Gardeners urged to do 1 thing to delphiniums for Chelsea-worthy blooms | UK | News

Nicholas Langdon, delphinium supplier to Kings Charles Blackmore and Langdonshares expert advice for the strongest and healthiest plants.

Speaking to the Express from her gold medal-winning stand in the Grand Pavilion at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show, she explains how to get the biggest blooms.

“Once you get them in, it usually takes about 18 months for them to get used to it. By the second year you’ll have a full screen,” he said.

“If you remove some of the side shoots from the main stem and cut them off, you get a much larger central flower.

“You can also thin them out, which will make them grow taller, but then you have to deal with the wind. If you leave more stem, they stay shorter and deal with the wind better.”

Nutrition is also important in producing remarkable delphiniums, Mr. Langdon said.

“When they grow in soil, we use balanced granular fertilizer,” he said.

“Once they’re potted, we switch to liquid feed. We use Vitafeed and sometimes we give them some calcium nitrate before they come to the show to give them a little incentive.”

Nicholas provides the King with delphiniums for his garden at Highgrove.

The King had previously spoken of his love for the plant: “For me, the magnificent, majestically clad Delphinium, with its impeccable posture and gathering in detachments, has a proud place in my botanical affections.”