Content
The cultivation of aquilegia at home is distinguished by simple and understandable agricultural techniques, does not require special knowledge and skills. The flower, in simple colloquial speech "catchment", delights with splendor and harmonious combination of shades. An unpretentious decorative look has been immensely popular with florists and gardeners everywhere for more than a dozen years. Outside of the Russian Federation, the plant is called "elf's shoe", "dove", "eagle" for the amazing features of the inflorescence and the original structure of the leaves. In the morning or after the rain, the aquilegia bush is a delightful sight: sparkling drops of rain or dew roll down the leaves and gather at the base of the stem attachment in the form of large diamonds.
The aquilegia leaf has a unique "lotus effect", so the water is repelled from the microprotrusions on the leaves and is not absorbed
The inflorescence corolla is an original funnel with outgrowths - decorative spurs. Depending on the species and variety, they can be curved, short or long, like the shoes of a magical oriental elf.
Terry aquilegia hybrids (such as Adelaide Edison) can have more than five petals per inflorescence
The nuances of growing aquilegia outdoors
A modest and at the same time sophisticated look is a worthy decoration of a local area, a flower bed or a flower garden. Planting and caring for the flowers of the catchment area does not require much effort. To get multi-colored eagles in a personal plot, it is enough to know the simple rules for planting a plant in open ground, the main subtleties of care.
The catchment can be grown from seed. Most often they germinate in spring with a thick brush as a result of uncontrolled self-seeding. In early March, seeds can be sown for seedlings. However, it is more preferable in latitudes with warm and temperate climates to sow directly into open ground in early spring or late autumn.
You should be aware that it is not always possible to get a plant from seeds collected at home that is identical in color to the mother's inflorescence. During the growing season, crops are pollinated among themselves many times. To preserve the variety of the vending aquilegia bush in the pristine beauty of flowers and shades, reproduction by cuttings or dividing the bush will help.
Experienced growers do not recommend using seeds that have been stored for more than 3 years, since over time, the seed material of aquilegia almost completely loses its germination rates. The main stages of planting and caring for aquilegia, presented below and supported by photos, demonstrate affordable and simple actions that will help grow healthy and unpretentious plants in any flower bed, garden bed, flower garden.
Exquisite varieties of unique elf shoes will delight and delight with magnificent flowering for up to 1 month, while the duration of flowering of each individual inflorescence is up to 20 days
How to plant aquilegia in the ground
The conditions for growing aquilegia provide that plants can be planted in open ground in spring or late autumn (before winter). In order to start a decorative culture, you can use several methods:
- seeds (sowing in open ground or for seedlings, followed by thinning and care);
- cuttings (with the help of separation and subsequent rooting of young basal rosettes);
- dividing the bush (dividing the root system of an adult plant into parts, followed by transplanting into the ground).
Plants must be placed in the hole carefully, trying not to damage the roots, gently straightening, not bending, not twisting or breaking the root processes
When can I plant aquilegia
Autumn and spring are considered the most suitable seasons for planting aquilegia flowers. The main difference between seasons is the natural stratification of seeds (when propagated by seeds), which is ensured when sowing aquilegia in the fall. If sowing the catchment in spring, the seeds should be pre-treated. Planting of cuttings and plots is also carried out in spring and autumn; it has its own characteristics.
Planting aquilegia in spring
Planting aquilegia in open ground in the spring is done immediately after the snow melts. The planting material is stimulated with cold - stratified. Several methods are used for this. For one month, seeds intended for planting can be stored:
- in the vegetable drawer of the refrigerator;
- in a separate container with well-moistened peat in a cool place (basement, veranda, barn);
- in a separate container under the snow.
In the spring, the planting of aquilegia by cuttings proceeds more successfully, when young basal rosettes are separated from the mother plant even before the leaves appear. Transplanting by dividing the rhizome in the spring can negatively affect the process of survival of the plant's root system in a new place.
Forcibly stratified seeds are to be sown in open ground in March-April
Planting aquilegia before winter
Autumn sowing, according to most flower growers and gardeners, is the most effective and preferable for growing and caring for aquilegia in the open field. During the winter period, the seeds undergo natural stratification (hardening), therefore, in early spring they give more productive and faster shoots. Transplanting aquilegia in the fall (after flowering ends, at the beginning of September) can be done by cuttings and dividing the rhizome.
The autumn period is considered more successful for replanting and rooting of the catchment.
Site selection and soil preparation
As a "permanent residence", aquilegia prefers partial shade, although it feels great in sunny meadows. In partial shade of buildings or trees, the catchment produces brighter, larger inflorescences, with the longest flowering period (in comparison with plants placed in bright sunlight).
Elves' slipper is not picky about the choice of soil. The plant can be planted even in poor but moist soil.
When applying complex fertilizers, eagle inflorescences are painted in more saturated shades
How to plant aquilegia correctly
Proper planting and caring for perennial aquilegia allows you to get beautiful, healthy, constantly flowering ornamental plants. To properly plant aquilegia, you must adhere to the rules.
How to properly plant aquilegia seeds outdoors
In the open ground, the stratified seeds of the catchment are sown into small depressions of the required shape prepared with a hoe (depending on the configuration of the flower garden). The seeds are sprinkled with a layer of earth (0.5 cm), watered, mulched with humus or peat.
A month after sowing, the first shoots appear
How to properly plant aquilegia seeds for seedlings
For seedlings, stratified aquilegia seeds are sown in a specially prepared, well-moistened soil mixture.The substrate for the catchment area consists of equal parts of sod land, river coarse sand and humus. Seeds are not scattered thickly, slightly pressed down or sprinkled with a thin layer of soil. To create a greenhouse effect, the container is covered with plastic wrap. At temperatures up to 18 ° C and a sufficient level of humidity, the first entrances appear after 2 weeks.
If there are 2 permanent leaves on the plants, the catchment is dived into separate cups and transplanted into open ground in April-May
How to properly plant aquilegia cuttings
Planting eagle cuttings in open ground consists in replanting young basal rosettes, which are separated from the mother plant and rooted in a new place. The socket is carefully removed from the ground, the cut site is treated with a stimulator, buried in the hole to a depth of 1 cm, abundantly moistened until the cutting is completely rooted.
Plants from cuttings take root more successfully in the spring in a shaded place.
How to properly plant aquilegia plots when dividing a bush
Planting plots obtained as a result of dividing a bush of an adult catchment area is carried out in prepared pits. Bushes older than 4-5 years of age are dug up and divided into parts with a sharp knife so that each contains more than 3 viable buds. This planting method allows you to propagate plants with full preservation of the varietal characteristics of the shapes, sizes and color characteristics of the petals. After placing the plots in the holes, the plants are pressed and sprinkled with earth, thoroughly moistened.
The distance between individual bushes of elf shoes must be at least 40 cm
How to grow aquilegia
Planting and caring for an aquilegia flower is not difficult. In the photo of individual varieties, you can appreciate the beauty and natural splendor of shapes and colors. Modest and beautiful eagle inflorescences are perfectly combined with any areas of landscape design.
The delicate shades of Mr. Scott Elliot's aquilegia petals amaze with magical combinations of pastel shades
Watering and feeding schedule
Aquilegia is a fairly drought-resistant crop. After the appearance of the first shoots, as well as before the final rooting of cuttings or plots, the plants continue to be watered regularly and abundantly. Increase watering on dry summer days. With a sufficient amount of atmospheric precipitation, the catchment does not need additional irrigation.
To ensure a spectacular flowering and rapid development, the elf's shoe should be fertilized in a timely manner:
- early May - feeding with humus (at the rate of 0.5 kg per one bush);
- the beginning of June - potassium-phosphorus preparations;
- early August - feeding with potash fertilizers.
In addition to regular watering, young plants of the catchment should be protected from the scorching sun.
Loosening and weeding
Loosening the soil around the catchment is one of the mandatory rules for caring for an ornamental crop. The plant needs weeding of weeds, as well as thinning of seedlings (in the case of sowing seeds).
The thinning process leaves the healthiest, strongest shoots
Aquilegia care after flowering
After the completion of budding, the faded inflorescences of the catchment are cut off. Since the plant spends additional energy on planting seeds, dry peduncles should be removed in a timely manner.
If you leave the faded inflorescences until late autumn, you can collect seeds or the plant can multiply by self-sowing
Preparation for wintering
Aquilegia is a frost and cold resistant ornamental crop. Young (up to 1 year old) bushes are covered with non-woven material or spruce branches for the winter period. Mature plants do not need shelter. During preparation for wintering, the bases of the aquilegia leaves die off and transform into part of the root system. For this reason, in adult eagles, the roots protrude from the ground.
In autumn, a small layer of compost and humus should be poured under adult aquilegia bushes, which will provide additional fertilization, and also protect the root system of the crop from winter cold
Pests and diseases
The catchment area is characterized by persistent immunity, and is rarely affected by diseases. In a particularly rainy summer period, aquilegia can be affected by powdery mildew or gray mold.
Powdery mildew appears as a white coating on stems and leaves. To combat the disease, you can use the treatment with such drugs: soda ash (at the rate of 1 tablespoon per 5 liters of water), colloidal sulfur solution, Tiovit Jet, Fitospori-M, Chistotsvet, Skor.
Powdery mildew affects aquilegia during lingering rains
Gray mold attacks the leaves of the catchment area. The disease quickly spreads to neighboring plants.
In case of detection of gray rot, diseased plants must be burned, the affected areas of the land must be treated with insecticides
The main pests of aquilegia are nematodes, spider mites and aphids.
Nematodes infect the root system of the catchment.
At the first sign of nematodes, the affected ornamental plants must be burned
Aphids suck the juices from the stems, as a result of which the slipper of the elves gradually dies.
Insecticides are used to get rid of aphids.
The spider mite settles on the lower part of the leaf plates.
To combat spider mites, you can use modern drugs such as Actellik
Conclusion
Growing aquilegia is possible even for novice amateur flower growers. Following the simple rules of planting and care allows you to grow a mysterious perennial with an amazing flower shape. People have been cultivating the eagle for several centuries. The creators sang the praises of plants in their works. For example, Hamlet's Ophelia offered Laertes a graceful Columbine flower, and medieval painters associated aquilegia with the presence of the Holy Spirit.
