Perennial herbaceous plant Aquilegia belongs to the ranunculaceae family. There are more than sixty species of flower, which also has other names: columbine, orlik or columbine. In nature, they are found in mountainous regions of the northern hemisphere. This beautiful and delicate plant is unpretentious and loved by many gardeners. Thanks to the work of breeders from natural species different watersheds were created hybrid varieties, with the help of which they decorate country and garden plots.
A herbaceous plant with a height of 50 to 80 cm has a branched rhizome, consisting of a large number of cord-like shoots. Aquilegia has two types of leaves:
- stem leaves sit tightly on the shoot and have a trifoliate shape;
- the basal ones are collected in a rosette, have rounded lobes and a dissected leaf plate.
All leaves are distinguished by a dark green color and a waxy coating.
At the top of the smooth stem are formed long flower stalks with a single drooping flower. Depending on the type and variety, flowers may have different shapes, size and color. There are plain purple, crimson, white, yellow, blue buds and aquilegias with two-color flowers. The buds of some plant species have hollow outgrowths of sepals or petals - spurs.
After flowering, multi-leaf fruits form on the bush. They contain black, shiny, poisonous columbine seeds that can be used for planting and growing throughout the year.
Gallery: aquilegia (25 photos)
Hybrid varieties
Hybrid varieties are distinguished by double and semi-double flowers, which have a large number of petals. Their spur is slightly developed or absent completely. Plants can reach a height of 50 to 100 cm. The most popular varieties:
All hybrid varieties can be grown from seeds, they are easy to care for and are suitable for decorating any garden plot.
Growing aquilegia from seeds
Sowing seeds for seedlings is carried out in March. To do this, prepare seedling boxes filled with a soil mixture of leaf soil, sand and humus (1:1:1). Aquilegia seeds are sown in moist soil and sprinkled with a small layer of sifted soil on top. The containers are covered with paper, newspaper or burlap and placed in a place where sunlight does not reach. Crops should be kept at air temperatures from +16 to +18 degrees. It is necessary to check the soil moisture every day. It must not be allowed to dry out, so if necessary, the soil is moistened with water at room temperature from a spray bottle.
In about one or two weeks, seedlings will appear. They will need to be placed in a well-lit area without direct sunlight. When two true leaves appear on the seedlings, they are picked and planted in containers with loamy nutrient soil. Seedlings are usually ready for picking by the end of April.
Planting in open ground
In the first year, aquilegia grown from seeds is planted in a temporary bed where it will grow. Planting seedlings in open ground practice in June, when the soil warms up well and the temperature reaches above zero. In August or next spring grown bushes can be transplanted to permanent place.
For aquilegia, choose a well-lit place or partial shade. It is preferable to grow columbine in partial shade, where it will flower longer than in the sun.
The soil for aquilegia can be anything, but humus, moist, light and loose soils are best suited for the plant. Before planting, the flowerbed is dug to a depth of approximately 20 cm. For each square meter Each bed is added with one bucket of compost or humus.
The distance between plants depends on the variety:
- low-growing catchments are planted at a distance of 25 cm from each other;
- tall - at a distance of 40 cm.
Aquilegia bushes will bloom in the second year after sowing the seeds.
Features of care
Any species and varieties of aquilegia are unpretentious and during the growing season they require, like all plants, watering, fertilizing, removing weeds, and loosening the soil.
In watersheds, the root system goes deep into the ground, so even in drought the plant will find water for itself. However, in order for flowering to be beautiful and long-lasting, watering must be regular, especially in hot weather without rain.
During the summer, the bushes need to be fed twice:
- Mineral fertilizers per square meter - nitrate 25 g, potassium salt 15 g, superphosphate 50 g.
- Mullein solution - one bucket per square meter of planting.
Fertilizing is carried out during the period of active flower growth, after watering and weeding.
At the end of summer or autumn, when flowering ends, fruits with seeds are formed and aquilegia reproduces by self-seeding. To collect the seeds, you need to put a gauze bag on the fruit. Before sowing, the collected seeds are stored in the refrigerator, after being mixed with soil.
So that the stems that have lost their decorative effect do not spoil appearance plot, they are cut and used for compost. Sick plants are burned.
In adult plants, the roots grow and begin to protrude from the ground. Therefore, the bushes need to be prepared for winter, for which the soil around them is filled with a mixture of humus and compost. This will cover the roots and the plant will receive nutrition for the winter.
Plant propagation
Except seed method propagation, the catchment can be propagated by cuttings and dividing the bush.
Cutting method
Columbine plants are propagated by cuttings in the spring before the leaves appear. A young shoot is selected and cut off from the bush along with the “heel”. Bottom part the segment is treated with a root growth stimulator and placed in a greenhouse. You can plant the cuttings in damp river sand or just light soil, covering it with a cut plastic bottle on top.
The bed for cuttings is prepared in a place protected from direct sunlight. During rooting, it is necessary to monitor soil moisture and ventilate the plants.
In about a month, the cuttings will give roots. They can be dug up and planted in a permanent place.
Dividing the bush
Since aquilegia has fragile roots that lie deep, they divide the bushes as a last resort. This method of propagation is used only if you need to get this particular type of flower. To divide a bush, you need to:
Since the roots will still be slightly damaged when digging up and dividing the bush, the divided plants will be sick for a long time. Therefore, they will need special care.
It is best to place the boxes in partial shade and cover the top with film. In a greenhouse with high air humidity, the divisions will take root better.
Plant pests and diseases
Pests that can plague the watershed include cutworms, spider mites, aphids and nematodes. If the leaves on the plant begin to turn yellow and fall off, and the bush itself has stopped growing and does not bloom, you need to carefully examine it.
From spider mite, aphids and cutworms can be eliminated by treating plants with insecticidal preparations. Nematodes are difficult to destroy, so diseased aquilegias are burned, healthy ones are transplanted to another bed, and garlic, cereals or onions are planted on this one. Nematodes are afraid of these plants.
Among the diseases, aquilegia can be affected by rust, gray mold, powdery mildew. Most often, plants are affected by powdery mildew, which appears as a white coating. It can be seen on stems and leaves. Over time, parts of the plant turn brown, the leaves curl and fall off. As a result, the bushes die. You can get rid of powdery mildew using a solution of green soap and colloidal sulfur.
The leaves of a plant affected by rust become covered rusty spots. The leaves need to be removed and burned, and the bush should be treated with a solution copper sulfate and soaps or preparations that contain sulfur.
Plants affected by gray mold cannot be treated. They need to be dug up and burned. The soil is treated with fungicidal preparations.
At the end of May - beginning of June in many country houses and garden plots unusual delicate or bright, monochromatic or colorful flowers aquilegia. With their help, gardeners decorate flower beds, flower beds, and lawns. Watersheds are often used to form bouquets because they last a long time when cut. Varieties with simple, double or semi-double buds can be planted in a flowerpot and used to decorate a terrace, gazebo or even a balcony.
This unpretentious, graceful perennial captivates with its variety of species and choice of colors. This sophisticated flower belongs to the Buttercup family. Having many names: Aquilegia, Columbine, Orlik, Elven Slipper - flowering plant On the American continent it got its name - Columbine, which means dove.
Aquilegia was even mentioned in Hamlet by Shakespeare. In the Middle Ages, ladies were presented with bouquets of orlik, although in our time not everyone knows about this elegant flower. Openwork leaves from which long cuttings rise upward; many inflorescences are collected on them. Flowers resembling bells are collected in a carved panicle with long spurs. The bush of the plant has decorative foliage and looks great all summer until the end of autumn.
A two-year cycle from the moment of planting gives vigorous flowering next year. This plant is grown on balconies, in pots, in open ground; many varieties are frost-resistant and very easy to care for. Therefore this type garden crops has become widespread in many countries.
Varieties and popular varieties
Breeders began expanding the subspecies, and now there are more than 120 varieties of the flower. The variety of colors of the plant’s peduncle will captivate the imagination of any gardener and landscape designer.
- Aquilegia white - has flowers white, with peduncle up to 60 cm..
- Blue - peduncle height up to 80 cm, large blue and white flowers with a diameter of more than 6 cm.
- Common - found in a variety of colors, there are double varieties. Inflorescence height up to 80 cm..
- Golden - the inflorescences of this species are sunny in color and have golden-white flowers. This species has very long spurs.
- Fan-shaped - leaves with long petioles, inflorescences have large curved spurs. The color is blue-lilac, decorated with a white border along the edge. Frost-resistant variety.
- Skinner's Aquilegia is a frost-resistant variety with a red-yellow color.
There are varieties that combine several colors of inflorescences at once. But the most common will be red, blue, light blue, cream, and pink varieties.
Planting and care in open ground
Any flower garden will be decorated with these delightful and delicate perennial flowers. Requiring no special care, seedlings feel good anywhere. Can grow in partial shade or in sunny area. But then the flowering time will be a little shorter.
Aquilegia seedlings should be planted in light, moist soil, preferably rich in humus. Before planting, prepare the soil, dig it up and add compost to a depth of 20 cm. Bushes are planted at a distance of about 35-45 cm, depending on the variety. It is better to have no more than 10 bushes per 1 square meter. m..
This plant propagates by cuttings, seeds and is very prone to self-sowing; be prepared to remove excess bushes.
Reproduction of aquilegia involves two options:
- seeds;
- cuttings, dividing an adult bush.
You can collect seeds from your plants, but then you won’t be sure color scheme future bush.
Having decided on the type and desired color of the future plant, the seeds are sown in open ground in spring or early autumn. You can also sow in wooden boxes with nutritious black soil.
A shallow furrow is made in the soil prepared for planting. Sow the seeds, water them and sprinkle a small layer of soil on top. For fast shoots, cover with film or glass if sown in a box. When the plant has hatched and leaves appear, you need to remove the glass, otherwise the leaves will get burned from the sun's rays.
Aquilegia does not require complex care. They need regular watering during periods of drought, but do not overwater the plant. During a period without drought, the flower feels quite well, has a developed root system and perfectly obtains the necessary moisture itself. Removing weeds and periodically loosening the soil will improve air exchange and water permeability.
By performing simple steps to care for this unpretentious flower, gardeners will ensure lush flowering and large inflorescences with bright and rich colors.
Photo gallery
If you ask gardeners whether they like ranunculaceae, most likely the majority will answer in the negative. Naturally, everyone has an association with the inconspicuous yellow five-petaled flower, which litters a lot of gardens. However, if you ask such a question about everyone’s favorite aquilegia, the answer will be exactly the opposite. Of course, the columbine, the embodiment of beauty, unpretentiousness and variety of shades, is grown with pleasure by many.
Do connoisseurs of Aquilegia know that it is nothing more than a typical representative of the Ranunculaceae family? Unexpectedly, you must agree! Although, on the other hand, it has five petals, similar leaves, grows in partial shade, has a taproot, is poisonous... Lots of similarities.
What's special about aquilegia?
More than a hundred varieties and varieties of aquilegia are grown in gardens all over the world. IN different countries her name sounds different: “eagle”, “elf slipper”, “columbine (dove)”. In our country, this plant is most often called “catchment”. People have noticed that drops of rain or dew roll down the leaves and collect at their base in a large rainbow ball, sparkling in sun rays. This phenomenon is due to the special structure of the leaf surface (“lotus effect”), when water slides along microscopic protrusions covered with a water-repellent film, without stopping or being absorbed into the plant tissue.
Another one interesting feature aquilegia - a special structure of the corolla of a flower. The petals form a kind of funnel with outgrowths located at the back - spurs. Such outgrowths are characteristics of a variety or species and can be very diverse - long, short, curved into a ring, or completely absent on the flower. And there can be much more than five petals, especially in terry hybrids.
How does aquilegia develop?
Like most perennial crops, in the first year of development Aquilegia produces a basal rosette of leaves, dense and quite decorative due to the beautiful carved shape of the leaves and their greenish-gray tint. In the second year the plant produces several flower stalks that bloom, depending on the variety, from late May to August. And the plant blooms in full color only in the third year.
The duration of flowering in the catchment is 20-30 days, and each individual flower is 10-20 days.
About seeds
After flowering, fruitlets (multi-leaflets) are set, looking like small boxes with many compartments. They ripen with small, black, glossy seeds that are very poisonous. They must be stored so that household members (especially children) do not have access to them.
The seeds have excellent germination throughout the year, germinating in a brush in containers or as self-sowing near a bush. After a year, germination rate drops sharply and by the 3rd year of storage it completely dies out.
In this regard, when purchasing aquilegia seeds in stores, you need to pay attention to the date of packaging and make adjustments when sowing for the tightness of the old planting material.
The most beautiful species and varieties of the catchment
Grown in the world great amount varieties of aquilegia. The most common types include the following:
- Common columbine (A. vulgaris), found throughout Europe. This species formed the basis for a huge number of hybrids, varying in color, doubleness, height and even leaf cut. Let's take a brief look at the most popular variety groups of this type of aquilegia:
- For example, the popular Clementina series, the flowers of which are strikingly similar to clematis, but they are quite low - 40 cm.
- Winki series with cute terry “roses” various shades, suitable for patios.
- The Barlow variety series, very famous and popular due to elegant sophistication double flowers with short spurs and beautiful openwork foliage.
Planting aquilegia
Selecting a location
The columbine can be planted in both sunny and partial shade areas. Planting aquilegia in partial shade is preferable; the plants produce larger and more elegant flowers, and, moreover, flowering lasts longer than in bright sun.
Soil preparation
Aquilegia readily blooms even on poor (but moist) soils, but it is worth trying to apply complex fertilizers to see how much more luxuriant the bush has become, larger flowers and brighter color of the corollas.
Planting aquilegia in open ground
Most often, aquilegia is planted seeds in open ground, sometimes used seedling method.
It was already mentioned above that aquilegia seeds germinate easily. They are collected unripe to avoid self-seeding, ripened in a dry room and sown late summer or spring.
|
Autumn sowing preferable because the seeds undergo natural stratification (go through cold stimulation). It is held in late August - early September. IN shady area The garden bed is prepared, the seeds are sown, and a half-centimeter layer of soil is sprinkled on top. Water carefully. The top of the crops is mulched with peat or humus. in spring You can sow aquilegia seeds in the ground as soon as the snow melts. IN middle lane- in April. Before spring sowing, the gardener must independently cool the seeds in the refrigerator for a month (in a container with wet peat until they hatch) or under the snow, immersing the box with the seeds in a snowdrift. After this, they can be sown in the ground. The bed with spring crops must be watered regularly, avoiding either drying out or waterlogging. At spring sowing Shoots appear in 20-30 days. |
After the seedlings appear, they are shaded from the bright sun and they continue to monitor the soil moisture. When planting densely, thinning is carried out, leaving the strongest seedlings.
In the process of further growth, it is also necessary to carry out weeding from weeds and loosening the soil around the plants in a timely manner.
In the phase of 1-2 true leaves (4-6 weeks after sowing), the seedlings are planted in a permanent place. This must be done very carefully, since it is at this stage that most of the seedlings in the catchment area die. The main task is to preserve the tap root as much as possible and plant it in the hole evenly, without tucking it.
In addition, it is important to ensure regular watering and protection from the scorching sun.
Plants are planted in a permanent place when 5-6 true leaves appear on them.
Planting distance 20 - 40 cm for varieties of different heights.
Planting aquilegia seedlings
You can grow aquilegia with seedlings. Sowing of seedlings is carried out in March.
Before sowing for seedlings, the seeds, just as before spring planting, undergo stratification in the refrigerator or in a box under the snow for 4-6 weeks.
Soil for seedlings is prepared from turf soil, humus and coarse sand in a ratio of 1:1:1. The prepared substrate is scattered into containers, leveled, and well moistened.
The seeds are scattered over the surface, not very thickly if the seeds are fresh. They are sprinkled on top with a thin layer of substrate or lightly pressed down without powdering.
Then they are placed for germination; the optimal temperature for rapid germination is 16-18 degrees. The substrate is kept moist.
Cover the top of the container with a film or bag and periodically open it for ventilation. The film is finally removed after germination.
Shoots appear in 10-14 days.
At the end of April - beginning of May, when 2-3 true leaves appear on the seedlings, picking can be done. Convenient to pick plants in peat cups for subsequent planting in open ground in a permanent place.
When picking, as mentioned above, it is important to carefully place the spine in the hole, without breaking, bending or tucking it.
Aquilegia seedlings are planted in open ground in a permanent place in June.
The plants are maintained at a distance of 20-40 cm from each other, depending on the tallness of the variety.
How to propagate Aquilegia
The catchment is a rather unpretentious plant to care for and propagate. The following methods are used:
- seed propagation,
- cuttings
- dividing the bush.
Growing aquilegia from seeds
Propagation of aquilegia by seeds is described above in the section “Planting aquilegia”.
This process is quite simple, the only thing that is difficult is to get a plant from the seeds that is identical to the mother one, since all the watersheds in the garden are mutually pollinated.
On the one hand, it is very tempting to act as a breeder and choose the most beautiful seedling, not similar to any existing hybrid.
On the other hand, in order to preserve the variety that has made an impression, you should do either dividing the bush (by digging it up and carefully cutting the rhizome with a knife into sections with buds), or cuttings, separating part of the bush from the mother plant and rooting it in a greenhouse.
Cuttings
The watershed is propagated by cuttings if it is necessary to obtain new plants of the desired variety (with seed propagation, varietal characteristics most likely will not be preserved).
Young basal rosettes formed on the aquilegia bush are used as cuttings. They are separated and rooted spring or autumn. Take root more successfully spring cuttings, which are separated from the mother plant before the leaves appear.
The rosette is carefully broken off or cut off at the surface of the ground and the cut is powdered with root formation stimulator powder.
For cuttings, prepare a bed with a light substrate, for example, sand or a mixture of sand and peat, and moisten it.
The rosettes are deepened by 1 cm, and the substrate around them is compacted.
The cuttings are planted on this bed for rooting. Until roots appear, it is necessary to keep the soil moist, then switch to more moderate watering.
Cuttings must be shaded from bright sun.
The best survival rate is achieved in conditions high humidity. To do this, you can build a temporary greenhouse over the rooted sections or cover them with trimmed plastic cans with periodic ventilation.
Established cuttings are transplanted to a permanent place in August (when spring planting) or next spring (for autumn planting).
For the winter, the cuttings need to be protected from frost.
Dividing the bush
Dividing a bush is not the best convenient way breeding for aquilegia. The plant tolerates damage to the roots painfully and takes a long time to take root in a new place. Division with subsequent planting makes sense only for old bushes older than 4-5 years that fall apart into separate plants, or if it is necessary to propagate a rare or favorite variety while preserving its characteristics.
The rhizome is dug up and cut sharp knife so that each division has at least 2-3 buds.
Plants are planted in holes prepared in a new place, watered immediately after planting, and later - in the event of a long absence of rain.
Such bushes are not fertilized until the plants take root.
Aquilegia care
Watering
Aquilegia is a drought-resistant plant. It is watered when planting or transplanting, as well as during dry periods. If there is sufficient precipitation, additional watering is not necessary.
Also, in the process of caring for aquilegia, one should not forget about timely weeding and periodic loosening soil around the bushes.
Transfer
The catchment area does not tolerate transplantation well, so it should only be done if absolutely necessary.
Top dressing
Fertilizers are important for good growth and flowering of aquilegia. In the spring, at the beginning of May, the clumps of the catchment area are fed with humus (0.5 kg per bush) or azophoska (1 tsp per bush), in early June - phosphorus-potassium fertilizers, in August - potassium.
Preparing for winter
Adult aquilegia bushes are quite frost-resistant, and young ones need to be covered for the winter spruce branches or non-woven material.
A feature of aquilegia is that the bases of the leaves of the plants, after dying, become part of the rhizome, so over time the roots begin to protrude from the ground. Therefore, under bushes that are older than 4 years, in the fall add a layer of compost, mixed with humus, which protects the roots from frost and provides the plant with additional nutrition.
Lifespan of aquilegia
Aquilegia is a perennial plant, but plants are grown in plantings for no more than 4-5 years. In older plants, the central part begins to die off, and they split into several daughter plants, as a result of which the bush loses its decorative appearance. Then it is divided and seated, or replaced with a new one.
Aquilegia – herbaceous perennial, which belongs to the Buttercup family. The flower instantly captivates with its beauty. No wonder it is often used in modern landscape design. Do you want aquilegia to decorate yours? blooming garden? Then it's time to get to know her better. We will be happy to tell you about the features of planting and growing it in open ground, and also give you useful recommendations on the propagation of the plant and demonstrate its different varieties in the photo.
Aquilegia: varieties and varieties
Nowadays, not everyone is familiar with it, which cannot be said about the Middle Ages, when any lady was presented with these beautiful flowers. There is even a mention of aquilegia in Hamlet.
These plants have a two-year development cycle. Their rosette leaves have long petioles. The richness of shades is impressive: there are blue, white, crimson, as well as aquilegia, which combine several shades at once. Most of the flowers of these plants have spurs that accumulate nectar.
There are about 120 species of this beautiful plant, which is also called eagle, columbine, dove or elf's slipper.
- Fan-shaped aquilegia. It has trifoliate leaves with long petioles. Its flowers have large curved spurs. This aquilegia is painted in a blue-purple hue with a beautiful white border around the edge. This species grows well and is well adapted to cold weather.
- Hybrid aquilegia. Enough tall view(from 0.5 to 1 m). Its spurs are of different lengths, although there are also spurless varieties with large-sized flowers.
- Alpine Aquilegia. Represented by short perennial varieties. This species is characterized large flowers blue shades with short spurs. The flowering period lasts from late June to early July.
- Ordinary aquilegia. This is the most frost-resistant European species. His distinctive features are stems up to 40-80 cm, spurred and spurless flowers of a wide variety of shades, simple or double.
- Golden-flowered aquilegia. It has large, non-drooping flowers with long spurs. This type It is resistant to cold and drought, has a beautiful golden color. Quite often it is used in landscape design.
- Canadian aquilegia. A North American species with red-yellow flowers and large spurs. Grows well in shady places.
- Skinner's Aquilegia. Very beautiful, frost-resistant appearance. Its flowers are drooping, have straight spurs and are red-yellow in color.
The most famous varieties are: Variety Barlow, Winky, Variety Tower, Biedermeier, Cameo and others.
Planting aquilegia
Any flowerbed will instantly be transformed as soon as a magnificent aquilegia appears on it. Planting and caring for this plant is absolutely not difficult, but it does require some steps. simple rules and advice.
Aquilegia sprouts are planted in open ground for growing in June. It is necessary to provide these perennial plants with shade and protect them from the sun's rays. Already strengthened aquilegias are transplanted to a permanent place in the spring. next year. They can be planted both in the shade and in a sunny area. However, if exposed to bright sunlight, their flowering period will be slightly shorter.
Growing perennial aquilegia It is best to carry out it on light, moist and humus-rich soil. Before planting, the soil needs to be dug up with compost (depth about 20 cm). When planting aquilegia in open ground, you should take into account the fact that per 1 sq. m. no more than 10 plants should be placed. When planting, maintain a distance of about 40 cm between tall varieties.
Attention! Aquilegia is capable of scattering its seeds on the soil. In this case, be prepared to fight the plant’s self-seeding.
Plant care
Aquilegia, the cultivation and care of which does not require special skills, will bring you a lot of pleasure and will delight you with its unpretentiousness. These plants love regular watering. However, thanks to their well-developed root system, they rarely lack water. The only exception will be a very dry period.
When caring for aquilegia, it is important to remove overgrown weeds that interfere with the normal development of the plant. Loosening the soil, especially after rain, will increase its water permeability.
Advice. Growing perennial aquilegias in the same place for a long time can cause unauthorized plant hybridization. Therefore, periodically replant them in other areas.
Fertilizer and feeding of aquilegia
Caring for the amazing aquilegia also involves periodic feeding. Fertilizer is applied twice during the summer. At the very beginning of development, the plant requires mineral fertilizers. For this you will need 50 g of superphosphate, 25 g of nitrate, 15 g of potassium salt. In addition, it is fed with a weak solution of mullein.
To ensure that your columbine garden produces fantastic results, it is recommended that you top it up with nutrient-rich soil every year. This procedure will help prevent the rhizomes from lifting above the ground, which causes the shoots to become weak.
Plant propagation
Reproduction of aquilegia involves two options:
- seeds;
- by dividing the bush.
Sowing seeds in open ground (can be in boxes) occurs in autumn or spring. They are scattered on the surface of moist soil, and then sprinkled with a little earth, after which they are covered with film. If these are old seeds, then they are washed, sown, kept warm for about 4 days, and then frozen.
The first shoots with this propagation will appear within one to two weeks. The seedlings are taken out of the cold and continue to be grown in a well-lit place at room temperature. Planting of seedlings directly into the flower garden occurs as early as May-June.
Attention! Provide the seedlings with a spacious, deep container. This is necessary for the normal development of rhizomes.
Proper and timely care of the plant will give you fabulous bloom, which will have no equal in landscape design.
Plant propagation method dividing the bush can be carried out only for 3-5 years of his life. This is done in early spring or autumn so that the cuttings have time to take root well in the soil before the onset of the first cold weather. Watersheds do not respond well to the replanting process, and their roots are very sensitive. Therefore, division must be carried out extremely carefully. Each division should have about two buds and many small roots.
Diseases and pests
Quite often, aquilegias rot due to excessive watering. Planting in an unfavorable and too shady place can cause powdery mildew, which appears as a white coating on the leaves. In this case, the plant is treated with a sulfur solution.
There is also an aquilegia disease called gray rot. It appears as dark watery spots. Treatment with a solution of potassium permanganate or fungicides will help combat it.
In just a few days, the catchment can be destroyed by aphids or caterpillars. For prevention, it is recommended to treat young plants with foundationazole.
Aquilegia: combination with other plants
Aquilegia perfectly perceives combinations with other plants. For example, they look great with plantings of bells, irises, oriental poppies, bergenia, anemones, ferns and all kinds of ornamental grasses. Low-growing species harmonize perfectly with saxifrage, carnations and gentians. More high grades can be combined with lupins, swimsuits.
Aquilegia in landscape design
In modern landscape design, aquilegias are used for plantings in parks, for mixborders, stylish alpine slides ( low-growing varieties). They will decorate any garden or flower bed. Sometimes they are used to create stylish dry compositions, paintings and panels.
Aquilegia is a sophisticated and delicate plant, the beauty of which will not leave you indifferent.
Aquilegia in the garden: video
Varieties of aquilegia: photo
Aquilegia is one of the most beautiful perennials you can grow in your garden. Until recently, it was represented in our country by 1-2 varieties, but today every gardener can enjoy the diversity of the flower.
In order for the columbine (the second name of the flower) to grow correctly and delight you with bright inflorescences for many years, it is important to follow the recommendations for caring for it.
Description of the plant
Aquilegia is an unpretentious perennial plant from the buttercup family, which usually reaches a height of 100 cm. It has graceful multi-membered flowers with a diameter of about 4.5 cm, leaves of a light green hue with small lobes. Tolerates various weather, including drought, despite the fact that the plant is generally water-loving.
Aquilegia blooms in June-July, but with timely pruning of yellowed leaves, this period can be extended until the end of summer. Planting of such bushes can be done at any time, including in the fall (for the winter). Many varieties of shrubs are frost-resistant, which is why they grow very well in our climate.
The flower also has a second name “catchment”, which it received for the huge amount of water collected by its petals after rain. Aquilegia flowers are considered healing. IN folk medicine There are several recipes for preparing a decoction of them, mainly for rinsing. Aquilegia is actively used in landscape design. It is introduced into flower beds and used for decoration. garden plots, less often - flower arrangements.
Main varieties
There are 120 plant varieties, of which 40 are cultivated hybrids, obtained mainly by crossing European and American aquilegia. Plants can have bright colors, most often two-tone. There are examples of purple, yellow, lilac, blue, and red shades.
All aquilegia hybrids are generous with seeds and retain their properties in subsequent generations, so breeding them is not difficult. It is only important to follow the rules for germinating a flower and further caring for it.
The most spectacular plant varieties:
- “Yellow Queen” is one of the few heat-loving varieties with yellow inflorescences;
"Yellow Queen"
- "Winky" is a frost-resistant variety of aquilegia with straight stems and upward-pointing flowers.
- "William Guinness" is a hybrid of bright purple shades that has a particularly long flowering period.
"William Guinness"
- "Alpine Columbine" - a short variety for creating alpine slides.
- "Barlow" is an aquilegia with large velvety petals.
"Barlow"
- "Jewel" is a low hybrid that grows well on rocky terrain.
The subtleties of growing aquilegia from seeds
Aquilegia is propagated in two main ways:
- dividing the bush (rarely used, always with the aim of preserving the ort);
- seeds.
The latter are formed in peduncles and form into boxes at maturity. To prevent them from scattering chaotically, the gardener is recommended to monitor the plant as the boxes ripen and prune them before they open completely. Boxes with seeds or planted in the ground (on winter months) to a depth of 1.5 cm, or dry until spring in a cool, dark place.
When planting seeds in the spring, it is recommended to sow them under film. The soil temperature should be about 18 degrees. Plants are watered every 4 days. With this schedule, you can expect sprouts within 24 days. After they hatch, the film can be removed. But you can find out what they look like by reading the article.
Aquilegia, although applicable in folk medicine, is still poisonous plant. Therefore, when working with it, especially when collecting seeds, it is recommended to wear gloves.
In order for the landing to be as successful as possible, it is worth considering the following subtleties of work:
- Seeds should be kept in the refrigerator a month before sowing.
- It is also worth preparing special soil for aquilegia; a mixture of earth, sand, and humus is best suited for this purpose.
- With this method of sowing, seeds should be placed at a depth of 0.5 mm.
As soon as the seedlings form a dense green carpet, the plant can be transplanted into open ground. It is recommended that at this point there is no longer frost on it. It is advisable to carry out the work at the end of May.
Planting a flower
Further work with aquilegia is carried out as follows:
- Plants that have grown to 2-3 leaves are carefully dug up so as not to damage the roots and transplanted into separate pots.
- After a month, the resulting seedlings are moved to open ground, where they are planted at a distance of 20 cm from each other.
When working with aquilegia on the site during the period of transplanting plants from under the film, special attention should be paid to flowers sown for the winter. In May they are weeded and planted at a distance of 20 cm from each other.
Care
Aquilegia is a completely unpretentious plant that does not require special care on any type of soil. It is advisable to plant its bushes in partial shade - they grow better there. In the sun, the plant shrinks. The main activities for caring for the plant will be weeding and loosening. Aquilegia needs good watering and abundant fertilizers, in this case the flower will grow quickly, and its owners will be able to avoid many plant diseases.
Useful measures in caring for such a plant are updating the soil (done once a year) and fertilizing with mullein solution. It is done when small and pale inflorescences are found in the aquilegia, indicating a lack of nutrients in the soil. You can understand how this happens by reading the article.
Watering
Aquilegia is a water-loving plant that should be watered abundantly and often. The soil of the flower should always remain moist. Perfect option watering for aquilegia - simulating rain. You can organize it using modern system irrigation. The watering schedule depends on the selected plant variety.
If it is not possible to water the flower often, water more abundantly. Aquilegia has a developed root system and can easily cope with increased amounts of moisture.
Fertilizer
- In May, root feeding is carried out organic fertilizers“Agricola 7” or “Flower”, mixtures of which are prepared for a given plant in a concentration of 1 teaspoon per 10 liters of water.
- In June, the roots are treated with a solution of urea (1 tablespoon per 10 liters of water) or nitrophoska (2 tablespoons per 10 liters).
- After flowering, aquilegia is saturated with urea (same proportions) or potassium solution.
Proper feeding will allow the plant to bloom almost all summer, so you should pay special attention to the implementation of this care item.
Video
The details of growing and caring for aquilegia are shown in the video below.
Preparing for winter
Before the onset of cold weather, the bush is cut back by about a third. If the winter is expected to be cold, you need to cover the roots with a layer of peat or old leaves - this will provide the bush with additional protection in case of a sharp drop in temperature. You can place spruce paws on top.
There is no need to replant the plant for the winter - it tolerates such weather conditions well. It only needs to be moved once every 3-5 years to preserve the richness of flowering.
Disease and pest control
Aquilegia is prone to rotting with excessive watering. The plant does not tolerate shady places well; here it may develop powdery mildew, a disease characterized by the appearance white plaque on the leaves. The latter become brown and quickly fall off. The most effective method In the fight against this disease, a sulfur solution is considered. The affected aquilegia is treated with its catchment twice a week, after which the disease recedes.
Aquilegia affected by powdery mildew
Another common problem for such plants is gray rot. Her characteristic feature– dark watery spots. You can get rid of the scourge using a solution of potassium permanganate or fungicides. The plant must be treated at the first signs of disease; damaged leaves must be removed.
As for the pests dangerous to aquilegia, the most dangerous among them are caterpillars and aphids. They destroy the entire plant in a few days. An effective remedy against them is foundation. It is recommended to treat with neem young plant for prevention purposes.
Defeat of Aquilegia by aphids
The gradual yellowing of the bush in the second ten days of July is not a deviation from the norm. It indicates the natural death of leaves. If you cut them by a third during this period, the plant will produce new shoots in the spring.
Conclusion
In general, aquilegia is a very unpretentious and easy-to-care flower that can decorate a garden in various latitudes. In order for it to please your eye for as long as possible, you need to choose the right hybrid for climatic conditions cultivation and fulfillment general recommendations care In this case, the plant will delight you for several years in a row.