Growing Delphiniums: Reproduction And Care

2024 Author: Sebastian Paterson | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 13:47

Read the previous part. ← Cultivation of delphiniums: features of culture, sowing

Reproduction of delphinium

Vegetative propagation, of course, retains varietal characteristics in the offspring. One way is green grafting. Oddly enough, weaker, thinner shoots are chosen for cuttings - they take root better. In April - May, as the shoots grow, cuttings 5-8 cm long with a heel or part of the root collar are cut.

It is important that the base of the cutting is complete, without cavities. Sometimes you have to rake the soil from the root collar if the bush is deeply planted, which is wrong. On farms, part of the mother plants is cultivated in pots, and cuttings begin in March in a greenhouse, and a rare variety can also be propagated at home.

The cuttings are treated with root formation stimulants and planted in a 3-4 cm layer of clean washed sand (a mixture of sand with peat, perlite, vermiculite), poured over a light earthy mixture in a box, container at home or on a greenhouse rack. The substrate is spilled with warm water before planting. The cuttings are planted to a depth of 2 cm, after 7-10 cm, they are tightly squeezed. As usual, green cuttings are rooted under a cover made of film or glass at a temperature of + 20 … 25 ° C, with lower heating and constant air humidity of 90-100%, without drying the substrate.

Gardener's guide

Plant nurseries Stores of goods for summer cottages Landscape design studios

Roots are formed in 2-3 weeks, depending on the variety. When the roots grow up to 2.5 cm, the cuttings are planted in pots with a diameter of 7 cm in a mixture of leaf earth and sand (3: 2), filled with AVA powder with nitrogen (1 tsp per 1 liter of the mixture). If the roots cover the whole lump, young plants can be planted in open ground for growing or on a permanent place well filled with complex AVA fertilizer. Cuttings of March cuttings bloom in July, August cuttings the next year, and they winter in a greenhouse.

The British have developed a method of reproduction of the delphinium by renewal buds. By the end of flowering, these buds reach a height of 4-5 cm, they are cut with a sterile sharp knife without parts of the old stem, so as not to transmit a possible infection. A planting mixture is prepared from garden soil and washed sand by steaming it over boiling water.

The buds of the delphinium are planted to a depth of 1.5-2 cm, watered and put a box, a pot under a film, shading them from the direct sun. They are looked after in the same way as for green cuttings. Rooting of the buds occurs 4-5 weeks after planting. At the end of August, they can be planted in open ground for growing.

Dividing a bush is the easiest way to breed a delphinium. In early spring, when shoots begin to grow, a 2-3-year-old bush is dug up, freed from the ground, washing the roots with water. Among dense roots and shoots, renewal buds find optimal places for division. Rhizomes are cut into pieces so that there are 1-3 shoots or renewal buds on the cut, good roots. All cuts are powdered with charcoal or sulfur powder.

Plants over four years old accumulate so much dying tissue that dividing them is almost useless. Delenki are planted on a growing bed or in a pot with compost, which is dropped into a greenhouse until August, and then the plants are transplanted to a permanent place; or directly to the flower garden. It is good if delphiniums are covered by the light shade of trees from the midday sun, they will be protection from strong drying winds. It has been noticed that pink and blue flowers fade especially strongly.

Choosing a place for the delphinium

The place for planting is sunny, on light fertile, deeply cultivated loam with soil acidity (pH) of about 7. There is information about the successful development of delphinium on lime peat bogs. Experts believe that at a pH above 5.0, you should not add lime, an excess of which leads to chlorosis of the leaves (yellowing or white speckling) due to the inability to assimilate soil iron in an alkaline environment.

Sandy soil poorly retains the moisture necessary for the delphinium, so it is improved by introducing compost, peat up to 10 kg per 1 m². Pits up to 50 cm deep and 40 cm wide, as usual, are prepared 2-3 weeks before planting, so that the nutrient mixture of garden soil, compost, humus, peat and sand, which is filled with dug holes, settles.

Tall varieties of delphinium in group plantings are placed after 60-80 cm, in mixborders - after 40-50 cm, low varieties - after 30-40 cm, dwarf varieties - after 20-30 cm. When the earth settles, a hole is dug in a hole according to the size of the rhizome, while it is convenient to add 1-2 tsp into the hole. granules of long-acting complex fertilizer AVA for adequate plant nutrition for 2-3 years. The growth point cannot be covered with earth, the roots must be well spread on a mound of earth, pour water into the hole, cover it and squeeze it tightly with earth. After planting, you do not need to water the plants, just mulch with loose earth, peat, without covering the neck. On heavy soils, especially in autumn, the root collar is surrounded by a sandy "collar" to protect it from excess moisture.

Delphinium care

As the shoots grow up to 20-30 cm, it is customary to thin them out, breaking them out from the middle from the neck and leaving the 3-5 strongest ones on one bush. Broken off shoots can be rooted if the stems are not hollow inside.

If all the grown shoots are allowed to bloom (there are up to 60 of them), the flowers and inflorescences will be small, and this will greatly deplete the plant. For exhibition specimens, a single shoot is left to obtain a very large inflorescence.

Garter stakes are installed when the stems reach a height of 40-50 cm, and it is better to tie each stem to a separate peg. Usually they are painted green, and they are made about 180 cm high. You can make metal circles on four racks to fix tall stems.

There are many different plant holders on sale now. If delphiniums are planted between shrubs 100-120 cm high, usually their branches serve as supports for flowers. During the budding period, it is important to provide plants with moisture. With a long drought, each plant should receive 2-3 buckets of water per week. Later, with the formation of buds, watering is done along the furrows.

Shallow loosening after watering is known to retain moisture and provide oxygen to the roots. Before flowering, the plants can be fed with mullein infusion at the rate of 10 buckets of water and 1-2 buckets of manure. The mixed mullein is kept for several days until completely dissolved, then watered with 10 liters per 20 young seedlings or 5 adult bushes.

During the period of flower brush formation, if you do not use AVA, apply Kemir's fertilizer on top of 80-100 g per 1 m², then water and loosen the soil. Straw, peat, and hardwood sawdust are used as mulch. This preserves moisture, soil looseness, prevents weed growth and nourishes the plants with organic matter.

After flowering, the peduncles are cut, leaving hemp 25-30 cm high, then you can mulch the soil surface with humus, compost, 2-3 kg per 1 m². A high stump protects the root collar from moisture and air. When new shoots appear at the base of the old stems, they are normalized, just like in spring, breaking out all but the 3-5 strongest ones.

If autumn is long and dry, like all wintering perennials, the delphinium needs watering. With the onset of frost, the stems are cut at a height of 30 cm or more - so that the cut is above the usual level of melt water. Another option is possible - the cut stems are broken and bent for the same purpose - to prevent water from entering the hollow stems. It has been established that the delphinium tolerates frosts down to -20 ° С, and under snow up to -40 … -50 ° С. An adult delphinium does not need special shelter, except for mulching with compost for the winter.

Delphinium in a garden landscape

In addition to the perennial, varieties of one-year delphinium with a height of 30-120 cm with flowers of various colors: white, pink, purple are grown in the gardens.

Seeds are sown in the soil in early spring or before winter, choosing sunny places with drained nutrient soil.

A combination of varieties and types of different flowering periods and heights, in the presence of garden furniture of the same colors, will allow you to create oases of blue, blue, purple in your garden, where you can really restore mental and physical strength, balance feelings, and calm down.