Delphinium planting and care

Delphiniums belong to the Buttercup family. These can be annuals or perennials. They grow throughout the temperate zone in the Northern Hemisphere, some species grow in the African tropics. This plant is one of the most popular for garden decoration.

Delphinium varieties

In total, about 350 varieties of delphinium are known. We can say that this culture is quite capricious and demanding on the conditions of detention. Some varieties need to be constantly rejuvenated, the bushes of others are falling apart, others are very sensitive to various kinds of diseases and are not capable of re-flowering. Therefore, most often in gardens there are such varieties:

• Delphinium Bolkdade has a classic delicate bluish color and is surprisingly durable. It can grow up to 120 cm in height. The foliage of this variety is lush and dense, with an unusual bright color. Flowers are collected in graceful clusters on tall shoots. The bush of this delphinium variety does not fall apart even in strong winds and retains its decorative effect.

• Delphinium Atlantis is very similar to the previous variety, but is less tall. A distinctive feature of this variety is the rare ultramarine color of the flowers. Due to the size of the inflorescences and their number, this variety is one of the most visible and instantly attracting attention.

• Delphinium Piccolo has relatively short inflorescences and an average height of up to 1 meter. The flowers are cupped and sky-blue in color, collected in loose openwork brushes. Unlike other varieties, Piccolo can bloom twice a season. Flowers bloom for the first time in June, and the second wave of bloom occurs in October when the weather is right.

• Delphinium Berghimml is recognized as the most reliable and perennial variety. The length of the peduncles of this variety can exceed 2 meters. The first flowering occurs at the beginning of summer, then, after pruning, the delphinium blooms again in September. Flowers of this variety reach 5 cm and are collected in cylindrical panicles of 20 or more pieces.

Delphinium landing

For landing of these plants you must first grow seedlings. If you immediately sow seeds in open ground, then delphiniums will die. To begin with, the seeds of delphiniums are soaked in a solution of potassium permanganate of low concentration. The solution for this should be slightly pinkish.

Pour soil into the seedling container, having previously cleared it of debris and weeds. It is best to use a ready-made flower primer. Then spread the seeds over the surface of the compacted soil and cover with a layer of thin soil. After that, the crops must be watered with warm boiled water and covered with a dark film. After about 2 weeks, the first shoots will appear. At this time, you need to remove the film and put the boxes in the sun.

When the weather is warm outside and the temperature does not drop below +13 degrees, it's time to start landing in the ground. In the pits made for delphiniums, it is necessary to place humus and sifted ash and mix with the soil. After that, the seedlings are planted in holes and watered with abundant lukewarm water. The distance between adjacent plants should be more than 60 cm.

Delphinium care

This plant is quite unpretentious, therefore care behind it is not particularly difficult. To water delphiniums should be moderate, not flooding, but also not allowing the soil to dry out, this plant does not tolerate stagnant moisture. When watering, direct the water flow under the roots, as there is a high risk of scalding if water gets on the foliage. The next day after watering, it is necessary to loosen the soil, while simultaneously removing the weeds.

With good care, the plant can bloom for almost two months. Therefore, it is important to cut off the flower stalks that have already faded in a timely manner.

Delphinium pruning is carried out in two stages. For the first time, this should be done when the stems stretch 20 cm. It is necessary to remove weak shoots, leaving no more than 5 pieces of strong ones. The second time delphiniums are pruned after flowering, leaving several shoots to obtain seeds.

When the height of the stems reaches half a meter, it is necessary to tie them to a support so that they do not break under the gusts of wind. For the garter, use long stakes and fabric bands, the stems are very thin and the ropes can damage them.

Feed delphiniums are needed three times a season. The first time this is done in the spring, then during the budding period. The last dressing should be done immediately after flowering. In August and later, top dressing is not carried out so that a violent green mass does not grow.

Delphinium transplant

An adult plant in its usual place can grow up to ten years. However, in some cases, after the third year, the middle of the bush begins to rot. This greatly reduces the attractiveness of the delphinium, so you have to resort to a transplant.

To do this, the bush is simply dug up and the root system is divided so that 3-4 shoots remain on each part. After that, parts of the bush are planted in another place in the usual way.

Delphinium: photo