Aquilegia or catchment growing from seeds, planting and care photos and videos. Self-planting aquilegia in the garden

Plant aquilegia (lat. Aquilegia), or catchment, or eagle, belongs to the genus of herbaceous perennials of the Ranunculaceae family. According to various sources, there are from 60 to 120 plant species growing in the mountainous regions of the Northern Hemisphere. About 35 species are grown in culture. There are disagreements about the origin of the Latin name: some argue that it is formed from the words aqua - "water" and legere - "collect", while others believe that the word aquila, which means "eagle", is the basis of the name.

Aquilegia has long been known in the world of flower growers and not only. She is also mentioned in fiction, for example, in Hamlet, Ophelia offers her brother Laertes a columbine flower (as the British call aquilegia). And in the paintings of medieval artists, the aquilegia flower symbolized the presence of the Holy Spirit.

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Planting and caring for aquilegia

• Landing: sowing seeds in the ground immediately after harvest or in March for seedlings after stratification of the seed, followed by planting seedlings in open ground in June.
• Bloom: June July.
• Lighting: bright sunlight or partial shade.
• The soil: light, loose, moist, rich in humus.
• Watering: infrequent, but regular, in dry hot weather - frequent.
• Top dressing: 1-2 times per season with full mineral or organic fertilizer in liquid form.
• Reproduction: seeds, cuttings and dividing the bush.
• Pests: aphids, spider mites, nematodes, scoop caterpillars.
• Diseases: rust, powdery mildew, gray rot.

Read more about growing aquilegia below.

Aquilegia flower - description

Aquilegia flowers have a two-year development cycle: in the first year, a renewal point is born at the base of the shoot, from which, by autumn, after flowering, a basal rosette is formed. In spring, the leaves of this rosette die off, the second generation of leaves appears, forming a rosette, from the center of which a peduncle will appear, and on it - stem leaves and flowers. The rosette leaves of aquilegia are on long petioles, twice or thrice trifoliately dissected, and the stem leaves are sessile, trifoliate. Aquilegia flowers are solitary, drooping, varying in size and color depending on the species and variety: there are blue, yellow, white, raspberry, purple, two-color flowers, and also combining several shades.

In the photo: Purple aquilegia

Flowers of many species are equipped with spurs.- hollow outgrowths of petals or sepals in which nectar accumulates. Spurred species include European and American types of aquilegia - Alpine, glandular, Olympic and ordinary, as well as blue, Canadian, Skinner, golden and Californian aquilegia. Japanese and Chinese species of aquilegia have flowers without spurs. The fruit of aquilegia is a multi-leaf, small shiny black poisonous seeds remain viable for about a year.

Growing aquilegia from seeds

How to grow aquilegia from seeds? It is best to sow aquilegia in the ground immediately after collecting the seeds, and in the spring, when shoots appear, transplant them to a permanent place. But if you have to postpone sowing until spring, then store the seed at a low temperature.

So that during the winter the seeds of aquilegia do not lose their germination, they are mixed with the ground and placed in the refrigerator.

In the spring, in March, the seeds are washed from the ground, sown in boxes with a well-compacted and watered light substrate of humus, sand and leafy soil in equal proportions. A layer of soil of 3 mm is poured on top of the spread out seeds through a fine sieve and the box is covered with newspaper or burlap. Keep containers with crops in a shaded room at a temperature of 16-18 ºC, moistening the topsoil as needed from a spray bottle. Sprouts usually appear after a week or two from the date of sowing. When the first pair of true leaves appear - usually in late April or early May - the seedlings are transplanted into more nutritious loamy soil.

Landing aquilegia

When to plant aquilegia

Aquilegia sprouts are planted in open ground in June, but not in a permanent place, but for growing. Be sure to shade young plants from the scorching sun. In the place where they will grow for several years, grown stronger and grown young aquilegia are planted in August or next spring. A place for planting matured aquilegia can be in partial shade and in the sun. In brightly lit places, their flowering period is somewhat shorter, and the flowers are smaller and weaker than those of specimens that grow in partial shade. Aquilegia, grown from seeds, blooms in the second year, and reaches full maturity in the third.

In the photo: Red aquilegia in the garden

How to plant aquilegia

Aquilegia is a plant undemanding to soils, but still it grows better on loose, light, moist humus soils. To improve the composition of the soil, dig it up before planting aquilegia with humus or compost at the rate of one bucket of fertilizer per 1 m³. The digging depth is about 20 cm. Aquilegia is planted in such a way that 10-12 plants are located on one square meter - depending on the variety or species. Tall forms of aquilegia are planted at a distance of 40 cm from each other, undersized - at a distance of 25 cm.

Keep in mind that aquilegia tends to scatter seeds into the soil, so be prepared to fight self-seeding.

But some flower growers allow plants to grow by self-sowing, because after 5-6 years, when the bushes you planted grow old and lose their decorative effect, they can be dug up, leaving young plants that have grown independently in the flower bed.

Aquilegia Care

How to care for aquilegia

As usual, the main care for aquilegia consists of watering, fertilizing, loosening and weeding the soil around the plant during the period of active growth. Aquilegia loves to drink, but since its root system goes deep into the ground, it rarely suffers from a lack of moisture, except in severe drought. Remove weeds in time, especially while seedlings are young and low; loosen the soil after watering or rain so that moisture does not evaporate from the surface layer of the soil quickly and feed the aquilegia so that it finds its best shape. Fertilize areas with aquilegia twice during the summer: mineral fertilizers at the beginning of active growth - 50 g of superphosphate, 15 g of potassium salt and 25 g of saltpeter per 1 m² and a non-concentrated solution of mullein at the rate of 1 bucket per 1 m². Two top dressings in the summer is enough.

Pictured: Watershed cultivation

Reproduction of aquilegia

In addition to the seed method for propagating aquilegia, vegetative methods are also used in floriculture - by dividing the bush and cuttings.

The division of the bush used only in extreme cases, when it is necessary to preserve some particularly valuable form or variety. The fact is that the root system of aquilegia lies very deep, and fragile roots do not tolerate the procedure of transplantation and division. If you still had to resort to this method, choose a bush of 3-5 years of age in early spring or early autumn, dig it out, very carefully so as not to damage the small roots, wash them off the ground, cut off all the shoots at a height of 5-7 cm and all leaves, except for two or three of the youngest, then cut the taproot in half lengthwise so that each half has two or three renewal buds and several small roots, sprinkle the cut with crushed coal and plant the delenki in boxes with a light but nutritious soil mixture . Most likely, they will be sick for a long time.

But most often aquilegia is sick powdery mildew- a white fungal coating appears on the leaves and stems, under which the leaves curl, turn brown and die. To get rid of the fungus, it is necessary to spray the plants with a solution of colloidal sulfur with green soap.

Of the insects, the enemies of aquilegia are aphids, spider mites, scoops and nematodes. Against aphids and spider mites, Actellik preparations, yarrow paste and Karbofos have proven themselves well.

But with nematodes it is very difficult to fight and often in the end you just have to change the site, and plant those plants that are not afraid of nematodes on the affected flower bed - onions, cereals, garlic. Sick plants are burned.

Aquilegia after flowering

When the aquilegia fades, the stems that have lost their decorative effect are cut off to the very rosette of leaves. Parts of healthy plants can be used for compost, while diseased specimens should be burned to avoid contaminating the soil and other plants. If you want to try the seed method of propagation, leave flower stalks with flowers of the varieties you need for the seeds to ripen, putting gauze bags on the fruit to avoid self-seeding. After flowering, you can do the division of the bush and at the same time planting plants. At the same time, in September-October, seeds are sown before winter.

In the photo: Aquilegia grown from seeds

Aquilegia in winter

There is one more type of work that needs to be done after flowering aquilegia. The fact is that in four-five-year-old plants, the roots begin to bulge out of the ground, which affects young leaves and shoots, so after removing the peduncle, you need to pour peat-dung compost with humus under the bush to cover these roots. Thus, aquilegia will receive top dressing before winter and at the same time will be protected from frost by mulch.

After this article, they usually read

Aquilegia, or catchment, is a herbaceous perennial of the family ranunculus, which has been grown everywhere since the 17th century and is loved for its absolute unpretentiousness and exquisite beauty. It can grow both in the bright sun and in the shade, under the crown of trees, it does not freeze out, and therefore it does not require shelter for the winter, it is not picky about the composition of the soil, and can grow and bloom in one place for many years with little or no care ...

Curious facts.

For all the time of growing aquilegia in different countries, a variety of names have been assigned to it (dove, eagle). There are many references in myths, legends and literature.

For Americans, this is the dove of Columbine, personifying female infidelity, and in other countries more often the flower meant temptation, betrayal.

Shakespeare's Ophelia, who has gone mad after her husband's betrayal, gathers aquilegia flowers and offers them to her brother so that he is not harsh. In medieval Norway, the aquilegia was a symbol of the goddess of love and fertility, Freya. Since the spurs of the flowers resemble a jester's cap, many peoples associate aquilegia with stupidity.

In France, the flower was called "the flower of the grumpy, or bat, woman", due to a common history, and was not used in bouquets and for decorations.

The British called the grass "Lion's Tea", believing that it adds strength and endurance to lions, and also because of the large number of spurs that resemble a crowd of people, a "meeting house".

The Austrians called the plant "Five birds together" for the five petals.

Among the ancient Germans, aquilegia flowers allegedly opened doors to other worlds, the flowers symbolized the shoes of elves.

For Christians, aquilegia is the holy spirit, and its petals are holy gifts. It was believed that the color of the aquilegia symbolizes the color of the shoes of the Virgin Mary. They call it a mountain bell and a talisman against evil spells.

Botanical features of flowers.

More than 100 wild species have been described in the genus Aquilegia, but most of them are not commonly grown. You can recognize this plant by flowers of an unusual shape of different colors, usually with a long spur, and by graceful double or triple trifoliate leaves, with an attractive bluish bloom.

Each leaf is up to 5 cm long, 2-3 cm wide. The surface of the leaves is poorly wetted by water, and therefore water from rain or dew collects in large drops and rolls down. The corolla of the flower consists of five separate petals in the form of a funnel, ending in spurs, and five sepals. The leaves form a basal rosette, from which a stem grows by the beginning of summer, from 20 cm to 1 m, depending on the variety and species. Stem leaves and peduncles appear on the stem, loose panicles, with 8-12 flowers, or single flowers.

Blooms in early summer. Each flower stays open for about a week, fully blooming lasts about a month. The root is thick with a thickening at the base, goes far into the depths.

The fruit is a pod-leaflet. Small black seeds, when ripe, crumble and are carried by the wind.

East Eurasian species have almost no spurs, and usually have yellowish shades of flowers. In European countries, species with flowers that have long spurs that can be bent are common. In the countries of North America, the spurs of the flowers are straight and long, the color of the flowers is bright, often two-tone.

Varieties and types.

From interspecific hybridization, many wonderful varieties have now been bred, with the most diverse palette of color, shape, doubleness, flower size and plant height. Many of them can now be found on the Russian seed market.

• Maccana hybrids- tall, more than a meter in height, with flowers pointing upwards, with long spurs, of various colors.
• Varietal series Stars: Red, Pink, Blue, Red, White, Blue, they have only a white center of the flower. Flowers up to 10 cm, with a long spur. Plant height 60-80 cm.
• Variety type Barlow(old varieties named after Charles Darwin's grandmother, Nora Barlow) - tall, 60-80 cm, flowers are not very large, up to 4-6 cm, but they are very double with pointed petals, almost without spurs.
• Variety type Tower- the same, only the petals of double flowers are more rounded and more like a rose.
• Can't get past Korolev: Yellow and Pink. Tall, with large expressive flowers. They bloom a little later than others, but more abundantly and for a long time.
• Winky- low, with strong peduncles, terry, early, flowers directed upwards.
• Interesting variety Biedermeier, it is low, up to 25-30 cm in height, can be grown in pots. Double flowers 3-5 cm in diameter.
• For exquisite flower beds, you can search for a series Cameo. Only 15 cm high, very early, various colors.

There are many more varieties, both in retail trade and in private owners of flower collections.

Growing conditions.

Sun, soil, fertilizer.

In order for aquilegia to feel good and show in all its glory, it is advisable to take into account its special needs. Any soil is suitable, both loose and moderately moist, except for very heavy loams. It can also grow in direct sun, but in a light shade, flowering will be more abundant, longer and the flowers will be larger. This is a very important quality, because not all plants put up with shade and can grow in the roots of trees. Quite in a dark corner, many diseases can intensify. And in the bright sun, the flowers shrink.

When planting, it is necessary to provide a landing hole of at least 20 cm (with drainage, if necessary), fill it with a nutrient loose mixture. In subsequent years, make sure that the soil does not compact or get wet.

Distance between bushes it can be from 20 cm in low-growing varieties and up to 40. The less sun on the site, the less often aquilegia are planted to ensure sufficient ventilation, preventing diseases.

She loves loosening and, of course, weeding.

Aquilegia can “bulge” out of the soil in spring, with the growth of the root and stem, so it is advisable to sprinkle the hole around the stem every year with loose soil, for example, humus or compost.

Given that many types of aquilegia grow in nature in moist areas, soil moisture should also be ensured in the garden. In case of drought, aquilegia will survive, because the root goes deep and can extract precious moisture, but the plant will not show all the beauty of flowering.

It is desirable and sufficient to fertilize at the beginning of growth and after flowering, complex fertilizer. The plant itself will remind you of top dressing if the flowering becomes less abundant and the color of the flowers weakens.

After flowering.

After the plant blooms, it is better to cut the shoots, leaving a decorative rosette of basal leaves. If it is necessary to leave the fruits to obtain seeds, then they are removed slightly browned. Otherwise, when they are fully ripe, they can crumble and disperse themselves around.

Care and reproduction.

With prolonged cultivation in one place, more than 6 or even 10 years, the plant becomes less decorative, gets sick more often, thins out, the flowers become smaller, frost resistance is lost. Usually, by this time, new aquilegia bushes grow around from self-sowing, and the flower bed does not lose its decorative effect.

This happens in most front gardens where maintenance is kept to a minimum. However, during self-sowing, varieties can be pollinated, and as a result, flowers that do not look like the original variety grow, often simpler, not so beautiful. Therefore, to obtain seeds from a particular variety, it is necessary to grow it either away from other varieties, or artificially pollinate, and cover the ovary with a bag of gauze.

Seeds quickly lose their germination capacity, they are usually sown before winter, or stratified if sown in spring.

Seedlings bloom in the second year, more magnificently in the third. Young seedlings are easier to transplant than adult specimens.

Vegetative propagation and transplantation.

To preserve a particular variety, vegetative propagation is used by dividing the bush or basal shoots. I must say that this is not easy, and in general, aquilegia does not tolerate transplantation, like many buttercups, due to the special structure of conductive tissues. Because of this, do not rush to purchase mature or old aquilegia bushes that may be offered for sale. They will be very difficult to get used to. Indeed, when digging, a very long main root necessarily suffers, and after that the plant withers, and will “come to its senses” for a long time.

The division of the bush.

When dividing a bush, plants older than 3 years of age are taken. The plant is carefully dug as deep as possible, most of the leaves are cut off. The roots are gently washed in water, and the main root is divided lengthwise so that each segment has at least a pair of buds and roots.

The wounds are sprinkled with charcoal, and the delenki are planted in loose soil. The bushes are divided in spring or before the beginning of autumn, so that the divisions have time to take root well and not freeze out in winter.

Cuttings.

When cutting, young shoots break out in the spring and take root in loose soil or just sand, in a greenhouse, previously treated with a rooter. Light shading and regular spraying is required.

Diseases and pests.

Aquilegia rarely gets sick. More often - due to abnormally rainy weather, or in the case of a too damp place in strong shade.

Powdery mildew.

Usually, when damp cold weather sets in, the leaves are covered with a white coating - powdery mildew. With severe damage, the leaves turn brown and die. Leaves should be treated as early as possible with copper-containing preparations, or Topaz, repeating the treatments a couple more times at intervals of about a week.

Other troubles.

Much more dangerous are diseases such as various mosaics, spotting and rot, they usually lead to the death of the plant.

Of the pests, it is extremely rare, but damage by caterpillars, mites, and aphids is possible. Or there are defeats by ubiquitous and practically indestructible viruses and nematodes, in which case it is better to destroy the plants by burning. For the prevention of diseases and pests, marigolds and marigolds can be planted in close proximity to the root system of aquilegia, various folk remedies or fungicides and insecticides can be used.

Aquilegia in the garden - compositions and combinations.

Aquilegia is traditionally used for mixed landings. You can create a large lush arrangement of aquilegia of different colors, but it is better to combine it with other plants, placing it in the foreground so that you can see every flower nearby.

Undersized forms look great with other small perennials: carnations, grains, saxifrage, gentian, very good - on an alpine hill.

Higher ones go well with other perennials, lupins, bluebells, cereals, poppies. Very beautiful compositions with aquilegia and bathing suits, ferns, astilba near the reservoirs.

Different aquilegias are well combined with each other, differing in height, color, flower shape and flowering time. Many small catchment varieties can be used for pot growing and forcing.

Aquilegia flowers retain their color well when dried and are widely used in the creation of paintings and panels from dried plants.

Aquilegia in medicine.

Aquilegia is widely used in folk medicine in many countries. However, the use of its preparations without consulting a specialist is very dangerous, because all parts of this beautiful plant are very poisonous, especially the seeds.

In case of accidental poisoning, weakness, nausea, dizziness, dilated pupils, convulsions, and death from respiratory arrest can occur. The first aid will be an urgent gastric lavage, taking activated charcoal, drinking plenty of water.

It is better to avoid such cases and be attentive to children in areas where there are poisonous plants.

If you ask flower growers if they like ranunculus, most likely, most of them will answer in the negative. Naturally, everyone has an association with a nondescript yellow five-petal flower, which litters in many in some gardens. However, if such a question is asked about everyone's favorite aquilegia, the answer will be just the opposite. Of course, the catchment area, the embodiment of beauty, unpretentiousness and a variety of shades, is grown with pleasure by many.

But do connoisseurs of aquilegia know that it is nothing more than a typical representative of the Buttercup family? Unexpectedly, agree! Although, on the other hand, it has five petals, similar leaves, grows in partial shade, has a taproot, is poisonous ... There is a lot in common.

What is special about aquilegia

More than a hundred varieties and varieties of aquilegia are grown in gardens around the world. In different countries, her name sounds differently: “eagle”, “elven slipper”, “columbine (dove)”. We most often call this plant "catchment". People have noticed that drops of rain or dew roll down the leaves and gather at their base in a rainbow-colored large ball, sparkling in the sun's rays. This phenomenon is due to the special structure of the leaf surface (“lotus effect”), when water glides over microscopic protrusions covered with a water-repellent film, without lingering and not being absorbed into the plant tissue.

Another interesting feature of aquilegia is the special structure of the corolla of the flower. Petals form a kind of funnel with outgrowths located behind - spurs. Such outgrowths - features of a variety or species, can be very diverse - long, short, bent into a ring, or completely absent from the flower. Yes, and there can be much more than five petals, especially in terry hybrids.

How does aquilegia develop?

Like most perennial crops, in the first year of development aquilegia gives a basal rosette of leaves, dense and quite decorative due to the beautiful carved shape of the leaves and their greenish-gray hue. For the second year the plant produces several peduncles, blooming, depending on the variety, from late May to August. And the plant blooms in full color only for the third year.

The duration of flowering in the catchment is 20-30 days, and each individual flower is 10-20 days.

About seeds

After flowering, fruitlets (multi-leaflets) are tied, similar to small boxes with many compartments. They ripen small black glossy seeds, very poisonous. They need to be stored so that household members (especially children) do not have access to them.

Seeds have excellent germination throughout the year, germinating like a brush in containers or as self-sowing near a bush. After a year, germination drops sharply and by the 3rd year of storage completely fades away.

In this regard, when buying aquilegia seeds in stores, you need to pay attention to the packaging date and make an adjustment when sowing for the tightness of the old planting material.

The most beautiful species and varieties of the catchment

A huge number of varieties of aquilegia are grown in the world. The following types can be named as the most common:

• Common catchment (A. vulgaris) found throughout Europe. This species formed the basis of a huge number of hybrids, different in color, terry, height and even leaf cut. Let's take a brief look at the most popular variety groups of this type of aquilegia:

1. For example, the popular Clementina series, whose flowers are strikingly similar to clematis, but they are quite low - 40 cm.
2. Winki series with cute terry "roses" in various shades, suitable for the patio.
3. Variety series Barlow, very famous and popular because of the elegant sophistication of double flowers with short spurs and beautiful openwork foliage.

Landing aquilegia

Location selection

The catchment can be planted in sunny places, and in partial shade. Planting aquilegia in partial shade is preferable, plants produce larger and more elegant flowers, moreover, flowering lasts longer than in full sun.

Soil preparation

Aquilegia blooms willingly even in poor (but wet) soils, but it is worth trying complex fertilizers to see how much the bush has become more magnificent, the flowers are larger and the color of the corollas is brighter.

Planting aquilegia in open ground

Most often, aquilegia landing is carried out seeds in open ground, sometimes used seedling method.

It has already been said above that aquilegia seeds germinate easily. They are harvested unripe to avoid self-seeding, ripened in a dry room and sown. late summer or spring.

autumn sowing preferable because the seeds undergo natural stratification (go through cold stimulation). It is held in late August - early September. In a shady section of the garden, a garden bed is prepared, seeds are sown, and a half-centimeter layer of earth is sprinkled on top. Water carefully. From above, crops are mulched with peat or humus. spring you can sow the seeds of aquilegia in the ground as soon as the snow melts. In the middle lane - in April. Before spring sowing, the gardener must independently cool the seeds in the refrigerator for a month (in a container with wet peat until they hatch) or under the snow, plunging the box with the crops into a snowdrift. After that, they can be sown in the ground. A bed with spring crops should be watered regularly, avoiding either overdrying or waterlogging. When spring sowing shoots appear in 20-30 days.

After the emergence of seedlings, they are shaded from the bright sun, continue to monitor the soil moisture. With a dense planting, thinning is carried out, leaving the strongest seedlings.

In the process of further growth, it is also necessary to carry out weeding from weeds and loosening the soil around the plants in time.

In phase 1-2 of this leaf (4-6 weeks after sowing), the seedlings are seated in a permanent place. This must be done very carefully, since it is at this stage that most of the seedlings of the catchment die. The main task is to preserve the core root as much as possible and plant it in the hole evenly, without twisting.

In addition, it is important to ensure regular watering and protection from the scorching sun.

Plants are planted in a permanent place when 5-6 true leaves appear on them.

Planting distance 20 - 40 cm for varieties of different heights.

Planting aquilegia seedlings

You can grow aquilegia and seedlings. Seedlings are sown in March.

Before sowing for seedlings, seeds, just as before spring planting, are stratified in a refrigerator or in a box under the snow for 4-6 weeks.

The soil for seedlings is prepared from soddy land, humus and coarse sand in a ratio of 1:1:1. The prepared substrate is scattered in containers, leveled, well moistened.

Seeds are scattered over the surface, not very thick if the seeds are fresh. From above they are sprinkled with a thin layer of the substrate or lightly pressed down without sprinkling.

Then they are placed for germination, the temperature of 16-18 degrees is considered optimal for fast germination. The substrate is kept moist.

From above, the containers are covered with a film or bag, periodically opened for ventilation. Finally, the film is removed after the emergence of shoots.

Shoots appear in 10-14 days.

In late April - early May, when 2-3 true leaves appear on the seedlings, picking can be carried out. It is convenient to dive plants into peat cups for subsequent planting in open ground in a permanent place.

When picking, as mentioned above, it is important to carefully place the spine in the hole without breaking, bending or tucking it.

Aquilegia seedlings are planted in open ground in a permanent place in June.

Between plants maintain a distance of 20-40 cm from each other, depending on the tallness of the variety.

How to propagate aquilegia

The catchment is a rather unpretentious plant in the care and reproduction. The following methods are used:

• seed reproduction,
• cuttings,
• division of the bush.

Growing aquilegia from seeds

Propagation of aquilegia by seeds is described above in the section "Planting aquilegia".

This process is quite simple, the only thing that is difficult is to get a plant identical to the mother plant from seeds, since all watersheds in the garden are mutually pollinated.

On the one hand, it is very tempting to act as a breeder and choose the most beautiful seedling, unlike any existing hybrid.

On the other hand, in order to preserve the variety that made an impression, one should either divide the bush (by digging it up and carefully cutting the rhizome into divisions with buds with a knife), or cutting, separating part of the bush from the mother plant and rooting it in a greenhouse.

cuttings

The catchment is propagated by cuttings if it is necessary to obtain new plants of the desired variety (with seed propagation, varietal characteristics will most likely not be preserved).

Young basal rosettes formed on the aquilegia bush are used as cuttings. They are separated and rooted spring or autumn. Spring cuttings take root more successfully, which are separated from the mother plant before the leaves appear.

The outlet is carefully broken off or cut off at the surface of the earth and the cut is powdered with root stimulator powder.

For cuttings, a bed is prepared with a light substrate, for example, sand or a mixture of sand and peat, moistened.

Rosettes are deepened by 1 cm, the substrate is compacted around them.

Delenki are planted on this bed for rooting. Until the roots appear, it is necessary to keep the soil moist, then switch to more moderate watering.

Cuttings must be shaded from the bright sun.

Better survival is achieved in conditions of high humidity. To do this, you can build a temporary greenhouse over the rooted delenki or cover it with cut plastic jars with periodic ventilation.

The accustomed cuttings are transplanted to a permanent place in August (during spring planting) or next spring (during autumn planting).

For the winter, the cuttings need to be covered from frost.

The division of the bush

Dividing a bush is not the most convenient way of reproduction for aquilegia. The plant suffers damage to the roots painfully and takes root in a new place for a long time. Division with subsequent planting makes sense only for old, decaying into separate plants, bushes older than 4-5 years, or, if it is necessary to propagate a rare or favorite variety, retaining its characteristics.

The rhizome is dug up and cut with a sharp knife so that each division has at least 2-3 buds.

Plants are planted in pits prepared in a new place, watered immediately after planting, and later - in the absence of rain for a long time.

Top dressing of such bushes is not produced until the plants take root.

Aquilegia Care

Watering

Aquilegia is a drought-resistant plant. It is watered when planting or transplanting, as well as during dry periods. With sufficient rainfall, additional watering is not needed.

Also, in the process of caring for aquilegia, one should not forget about the timely weeding and periodic loosening soil around the bushes.

Transfer

The catchment does not tolerate transplantation, so it should be carried out only in case of emergency.

top dressing

Fertilizers are important for good growth and flowering of aquilegia. In the spring, at the beginning of May, the catchment patches are fed with humus (0.5 kg per bush) or azophos (1 teaspoon per bush), in early June - with phosphorus-potassium fertilizers, in August - with potash fertilizers.

Preparing for winter

Adult aquilegia bushes are quite frost-resistant, and young need to be sheltered for the winter spruce branches or non-woven material.

A feature of aquilegia is that the bases of the leaves of plants after dying off become part of the rhizome, so over time the roots begin to protrude from the ground. Therefore, under bushes that are older than 4 years, in the fall spread a layer of compost mixed with humus, which protects the roots from frost and provides the plant with additional nutrition.

Life span of aquilegia

Aquilegia refers to perennial plants, but in plantings, plants are grown for no more than 4-5 years. In older plants, the central part begins to die off, and they break up into several daughter ones, as a result of which the bush loses its decorative effect. Then it is divided and seated, or replaced with a new one.

Aquilegia is a very beautiful, bright plant, which is often called "eagle" or "catchment" (due to the fact that huge drops remain in its leaves after rain). It belongs to the buttercup family and with proper care can be a wonderful addition to any garden.

North America is considered the birthplace of the flower, and its population includes about 120 species, of which about forty are cultivated.

Aquilegia has been known to flower lovers since ancient times, and court ladies paid special attention to it, who decorated their outfits with it. This interesting plant has also found its place in art - in particular, in one of the scenes of William Shakespeare's immortal Hamlet, Ophelia presents Laertes with a columbine flower (this is how the inhabitants of Foggy Albion call aquilegia), and in the paintings of medieval painters it is a symbol of holiness.

The ancient Germans endowed the flowers of aquilegia with mythical properties, called them "elven shoes" and claimed that they were able to open doors to other worlds. But in France, this plant, on the contrary, is considered unlucky - it is often called the "flower of a grumpy woman" and is not used for decorative purposes.

General information

Aquilegia can reach a meter in height, and blooms with graceful flowers, consisting of five petals, having an unusually bright color (lilac, yellow, red, and bicolor inflorescences are often found) and a pleasant aroma. On some species, the flowers have small, slightly recurved spurs. The leaves are green, about five centimeters long with a surface that practically does not absorb moisture, which is why rainwater accumulates in them.

The plant is mostly frost-resistant, and, due to its northern origin, grows well in the shade, but the golden-hued flowers are thermophilic. It begins to bloom from about mid-May, and the inflorescences last until about July. Today, there are many different varieties and types of aquilegia that have appeared interspecific crossbreeding. The most famous of them can be called:

• Variety Barlow - the oldest variety, which got its name in honor of the grandmother of Darwin himself, has small flowers with pointed petals;

  

  

• McKana hybrids - has high shoots with bright inflorescences and long spurs;

  

• two Queens, Yellow and Pink - give tall shoots and large flowers that appear quite late, but last a very long time;

  

  

• Biedermeier variety - low, up to 30 cm plants with small double flowers that can be grown both in the garden and in pots.

  

Florists (especially beginners) fell in love with Aquilegia, primarily for its simplicity and unpretentiousness in care, but gardening lovers still need some features of its cultivation.

For the successful cultivation of this plant, good soil is not too important, as it is unpretentious to the quality of the earth, but at the same time prefers loose soils with moderate moisture. When planting flowers, it is recommended to add humus or compost to the soil, and choose areas protected from direct sunlight. It should be noted that aquilegia can "live" in the sun, but the flowers will be smaller and faded.

Reproduction from seeds

There are several ways to propagate this plant, but it grows best from seed. They must be collected immediately after small green pods appear on the shoots, otherwise they will crumble into the ground, and empty “boxes” will remain on the bushes. Dry the seeds indoors at room temperature in a suitable container. We must not forget that when working with them, you must be very careful and keep them out of the reach of children, as they are very poisonous.

It is better to sow aquilegia immediately after collecting the seeds, and after the first sprouts appear, transplant them to a permanent place. Seeds are planted to a depth of about half a centimeter in autumn or spring, protected with a film (autumn shoots grow much faster). After the first shoots appear, the film should be removed and the young plants should be watered every three to four days.

If sowing can only be done in the spring, the seeds should be stored at a low temperature - best in the refrigerator, mixed with a small amount of earth. In March, they are taken out, washed well, and frozen to improve germination - for this, the seeds are first placed in a damp cloth or wet sand and kept at a temperature of 0-5 ° C. After that, they are sown in boxes with a moistened and compacted mixture of sand (preferably river sand), leafy soil and humus, taken in equal parts. The seeds are lightly sprinkled with a thin (about 3 mm) layer of soil using a fine sieve, after which the containers are tightly covered. They should be kept in a place protected from sunlight (the optimum temperature is 16-18 ° C), moisturizing the top layer as necessary. This is best done with a spray bottle, as aquilegia seeds are very sensitive to excess moisture and can easily die.

After the appearance of 2-3 leaves (usually this happens after a month), they should be immediately planted in separate containers, and in May-early June they should be planted in an open place in the most gentle way for the roots at a distance of at least 20 cm from each other. This is a very crucial moment, since it is during transplantation that most young plants die. After planting, seedlings should be thinned out regularly. Flowers usually appear in the second year after planting shoots in a permanent place.

Propagation by dividing the bush and cuttings

Aquilegia has a powerful root system, but it does not tolerate transplanting quite well, so reproduction by vegetative methods is not an easy task. The structure of the root does not allow you to dig up the plant so as not to damage it at all, it is simply impossible, and it subsequently takes a long time and hard to take root. It is for this reason that such propagation methods are used only when it is necessary to preserve a particular variety.

To divide the bush, plants are taken at least 3 years old, carefully dug up, and most of the leaves are cut off (this should be done in spring or summer, until autumn). The root should be washed well with water and cut lengthwise so that a few buds and small roots remain in the segments. Sprinkle slices with charcoal and plant in loose soil. For propagation by cuttings, young sprouts are broken off from the mother sprouts in the spring and sand or loose soil is planted in a greenhouse (you can in an open place by covering each shoot with a plastic bottle) after pre-treatment with special rooting agents.

plant care

As mentioned above, aquilegia is a fairly easy-to-care plant, but it requires compliance with a number of conditions. Experienced gardeners do not advise leaving flowers in one place for more than five years, as they have a greater tendency to self-seeding, which, in turn, leads to a loss of decorative properties. To prevent this from happening, after flowering, all fruits with seeds must be removed, and the seeds should be planted as far as possible from the main plants.

The main care for aquilegia is regular weeding and loosening of the soil. It is useful to renew the soil once a year, add fresh soil, and feed the planting. Pale, sluggish inflorescences indicate a lack of nutrients, but ideally, top dressing is carried out three times a year:

Despite the fact that the flowers tolerate drought well, you should not forget about watering. The soil should be constantly kept moist, and watering should simulate rain. The first flowers on the bushes appear at the beginning of summer (if this did not happen, then the place for sowing the plant was chosen incorrectly - perhaps it is too sunny and dry). Faded branches should be cut off in a timely manner - this will help to avoid self-seeding and prolong the flowering period. During this period, care must be taken to ensure that the roots of old plants do not begin to bulge out of the ground, otherwise the young shoots will suffer. To prevent this from happening, after removing the flower stalks, it is necessary to add a little peat-manure compost and humus under each bush, which will cover the roots and at the same time protect them from future frosts.

Aquilegia usually overwinters well, and young leaves begin to appear already under the snow. After the snow has melted, you need to carefully remove last year's stems and leaves from the planting so as not to damage the fresh ones. Sometimes it happens that as a result of frosty swelling of the soil, young plants end up on its surface - they need to be carefully buried in the soil, trying not to damage the roots.

Diseases and pests

Aquilegia gets sick quite rarely, and usually the cause of ailments is excessively rainy weather or landing in a damp place where the soil does not dry out enough. One of the most common diseases is called powdery mildew. The leaves are covered with a whitish bloom, and in case of severe damage, they turn red and fall off, therefore, immediately after its appearance, the bushes should be treated with preparations containing copper, repeating the procedure two to three more times at weekly intervals.

Another disease that aquilegia is susceptible to is gray rot, which manifests itself as dark watery spots. You can fight them with solutions of potassium permanganate and fungicides. As for pests, caterpillars are considered the most dangerous, which can destroy a young plant in just a few days, so shoots should be treated with special preparations for prevention.

Aquilegia gets along very well and looks beautiful with other flowers and plants. It can often be seen in group plantings, alpine slides and clubs in the shade of trees. True, it is not very suitable for making bouquets (flowers wither relatively quickly), but they are quite well preserved when dry.

For those who cannot devote much time to their summer cottage, aquilegia will be a real gift: planting and growing it is not at all difficult, even children can do this work. The care of the flower bed can also be entrusted to the younger generation - they will not be able to ruin the flowers with all their desire. A large number of legends and legends have been composed about this plant, it has been given many very expressive names: “Flower of a grumpy woman”, “Lion tea”, “Meeting house”, “Five birds together”, “Catchment”. Christians from ancient times revered this plant, considered its petals as holy gifts, used the flower as a talisman.

Unusual flower in your country house

Depending on the variety, aquilegia can grow up to 20 cm and up to 1 m. This feature can be used in flowerbed design: by planting flowers in the right order, you can get a beautiful multi-tiered composition. Even before the start of flowering, the site will be decorated with bizarre leaves covered with a touch of unusual color. Drops of water do not spread over the sheet, but are collected in sparkling balls, and then roll down to the ground. Looking at this picture, another name for aquilegia immediately comes to mind - a catchment area.

In early summer, single flowers or whole clusters of bright buds bloom. Each of the five petals is folded into a kind of funnel with a spur at the end. Inflorescences come in a variety of shades, often they have a double color, there are varieties with double petals. Breeders have bred species with very large flowers, they can reach a size of 10 cm if the plant receives good care.

One flower pleases the eye for only a week, but new buds bloom to replace it, and the flower bed is covered with a colorful carpet for about a month. Then pods appear, in which seeds ripen. When the time comes, the grains will fall to the ground and give life to new plants. If you do not remove the emerging shoots, they form real thickets and make it difficult to care for the flower garden.

Where will the most beautiful flower bed bloom?

Do not worry if aquilegia will take root on the site: the cultivation of this flower is available in any conditions. You can plant it in any soil, under the scorching sun or in the darkest corner - the plants will take root and develop. Only if your goal is not an experiment on the survival of ornamental crops, but a beautiful flower arrangement, create more comfortable conditions for the bushes.

Under the hot sun, the flowers will be small, rare and quickly fade. In full shade, the plants will be weak, they can easily be attacked by pathogens and pests. The best option is partial shade, when in the hottest time the flower bed is covered from scorching rays, and in the morning and evening it is well lit. Low grades can be grown under trees and shrubs.

Aquilegias do not really like heavy clays or waterlogged soils. If you want the plant to give you bright lush flowers, take care of it too. Do not be too lazy to make drainage, if the waters are high, enrich the barren land with peat and humus. All work will have to be done once, then the bushes will develop in this place for at least 6 years, and they will not need complex care.

What is better to use for landing?

The easiest way to propagate aquilegia is by seeds. It is possible to harvest grains on your own plot, but they may not retain varietal qualities. This flower is a perennial, and over the years, until the bush grows old, breeders will bring out new, even more beautiful species. Why use unreliable seed when you can buy good, more modern seeds every 6 years? It is better to purchase in the fall and immediately sow in open ground before winter. You can plant the seeds in the spring, but you will have to do additional work on stratification.

Aquilegia seeds quickly lose their germination. When buying, look at the release date and purchase seed only from the last harvest.

Vegetative propagation methods are less reliable. Aquilegia does not take root well after transplantation, its damaged roots are difficult to recover, they can rot. The division of the bush can only be carried out on plants at least 3 years old. In the spring, carefully dig out the entire underground part of the flower, rinse from adhering earth. Carefully cut the main root lengthwise and sprinkle the damaged area with crushed charcoal. Cut off the bulk of the leaves and plant the plant in a flower bed.

Propagated by catchment and cuttings. In the spring, break off young shoots and treat the lower part with a root growth stimulator. Twigs stick into loose soil for growth. Until the plants take root, shade them from the hot sun and spray them often with water.

The distance between the bushes depends on the variety of the flower. The lowest bushes can be planted after 20 cm, meter giants - after 40 cm. If the sun very rarely looks into the flower garden, increase the distance so that the damp infected air does not stagnate. You can grow a flower near the trunks of trees and shrubs, its strong root system will be able to find empty places between the rhizomes of tree crops and gain a foothold in the soil.

Easy care for aquilegia

Outdoor aquilegia care is not difficult, but it still requires a small amount of care. Every spring, carefully inspect your plantation. Strong aquilegia roots can push the top of the tuber out of the ground - cover it with compost or peat. The plant is not afraid of drought, its long roots go to great depths, only flowering without water will not be bright and lush. Don't let the aquilegia suffer from thirst, it loves constantly moist soil. Water the flower bed as it dries, and to carry out this procedure less often, bury the hydrogel in the ground.

You can fertilize aquilegia 2 times per season: at the beginning of the growing season and after flowering. Use complex fertilizers, they have all the necessary components. If the first flowers seemed small and dim to you, it means that the bushes are hungry and ask for additional feeding. Pour the soil with nutrient solutions, and the flower bed will immediately become more colorful and magnificent.

When the flowers fade, cut off the stems with peduncles, and decorative rosettes of leaves will decorate the flower bed until late autumn. If you want to collect the seeds, pick off the pods when they turn brown in color and dry indoors. You may not be able to keep track of when the achene bursts and the grains fall to the ground.

After 6 years, the bush ages, loses its beauty. Dig up old specimens and replace them with young plants. No matter how diligently you cut off the dried flower stalks, anyway, some of them managed to throw seeds on the ground, and young shoots will appear on the flower bed. You can allow flowers to reproduce on their own, only the sight of such bushes will most likely disappoint you. Pollinated plants often lose their varietal qualities and become less beautiful. This option is suitable for creating flowering lawns that do not need care, filling empty spaces on the site, but a colorful composition will not work when self-sowing.

If you want to collect varietal seeds, plant several bushes in a separate area. Seed plants of each species should be at a great distance from each other.

Diseases and pests

Aquilegia is resistant to most diseases. But when grown in close quarters and humidity, the leaves can be affected by powdery mildew. If you see a white coating, immediately treat the plants with preparations containing copper. It is recommended to carry out three such procedures with an interval of 7 days.

If spots, rotten or dried areas appear on parts of the plant, the flower is struck by a viral or fungal infection. No treatment methods or enhanced care usually bring results, and while you are trying to cure a diseased specimen, the causative agent of the disease spreads to other bushes. Dig up damaged plants and burn them, and treat the rest of the plantings with disinfectants.

Pests rarely attack aquilegia, but sometimes you can notice on the leaves ...

• ... aphids;
• ... ticks;
• ... caterpillars.

Treat the flower bed with insecticides or herbal infusions. So that pests and pathogens bypass the plantings, plant them around the bushes and organize good care for the flower garden.

Conclusion

It is not difficult to create a beautiful flower bed with a lack of time. Aquilegia will fit into any design, and caring for it is not difficult at all. The roots of plants do not freeze even in extreme cold, neither the scorching sun's rays, nor the shadow of a flower are terrible. Aquilegia is one of those rare perennials that is easiest to propagate by seeds, and after planting it grows in open ground for at least 6 years.

Unusual flowers will cover the territory with a colorful carpet, and in early spring and late autumn, carved, slightly bluish leaves will give decorativeness to the summer cottage. The flower garden will be especially beautiful during rain and heavy dew. It is not for nothing that this flower has a middle name - a catchment area: the drops do not spread over its leaves, but are collected in large balls. If you rarely go to the country and cannot provide care for capricious plants, plant aquilegia and the site will always look attractive.