- 1). Put on gloves before handling or working with Delphinium plants, which contain toxic alkaloids that cause severe skin irritation and gastrointestinal problems and convulsions or paralysis if ingested.
- 2). Grasp the spent flower stalk of the Delphinium to steady it. Reach into the center of the foliage and sever the spent flower stalk at the base, using bypass shears. Discard the flower stalk in a green waste bin rather than composting it.
- 3). Trim away yellow leaves as they appear during the growing season, using bypass shears. Snip the leaves away at the base. Discard the yellowed leaves in a green waste bin.
- 4). Continue removing the spent flowering stalks during the summer to prompt renewed flowering. Leave the last set of flowers in fall to dry out and produce seed, if desired. Cut off the stalk after the seeds have been gathered.
- 5). Cut away all the leaves within 2 inches of the ground in autumn to help the Delphinium overwinter with minimal damage.
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