Aquilegia: planting and caring for a plant in the open field, growing rules

Spring flowerbed is impossible to imagine without pale blue or purple bell-shaped flowers with long spurs. We are talking about aquilegia that blooms in May, planting and caring for this culture does not require too much effort. The plant is sown in a flower bed in the fall, and in the spring, starting in March, seedlings are grown. Aquilegia endures all the vagaries of the weather and blooms from May to July.

Description and features

Aquilegia is a perennial herb from the Buttercup family. This plant is also called a catchment area, and among the people - a bell, an eagle, boots, a spur, doves.Translated from Latin, aquilegia means collecting water. Raindrops roll down the leaves into the soil, as their surface is covered with a water-repellent film.

Aquilegia is often found in the meadows and forests of North America and Eurasia, grows in the Sayans, Altai, Urals. Garden hybrid varieties are used to decorate flower beds. It is a medicinal plant with a sedative effect, but it is poisonous when fresh.

Aquilegia grows up to 40-80 centimeters in height. It forms a sprawling shrub with a lush rosette of leaves at the base and long, erect, highly branched stems, on the tops of which there are flowers. Culture has a taproot.

Leaves below - long-petiolate, bluish-green, trifoliate, above - sessile or short-petiolate, simple or trifoliate. At the end of summer or autumn, after the end of flowering, new leaves appear. They then overwinter and die off in early spring.In their place, young leaves grow again.

Culture blooms from May to July. The flower of aquilegia, depending on the species, can be simple or double, with yellowish stamens in the middle. In shape, a simple flower is similar to a bell with 5 petals, 5 sepals and spurs, in which nectar accumulates. Size - 4-6 centimeters. Flowers - solitary or collected in inflorescences of 2-3 pieces, often drooping. There are varieties without spurs (Chinese and Japanese varieties). Flowers can be snow-white, blue, yellowish, pale purple, crimson, multi-colored.

After pollination, instead of flowers, a fruit is formed - a multi-leaflet resembling a box. Inside are many small black seeds. They remain viable for no more than 1 year.

Seeds can be sown directly into the ground (in autumn).

Views

There are about 100 types of aquilegia. No more than 35 varieties are cultivated. All species are divided into European and North American.

Alpine

Aquilegia growing in forest and alpine regions. It is listed in the Red Book of many European countries. This is a perennial herbaceous culture that grows up to 40 centimeters in height. Flowers - large, solitary or collected in small inflorescences, deep blue or pale blue with a white border, similar to a bell, have curved spurs.

Common

Perennial, used to breed new varieties. In aquilegia, a branched stem-peduncle grows up to 30-70 centimeters in height. At the base, a lush rosette of long-leaved trifoliate leaves is formed. Aquilegia blooms with blue, pinkish, lilac, sometimes white, bell-shaped flowers with curved spurs.

Fan Shaped

Rock-dwelling perennial. The stem-peduncle grows up to 15-50 centimeters in height. At the root, a compact rosette of fan-shaped, trifoliate leaves is formed. The flowers are purple-blue, white at the edges, bell-shaped, with long curved spurs. Winter-hardy crop that blooms in May.

Hybrid

This species includes hybrids created by breeders. Most of the new varieties are obtained by crossing European and North American species. Hybrids are characterized by a longer flowering period, flower shape and color, resistance to diseases and adverse weather conditions.

Canadian

This aquilegia is native to North America and grows on mountain slopes. Forms a sprawling bush up to 60 centimeters high. Solitary, up to 4.5 centimeters in diameter, drooping, yellow flowers have pinkish sepals and spurs and long, protruding stamens.

Dark

This aquilegia comes from the Alps and the Apennines. Plant height - 30-80 centimeters. It blooms with deep purple or deep blue bell-shaped flowers with curved spurs.

Skinner

Wild forms grow in mountain forests in the southern United States. This is a herbaceous perennial with a stem height of 60-70 centimeters. The yellow flowers are topped with pink sepals and have small reddish spurs. Heat-loving species, blooms in August.

Goldenflower

Culture comes from the southern regions of America. Herbaceous perennial with erect stems up to 1 meter high. Has rich yellow, 5-petalled, bell-like flowers with pale sepals and curved spurs.

Olympic

Perennial native to the Caucasus and Asia Minor. This plant has large light blue flowers with spurs, covered with a more saturated color with long sepals. The culture grows up to 40-60 centimeters. Blooms from May to June (30 days).

Popular varieties

Based on the main types of aquilegia, often by crossing them, a huge number of new varieties have been bred. Various in height and shape, color of flowers, crops are used to decorate flower beds, borders, grown as a pot plant or for cutting.

Barlow Rose

A variety of aquilegia vulgaris. Herbaceous perennial up to 60 cm high. It has large (up to 5 centimeters), densely double flowers of pale pink color. Blooms twice - at the very beginning and at the end of summer. Openwork leaves remain green until frost.

Winky

Hybrid, characterized by long and abundant flowering. Grown outdoors and in pots. It has a compact bush with a height of 0.50 meters. A dense, lush rosette of leaves grows at the base, above which erect peduncles rise with dark pink, white-purple flowers turned upwards.Winter-hardy variety.

Blue Star

Tall spreading bush with fan-shaped green leaves diverging from the base in different directions. The flowers are white-blue, drooping, bell-shaped, with 5 petals and 5 sepals and small curled spurs.

Flashlight

Aquilegia variety derived from the Canadian species. Above a lush rosette of bluish-green basal leaves rise erect peduncles with orange-pink drooping flowers, similar to lanterns.

Citrina

Aquilegia with lemon yellow, simple flowers with spurs. The sepals are much longer than the petals, they diverge in different directions. In the middle of the flower is a bunch of yellowish stamens.

Alba

Aquilegia with a fluffy openwork skirt of leaves at the base and high stems-peduncles. Flowers are white, drooping, bell-shaped, with long divergent sepals and curled spurs.

Music F1

Compact bush up to 0.50 meters high, with a lush rosette of basal, openwork, bluish-green leaves. The flowers are creamy yellow (bluish, pink), simple, with long sepals and spurs.

Origami F1

A low bush (up to 35 centimeters) with a fluffy skirt of openwork leaves. Flowers - simple, with long spurs, often two-tone (white-blue, pink-burgundy).

Clementina

Aquilegia with double pale pink (white, deep blue) flowers, similar to asters. Flower heads turned up.

Winki

A low compact plant (up to 50 centimeters) with a lush rosette of openwork basal leaves. Flowers "look" up, as if winking at everyone. Aquilegia blooms with pale red or purple flowers with a diameter of 5.5 centimeters.

Blue ice

A low bush (up to 15 centimeters) with a raised rosette of openwork leaves. The flowers are simple, drooping, blue-white or purple-cream.

Crimson star

Hybrid aquilegia. The stem grows up to 60 centimeters in height. It has red flowers with a white center.

Biedermeier

Short, decorative hybrid, the stem of which grows up to 0.30-0.40 meters in height. Flowers - double, bicolor (red-yellow, white-blue).

Birds of Paradise

The bush of this culture is high (up to 0.80 meters). The flowers are large, double, of various colors, similar to asters.

Giant McCann

Hybrid culture. It has a tall (up to 1.2 meters) stem. Flowers of various colors - large, rarely drooping, have long spurs.

Nora Barlow

Plant with two-color or one-color large flowers, similar to dahlias. Flowers can be soft pink, rich red, deep purple.

Yellow crystal

This variety of aquilegia has a tall (up to 0.80 cm) stem. The flowers are simple, deep yellow, with long sepals and spurs.

Ruby port

A variety derived from Aquilegia vulgaris. Forms a lush bush with dense foliage at the base. The stems grow up to 0.9-1.1 meters. The flowers are double, large (up to 4.5 centimeters), dark red. Grown to decorate flower beds or cut flowers.

Columbine

Aquilegia with large double flowers similar to asters. Flower heads turned up. May have a snow-white, reddish, lilac color.

How to sow seedlings

Aquilegia is grown in 2 ways - seedling and seedless. For seedlings, seeds are sown in spring or autumn. In any case, the seeds must first be stimulated with cold for at least 1 month. Hybrid commercial varieties require no pre-treatment or processing.

Spring sowing

In the spring, in mid-March, aquilegia seeds are sown for seedlings in boxes with a nutrient substrate. They germinate in 7-16 days.

Preparation of soil and containers

To grow seedlings, aquilegia buy a substrate for flowering plants or prepare their own soil mixture. Soil composition: soddy land, compost (humus), sand (all ingredients are taken in equal proportions). Small boxes or pots with a drainage hole are suitable for growing seedlings.

Preparation of planting material at home

Before planting, seeds need cold stratification. This pre-sowing treatment accelerates seed germination. In the refrigerator, on a shelf with vegetables, the seed is kept for 1 month. Then the seeds of aquilegia are soaked in water, after which they germinate for several days in the light at a temperature of 25 degrees Celsius.

How to plant

Aquilegia seeds are evenly distributed over the surface of the moistened substrate, then sprinkled with earth and covered with a transparent film until germination. From time to time the earth needs to be moistened. Boxes with sown aquilegia seeds are kept indoors at a temperature of 16-18 degrees Celsius.

Autumn sowing

For aquilegia, autumn sowing with freshly harvested seeds is more preferable. In this case, the seeds undergo a natural stratification. Aquilegia seeds are sown in containers with a fertile soil mixture. The boxes are taken out into the street and dug in the garden. There they should be all winter.

How to prepare the soil

For sowing, you need to take garden or soddy soil mixed with humus, peat and sand. All components are taken in equal proportions. The earth must first be disinfected with a fungicidal solution or potassium permanganate.

Landing

Seeds of aquilegia are not very densely scattered on loosened, moistened ground, sprinkled with soil 0.5 cm from above. Before frost, crops are mulched with peat or humus.

Timing

Sowing seeds is carried out in mid-autumn (early October). In the spring, when shoots appear, the seedlings are carefully removed from the box and immediately planted in a permanent place.

Growing

Aquilegia seeds sown in March for seedlings germinate after 7-16 days. Growing seedlings need to be regularly looked after, and at the end of May they should be transferred to a flower bed.

Light and temperature conditions

Seedlings need to provide a temperature of 16-18 degrees Celsius. Light day should be 10 hours. If it is too hot or dark, the seedlings will stretch out a lot.

Irrigation

Growing seedlings of aquilegia should be regularly (moderately) irrigated with water. It is important to ensure that the earth in the box does not dry out. Seedlings are not recommended to be filled with water, otherwise they will get sick with a black leg and wither.

Dive

The grown seedlings of aquilegia must first be thinned out, leaving only the strongest ones in the box. After 4-6 weeks, when 2 true leaves appear on the seedlings, the plants dive into separate containers (peat cups).

During picking, the spine is neatly straightened in the hole, not bent or broken.

Landing in open ground

Seeds sown in early May or seedlings planted closer to summer in the first year will give only a lush, basal rosette of leaves.In the second spring, several flower stalks will appear. Abundant flowering of aquilegia can be obtained only in the third season. Each flower blooms for 5-10 days, hybrids last longer - up to 20 days. The period of full flowering of one crop is about 30 days.

Choosing a seat

Aquilegia is best planted in a well-lit area. Some varieties prefer light partial shade, in such places they will bloom longer.

Soil Requirements

Aquilegia prefers neutral to slightly acidic, light, sandy or loamy soil. It is advisable to dilute too clay soil with peat and sand, and add a little humus or compost to poor soil.

Timing

Seeds are sown in the flower bed in early May. Seedlings are transferred - at the end of May, when the air warms up to 15-18 degrees Celsius. On the shoots that have grown in 1.5-2 months, there should be 5-6 true leaves, the size of the sprouts should be 10-20 centimeters.Such plants will bloom only in the second year.

Plant pattern

Pre-grown aquilegia seedlings are planted in prepared holes, at a distance of 25-30 centimeters from a neighboring crop. Plants from which they want to get seeds are planted away from relatives to avoid cross-pollination.

Sowing before winter

Purchased seeds of hybrids and self-collected seed can be sown in a flower bed in the fall. During the winter, the seeds will undergo natural stratification.

Preparing the beds

Pre-dig the soil to a depth of 20 centimeters. Add a little rotted manure or compost to the soil (half a bucket per 1 square meter of land).

How to sow

Seeds are sown sparsely, in loosened and pre-moistened soil. Sprinkle 0.5 cm on top with soil.

How to close the garden

Before frosts, the planting of aquilegia is covered with a thick layer of peat or humus. In early spring, the mulch is removed and flower stalks are allowed to germinate.

Timing

In autumn, seeds are sown in an open flower bed in late September or early October. It is advisable to sow the seeds before November, that is, before the ground freezes completely.

Care

Aquilegia is an unpretentious and non-capricious culture. However, with regular watering, combined with periodic fertilization, it will bloom longer and more abundantly.

Loosening and weeding

After rains, the ground near the bush needs to be loosened so that a soil crust does not form, which interferes with the circulation of oxygen. Be sure to remove the weeds that have appeared on the flower bed so that they do not take away nutrients.

Feeding

In order to grow a lush bush, aquilegia needs to be fed in early spring with humus (0.5 kilograms for 1 crop) or azofoska (1 teaspoon under a bush). In early June, it is necessary to apply potash-phosphorus fertilizers. In August, the bush can be fed with phosphorus additives.

Moderate watering

Aquilegia tolerates drought well, but for abundant and long flowering in the dry season, the plant needs to be watered. If it rains regularly, watering is not necessary.

Garter

Tall varieties can be tied to a support. For garters use wooden sticks, bamboo, twine.

Root Powder

Every year you need to pour a little fertile land under the bush. This is done in order to sprinkle the roots that come to the surface.

Removing dry peduncles

Fade flowers must be constantly removed, not giving them the opportunity to form a seed box. In this way, you can achieve a longer flowering of aquilegia. If the plant is grown for the sake of seeds, the flowers are not touched, the seeds are allowed to ripen. Dry flower stalks are removed in the fall, after collecting seeds. They are cut to the level of the rosette of leaves.

Pruning after flowering, preparing for winter

After flowering, flower stalks of hybrid crops must be cut together with unripe boxes, as their seeds are not used for sowing. Before wintering, adult bushes usually do not insulate. However, it is advisable to cover young plants with spruce branches or dry leaves. A layer of compost or humus is poured under bushes older than 5-6 years before wintering.

Transfer

Adult aquilegia does not tolerate transplant well. The plant is transplanted only in extreme cases. For example, at the age of 5-6 years, during vegetative reproduction (bush division).

Diseases and pests

In cool and wet weather, weakened plants growing on poor soils can become sick. In the heat, aquilegia is often attacked by pests.

Powdery mildew

Fungal infection. Signs: A white fluffy coating appears on the leaves and stems. As a preventive measure, the plant is sprayed in spring with a fungicide solution (Fitosporin-M) or colloidal sulfur.

Rust

A fungal disease in which numerous orange spots appear on the underside of leaves. Subsequently, the affected surface dries up, and the plant withers. For prevention, the bushes are sprayed with a solution of copper sulfate, colloidal sulfur or a fungicide.

Grey Rot

A fungal infection that appears on leaves and peduncles in the form of gray mold in wet weather. For prevention, fungicides are used (Topaz, Champion).

Nematodes

These are tiny worms that live in the ground. They feed on roots and stems. In the affected plants, the leaves turn yellow and curl, the buds dry up. Nematocides save from nematodes (Carbation, Terakur).

Aphid

Tiny light green soft-bodied insects that live on the underside of leaves and feed on their sap. Cause yellowing and drying of the leaves, poor flowering. Spraying with insecticides (Karbofos, Aktellik) is saved from aphids.

Spider mite

A small red insect that lives on the underside of the leaves and weaves a white cobweb. It feeds on the juice of plants, which is why the leaves become covered with yellow spots and dry out. Acaricides (Kleshchevit, Iskra) save from ticks.

Methods of reproduction

Aquilegia is propagated by seed or vegetatively. It is better to buy seeds of hybrid varieties in a specialized store.

Cutting

In the spring, young, not yet had time to dissolve the leaves, the first sprouts are broken out at the base, placed in a solution of Heteroauxin and rooted in a wet sand-peat mixture. From above, the cuttings are covered with a transparent jar or plastic bottle. Rooting takes place over 20 days.

Dividing the bush

In early spring (April) or after flowering in autumn (September), the bush is divided. For reproduction, an old plant at the age of 5-6 years is chosen. The bush is divided into 2-3 parts. Each division should have he althy roots and a couple of renewal points. Ground leaves can be trimmed, leaving no more than 2-3 leaves on each division. A divided bush takes a long time and painfully to take root in a new place due to root damage, and in the first year it does not even bloom.

Seed collection and selection for sowing

Seeds are harvested when they are fully ripe.You can put bags on the boxes so that the seeds do not spill out of them without permission. True, with the seed method of reproduction, it is not always possible to obtain a new plant identical to the mother plant. Varietal characteristics in this case are not preserved. It is better to buy ready-made hybrid seeds in the store.

How and why to use forcing

Aquilegia is often grown as a cut flower for the spring holidays. To do this, in the fall, the bush is dug up, divided and planted in pots. For some time, the containers should stand in the cold in a dark place. In January, they are brought into a warm and well-lit room. A stressful situation awakens the plant, and it blooms by March 8.

Landscape use

Aquilegia is used to decorate flower beds, mixborders, rock gardens, flower arrangements. This flowering culture with a lush rosette of basal, openwork leaves looks great in single plantings.Aquilegia is combined with irises, lupins, bluebells, ferns, ornamental grasses.

Medical applications

Aquilegia contains many biologically active components (alkaloids, flavonoids, tannins, tannins, vitamins, minerals). Thanks to them, this culture is used as a diuretic, sedative, anti-inflammatory, analgesic. For medicinal purposes, all parts of the plant are used, they are torn off, dried and tinctures or decoctions are made. It must be remembered that fresh aquilegia juice is poisonous.

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