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Delphinium
Amadeus2
Posts: 13
My Delphinium has finished flowering. Should I cut it down to near ground level or just cut back to just under the flowering spikes. Hoping for a second flush of flowers.
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Posts
You rarely get a second flush from delphiniums, so cut the flower spike out to ground level leaving the foliage intact.
I find that I do get some flowering sideshoots from below the main flower spike, so I cut to just below it. The sideshoots are nothing like as splendid as the main one, but they do provide some colour in the garden
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
I confirm Dove's answer.
My delphiniums flower a second time every year! I do nothing to them generally but cut them back to the ground after flowering and they usually start sprouting again.
I deadhead and cut back to small flowering side shoots. That way you do indeed encourage a second flush of flowers.
I then chop it down right to ground level when it's all died back and about September.