Delphiniums are one of the most beautiful flowers with candle-shaped inflorescences. They belong to the buttercup family and are annuals and perennials. Their height, depending on the variety, is from 50 cm to 2 m. A lot of flowers of various colors are collected on a long pyramidal peduncle – blue, blue, purple, white, pink. Inside, each flower has an “eye” consisting of smaller petals.
Delphiniums need sheltered from the wind, sunny places. But it is desirable that they shade at noon, at least for 2-3 hours. Perennial delphinium bushes grow quite quickly, thanks to horizontal roots. Each year, these roots give life to new plants. Delphiniums bloom from the end of May to June, and bloom for 30 to 40 days. If, after flowering, all flower stalks are cut to the level of the soil, then delphiniums are able to re-bloom in the fall.
Delphiniums are characterized by high winter hardiness (they can withstand up to -40 ° C). But they often die from dampness, in warm winters. If possible, try not to plant delphiniums in places where snow melts the fastest in spring.
How do delphiniums reproduce?
Delphiniums reproduce by seeds, cuttings and division of bushes. You can divide bushes older than three years. Division spend in the spring, as soon as sprouts appear from the ground. Dig up the mother bush, and carefully, with a clean, sharp knife, divide it into sections, so that each has 1 – 2 sprouts. Place cuts, to prevent rotting, sprinkle with crushed charcoal or ash. If the spring is warm, then plant the delenki on the planting bed. And if it is cold, then for quick rooting, plant the delenki in seedling pots. For planting, use a nutrient soil mixture consisting of humus, black soil and sand, in a ratio of 1:1:1. Place the pots with plantings in a warm place, and as the shoots grow (after 3-4 weeks), transplant the delphiniums to a permanent place in the garden. In the first year, we recommend cutting off flower stalks so that the plant is well strengthened.
Another easy and fast way to reproduce is cuttings
A little more difficult and painstaking to propagate delphiniums seeds. Delphinium seeds quickly lose their germination capacity, so only fresh seeds should be sown (up to a year after harvest). In the fall, collect the seeds and store them in the refrigerator until March. Since delphinium seeds need stratification. Start planting in March. Pour earth mixture (humus, black soil, sand 1:1:1) into seedling boxes or pots and lightly tamp. Make shallow rows (half a centimeter) at a distance of 5 – 7 cm from each other. Distribute the seeds in rows, cover them with earth and carefully moisten the soil with a sprayer. Seedlings will sprout in 2-3 weeks. After a month, thin out the young plants, leaving 5–7 cm between them. In May, plant strong and hardened seedlings in open ground.
How to plant a delphinium?
Delphiniums prefer fertile, well-drained soils that are neutral to slightly acidic. They love soils well fertilized with humus, compost and peat. You can plant delphiniums in autumn and spring. For spring plantings, dig the soil in the fall, add compost and manure for digging. And in the spring, if the soil is compacted, loosen it well. Start planting in April. On the prepared site, make holes 40 – 50 cm deep, at a distance of at least 50 cm from each other. Pour a little peat and humus into the holes, mix with the ground, water and plant the plants. Compact the soil around the plants and water again.
What care do delphiniums need?
Young plants, in the second year of life, give abundant shoots. In order for the plant not to waste energy on this growth, but to form flower stalks, it must be thinned out. Remove shoots growing from the middle of the bush so that the plants receive enough light and air. Fragile shoots often suffer from winds. To prevent this from happening, as soon as the plants reach a height of half a meter, tie them to pegs.
Starting from the age of two, delphiniums need to be fed. During the season they need to be fed three times, alternating organic and complex mineral fertilizers. Spend the first top dressing in early spring (superphosphate, ammonium nitrate, potassium chloride), the second – during budding (organic), and the third – in August (superphosphate, ammonium nitrate).
Since delphiniums are moisture-loving plants, keep the soil around the bushes moist all the time. But you should not over-moisten the soil. In autumn, when flowering ends, cut off the aerial part, leaving 15 – 20 cm above the soil level. Such pruning will protect the root neck of the delphiniums from damping out in the spring. Perennial delphiniums in one place can grow up to 10 years, after which they need to be transplanted.
Published: 19.05.2014
