here; the package usually just lists a % of NKP, but not the pH, what is in it, or any info. on how to use them. I'm not really sure what each one translates to in English, what the difference between them is, and when or how to use them! That's what is so hard for me! I can look up stuff in English to learn the differences, but come to translate each correctly in Italian, and if it is even possible to find them here or what to use in place of something not available can be very frustrating!
Many types of 'terra' that I have tried from supermarkets or hardware stores (Brico,etc.), I swear were crap and sprouted so many weeds whereever I had used them! Also, It seems here that people tend to 'mow' their weeds like a lawn, instead to use a weed killer! I end up having to spend more money to buy a better quality terra,like 'Compo', to use in the garden, as you can majorly tell the difference-a rich, dark, clean terra-'soil' that also has those white balls in it. I realize the importance of starting my own compost pile!
Grazie mille per tutto l'informazione e tuo pazienza!!
Thank you Dovefromabove for your help and referal! Also, pansyface-thank you for any suggestions you send my way!
BleuFairy, I'm Australian originally, been here 9 years.
You could use a 20:20:20. The point is that it's balanced. I've only ever found a 10:10:10 here once. One of the problems for the domestic gardener here is that there isn't a "garden centre" culture per se. Specialised agricultural supply outlets are still mainly targeted at farmers. It can be very frustrating.
For liquid fertilisers, only worry about the NPK.
Humus-rich just means plenty of organic material - garden compost, leaf mould, aged (not fresh) horse manure, etc. Apart from giving the plant roots a good healthy environment from the start, organic material drains very well.
A soil pH of 5 or 6 is acid. 7 is about neutral, and the higher the number, the more alkaline the soil. As I said, Italian soil is naturally alkaline. The Italian peninsula is basically a big lump of limestone. The water is naturally very alkaline too. Look at the build-up of lime in your jug or kettle.
In fact, it gives me problems with my tomatoes. Toms like slightly acid soil. When I plant out the toms, I mix some acid potting mix into the hole to counter the alkaline soil. Then, when watering, to counter the very alkaline water, I add a tbsp of vinegar to a gallon of water every second or third time I water.
Terriccio is what they call the soil/potting mix in bags. Avoid the cheap supermarket or Brico stuff like the plague. As always, you get what you pay for. I've used Compo, it's very good. Stick with it.
Torba means peat. Terriccio is just about always peat-based. The pH is listed on the bag more often than not. But, if not, you can be sure the terriccio is on the acid side of neutral because peat is naturally acidic. However! Because the soil you add the terriccio to is naturally alkaline, and because you'll be adding alkalinity every time you water, the acid nature of the terriccio won't be a big problem.
The plants need to be well-drained. What sort of soil do you have in its natural state? Clay-based? Sandy? Loam? Knowing what you have to start with will dictate what you have to do to it. If you're not sure, the best bet is to dig a hole, fill it with water, and watch what happens. If the water sits in the hole, you're clay-based. If it drains straight away, it's sandy. If it gradually drains away, you've got loam.
As to the fertilising, you can mix in some pelleted horse or chook manure when planting. Just keep it away from the roots. A high phosphorus fertiliser is one where the P figure is substantially higher than the N or K. Phosphorus assists flower development.
Isn't this forum brilliant!
And can I come and stay with one of you? Anywhere in Italy would do me
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
Dear Italophile, Thank you so very much for all your help! Your wealth of knowledge, both in English and Italian, is quite impressive!! Also, your ability to explain such confusing terms in an easy-to-understand way, that even a beginner can follow, is complimentary to you!!
What kind of garden do you have? I'll bet it's amazing!
I always read how important it is to use organic-based products, such as for insectacides and fungicides; allowing time for the birth of ladybugs to tackle afid infestations (like on roses), as they are born after the afids attack!! Also, to 'pick them off' or hose them off. However, I have to say that this really doesn't work for me! I have tried this several times only to find that, even with the force of water from the hose, they don't even budge!! In the meantime, my roses are destroyed beyond repair! There just aren't enough ladybugs (which I adore) to eat them up! Have you found any particular product or way of getting rid of aphids, and the awful ants that follow? Also, if you have roses, do you know what is that black insect that has a bright yellow torso? They are always sucking the sap out of my roses. I don't even know what they are called or how to get rid of them.
Thank you again for all your help! Let me know if there is anything you need as well.
We're in the centro storico of a wee hill town, BF. The garden is 250sqm on three terraces. Very rare in the centro storico of wee hill towns. In fact, our back fence is the medieval wall around the remains of the 15th century tower at the very top of the town.
I don't see anything like enough ladybirds either. For aphids, and I get them in plagues, too many to pick or hose off, I use a pyrethrum spray. It's organic in that it's derived from Chrysanthemums but, obviously, it knocks over beneficial insects too. Pyrethrum is the English name, it's Piretro in Italian. It's commonly available.
It's a contact spray, not systemic. You have to hit the pests to kill them. It doesn't have any residual impact. The pests will return the next day. I had to go down the nasty chemical route once when I couldn't get Piretro. Decis jet is a Bayer product that's systemic. It kills the pests and any that return until the next rainfall that washes off the stuff.
The nasty black insects on the roses are probably maggiolini. No idea what they're called in English. A friend down in Umbria, a rose fanatic, is driven mad by them every year. The locals say they disappear in June but my friend claims otherwise. They're also supposed only to attack light-coloured roses. I'll find out. She has given me a light-coloured rose that is just about to bloom!