Delphinium flower, or spur, larkspur, belongs to the Buttercup family. About 450 species of annual and perennial plants are known. There are several legends about the origin of its name. One of them says that an unopened flower looks like a dolphin's head. Another - such a name was given in honor of the Greek city of Delphi, in which they grew in large quantities. In the article, we will consider planting a delphinium with seeds, and also dwell on how to care.
Features of cultivation
Cultivation of spurs in culture began in the nineteenth century. Currently, there are about 800 different shades of this flower. Among them there are terry, super- and semi-double, medium, high and short varieties.
When growing a delphinium, you need to know some subtleties:
- The plant prefers loamy and clay soils with lowacidity, enriched with organic and mineral fertilizers.
- Choosing a landing site - in the morning it should be sunny, protected from strong winds, without stagnant water. After planting, be sure to mulch with humus or peat.
- Depending on the species in one place, the larkspur grows from three to six years, and then planting and dividing the bush is required.
- Flowers do not tolerate excess moisture and require a garter to protect the stems from breakage.
Self-collection and preparation of planting material
To plant a delphinium, seeds are purchased in specialized stores or collected on their own. To obtain high-quality seed pay attention to the color of the fruit, they must be brown. Collection is carried out in dry weather. Seeds are stored at room temperature for 11 months. To prolong their shelf life, they should be kept refrigerated, for example. Low temperatures help preserve the properties of seeds, and storage in a warm place reduces germination.
Planting a perennial delphinium for seedlings with seeds requires their preparation, which does not depend on whether the planting material is purchased or collected independently. They must be pickled and properly processed to obtain good seedlings. For disinfection, a saturated solution of potassium permanganate is used, in which it is kept for twenty minutes. Then they are washed in cold water. If desired, you can soak for a day in the Epin solution, whichtwo drops per 100 milliliters of water are required. It is also allowed to use another fungicidal agent. After such manipulations, the delphinium seeds are ready for planting. However, the following procedures will not only increase their germination, but will also delight you with strong and he althy seedlings.
To do this, the following procedures are carried out:
- Cut 10 x 40cm strips from white cotton.
- Pour seeds into the middle of the flap and distribute evenly.
- Bend long edges on both sides and roll up.
- Pour some water into a bowl and put the rolls in it so that they are slightly moistened.
- Put a container with seeds on the bottom shelf of the refrigerator, where the temperature is about +5 degrees.
- When the seeds swell or white dots appear on them, it means that they are ready for sowing. To slow down the process, they are put in a colder place.
Seed material for planting delphinium seeds in spring for seedlings should be prepared as follows. In early March, soak them and wrap them in gauze, which is put in a plastic bag. Then bury it in the ground. After fourteen days, plant in pots.
Reproduction in this way makes it possible to obtain a large amount of planting material. The brightest color comes from seeds harvested in the first year.
Soil preparation before sowing
Land before planting delphinium seeds for seedlings is purchased in a store or prepared independently. Gardeners-professionals recommend the latter, since the purchased soil contains a large amount of peat, which is not particularly suitable for the spur. He prefers breathable and light soil:
- Peat, garden soil and washed sand are taken in a ratio of 2:2:1. All mix and sift.
- The use of perlite will increase the moisture capacity and looseness of the soil. Half a cup is added to five liters of the mixture.
- The prepared composition is kept in a water bath for sixty minutes. As a result, fungal spores and weed seeds die.
- For the purpose of disinfection, the use of "Fitosporin" is allowed.
- The finished substrate is poured into the prepared container and slightly compacted.
Planting delphinium seeds for seedlings
Before this procedure, labels with the names of varieties are fixed on the containers into which the planting material will be poured. In addition, to control seedlings, it is recommended to designate the date of sowing. Scatter the seeds in an even layer on the surface of the earth. They are sprinkled on top by 3 mm and slightly compacted. It is desirable to water from a spray bottle. The water is pre-boiled and cooled.
Delphinium sprouts best in the dark, so the container with seeds is covered with a transparent lid, and then with a black film or covering material. Temperature plus 10-15 degrees is considered optimal for seedlings. When the plants begin to germinate, which is about ten to fourteen days later, the film is removed. It is important to keep the substrate moist. To prevent condensationthe room in which the seedlings are located is periodically ventilated.
Picking and leaving
When two or three leaves appear after planting the delphinium with seeds, it is planted in the ground. Leaves should be dark green, strong and he althy. Seedlings dive into a container with loose soil, with a volume of not more than 300 ml. Humidify moderately, the temperature is maintained at about +20 degrees. Abundant watering provokes the occurrence of diseases. In the spring days of May, small plants begin to accustom themselves to fresh air and sunlight. For top dressing, which is carried out twice with a break of fourteen days, use Mortar or Agricol.
Sowing seeds
Planting perennial delphinium seeds in the ground is carried out in the spring, usually in May. The area where this plant is planned to be planted is dug up to a depth of 25 cm, adding per square meter:
- two kilograms of peat and humus;
- one hundred grams of wood ash;
- ten grams of nitrophoska.
Then they level, make grooves and sow the seeds. From above they are sprinkled with sifted soil, slightly compacted and covered with plastic wrap or special agrofiber. Covering material is removed after germination. Care for young sprouts consists in watering, feeding and loosening. The next spring, the plant is ready for transplanting to a permanent place.
Landing at a permanent location
When the root system completely fills the container with seedlings, it's time to transplant the delphinium to a permanent place, which has been prepared since autumn. Dig upland with manure (compost) and peat. Repeat in the spring. Feed with fertilizers containing superphosphate, ammonium sulfate, potassium s alt. The pits are made 40 cm deep, the distance between the seedlings depends on the flower variety. The soil from the hole is mixed with compost in a ratio of 1: 1 and fall asleep ½ back.
When the ground settles, this process takes about two days, you can plant plants. The soil around them is lightly compacted and watered. To protect from the wind, each seedling is covered, for example, with a glass jar. When the plants begin to grow, the shelter is removed. When grown by seedling, the delphinium pleases with flowers in the year of planting.
Summer Care
After planting the delphinium with seeds, care for it is carried out throughout the summer period. To do this, it is recommended to perform the following manipulations:
- Top dressing - three times per season. Cow dung is used as fertilizer in a ratio of 1:10, that is, one part of fertilizer and ten of water. For irrigation, take one liter of infusion per bucket of liquid. A mixture is also suitable, which includes 20–30 g of potassium chloride, 30–40 g of ammonium sulfate, 60–70 g of superphosphate and 10–15 g of ammonium nitrate. Scatter the dry mixture under the bushes and slightly deepen.
- Thinning - allowed when stems grow at least 20 cm. Leave no more than five stems on each bush. Shoots growing near the ground break off.
- Tie up - put supports twice, that is, when the stems reach a height of 50and 120 cm. For this, it is best to use cloth tapes to avoid damaging plants.
- Watering - the soil under the bushes should be moist. During the dry period, one or two buckets are poured weekly under each bush. After soaking up water, the soil must be loosened.
Planting perennial delphinium seeds in autumn
Planting in autumn or before winter is also possible. This method allows you to achieve early flowering. The process of stratification is carried out naturally. Seeds are sown in the ground in October-November. They are lightly sprinkled with a mixture of peat and river sand, taken in equal quantities. As a covering material, burlap, foliage or spruce branches are used. Landing before winter is carried out when stable frosts come. To do this, seeds, a thin layer of dry earth are poured into pre-prepared grooves and covered, as in the previous case.
In the spring, when the first shoots appear, the shelter is removed. Seed material with this method of planting should be taken more, since the survival rate of seedlings is significantly lower than with the seedling method or sowing directly into open ground. It is important to remember that such planting methods are not practiced for varietal plants.
Useful information
- When stored in a dry and warm room, delphinium seeds quickly lose their germination capacity, so when buying them in the off-season, it is best to store them in the refrigerator.
- Sowing is allowed at different times - after collecting seeds, that is, in autumn, freezing of the soil (underwinter). Another planting of delphinium seeds at home is allowed at the end of February.
- It is almost impossible to grow larkspur of hybrid varieties from own seeds. The reason is that parental traits are not inherited, so they are bred by cuttings or dividing the bush.
- Delphiniums are hardy and can withstand temperatures down to minus 50 degrees under snow cover. If there is little or no snow in winter, they need shelter.
- White varieties need more light. In addition, when different varieties are planted closely, it is difficult to maintain color purity.
Diseases and pests
Delphinium is attacked by fungi:
- Seedlings from seeds are susceptible to black leg, the causative agent of which is in the ground. Therefore, as a preventive measure, its disinfection is carried out. High humidity, heavy soil and dense plantings provoke the onset of the disease. Sick and weak sprouts should be removed immediately.
- Mature plants are affected by rust, powdery mildew, etc.
Antifungal agents are used to fight, for example, they are sprayed with Bordeaux liquid.
Delphiniums can also get viral diseases. In this case, the affected plant is removed. At the very beginning of the disease, sprinkling with a solution of "Tetracycline" helps.
Insects such as onion fly, slugs, aphids, caterpillars harm young leaves. They fight pests with special chemicals.
Conclusion
After reading the article, yougot acquainted with the care and planting of perennial delphinium seeds. It is rightly called an exotic decoration of any suburban area. Tall plants with bright large flowers immediately attract attention.
