How and when is it better to plant Perennial Delphinium

One of the brightest representatives of tall perennials is the spectacularly blooming delphinium. It attracts attention with its unusual shape and rare shades of flowers: pink, blue, pale white. Growing from seed will require experience and knowledge. In general, the requirements for caring for a delphinium are the same as for other subtropical flowers. You can sow it in open ground in the fall, but most gardeners recommend planting seedlings at the end of winter, at home, to insure flowers from unstable snow cover and a long spring.

Short description

Delphinium from the buttercup family is otherwise called a spur. There are both annual and perennial varieties. Florists love the plant for its very beautiful flowering and increased endurance. Delphinium grows well even in dark places, painlessly tolerates light frosts. However, the cultivation of this culture is laborious, therefore, it is rarely possible to meet it in gardens, in flower beds.

Important! Delphinium is a herb in which all parts are poisonous. Once in the human body, the toxin inhibits the central nervous system, disrupts the work of the cardiovascular system and the gastrointestinal tract. All actions for the care of this exotic flower are recommended to be done with special protective gloves!

Where is the best place to buy seed material

Only experienced gardeners and breeders know how to properly store the seeds of exotic plants. You should know that you cannot keep them at room temperature, as they lose their vitality. It is best to place the planting material in a refrigerator or special chambers in which the temperature does not exceed zero degrees.

Delphinium seeds sold in stores or markets, in most cases (60-80%) do not germinate. And the culprit is not the gardener who planted them in the wrong substrate or applied the wrong fertilizer - it's the seeds themselves. In non-specialized outlets, sellers do not adhere to the technology of storing exotic flowers. Packing the seeds in paper bags, they simply place them in a warm place. As a result, there are no shoots, the money spent disappears.

A good option would be if delphinium seeds are purchased from people who breed them. It is necessary to cut off brown bolls from healthy and sufficiently developed bushes. A pronounced dark brown color indicates the maturity of the planting material. You can rip off the boxes, which have just begun to show brown spots, but then they need to be put in a cool room and kept until the shade completely changes.

Seeds from ripe boxes must be carefully poured onto a sheet of paper, dried and placed in a glass container. The jar must be placed in the refrigerator or freezer, or taken out to the veranda / balcony. Thus, the seeds can be stored for 15 years. Then you need to "wake up" the delphinium, ie. carry out stratification.

When to plant seedlings

You can sow these exotic flowers:

• in the fall, as soon as the flower seeds are collected;
• before winter - on an open area (after freezing of the soil);
• if the delphinium is grown from seeds for seedlings at home, then it is better to plant it in the second half of February.

Preparation of materials

In order to grow seedlings, you need seeds and soil of a certain composition.Also, growth stimulants will not interfere, which will make the stratification process more successful.

Stratification

In order for plants to grow well-developed, luxurious flowers, it is recommended to properly prepare the seeds. For this:

1. Prepare a disinfectant solution from potassium permanganate or fungicide (Fitosporin, Maxima) diluted with water according to the instructions in the instructions.
2. Place the seeds in a cloth bag and immerse them in the working solution for 20 minutes.
3. Remove, rinse the rest of the disinfectant liquid under running water.
4. Place on a small plate and soak in standing water. The liquid should not be too much, it is necessary to add 2-3 drops of a growth stimulator ("Zircon", "Epina").
5. After one day, drain the liquid, and put the seed on a damp cloth in a thin layer.
6. Roll the fabric into a roll and place in a plastic container.
7. Place the container in the refrigerator and periodically add 10-20 ml of water to it. It should only cover the bottom of the fabric roll. If there is too much liquid, the seeds will rot.
8. An alternative to water is wet moss, which is used to transfer fabric rolls with seeds, after which the material is placed in the refrigerator.
9. Stratification lasts a week, and when the embryos hatch, move the workpiece to the windowsill and hold it under phytolamps for a couple of days.
10. Plant the sprouted delphinium in an open area or in containers filled with fertile soil.

The described method is suitable for planting seedlings in February and is designed for growing at home.

Another way to prepare seeds:

1. Soak seed in early spring and wrap in cheesecloth.
2. Place in a plastic bag.
3. Bury it in the ground.
4. After 1-2 weeks, remove and plant in the ground.

The best time for this method is April, when the snow began to melt. The temperature can range from -5-10 to + 3-6 ° C.

Priming

Planting a perennial delphinium requires preliminary soil preparation. You need to take garden soil and mix it with peat and humus in equal proportions. It is recommended to add a small amount of perlite to the mixture (0.5 cups per 5 liters of soil) to make the soil structure looser. It will also keep moisture in the soil.

Preliminary preparation of the soil includes not only the creation of a fertile substrate, but also its steaming for the purpose of disinfection. The procedure is carried out using a steam bath for one hour. Such soil will be completely safe for seed.

Sowing

Spread the delphinium seeds evenly over the prepared soil. The sown flowers should be sprinkled on top with fertile soil, the layer height should not exceed 3 mm. After that, lightly compact the soil so that when watering, the seeds do not rise up with water. Finally, it is necessary to evenly spray the delphinium with warm water from a spray bottle.

Advice! If planting granular seeds, use tweezers for convenience. And in order not to forget in the future where which variety was sown, it is recommended to stick labels with the names of colors on the containers.

Given that the exotic giant grows better in the dark, it is advisable to cover the crops with a special covering material, black film or an ordinary plastic bag. It is also allowed to simply place the containers in the dark until the first shoots appear.

In order for the seeds to germinate well, it is not necessary to maintain a high temperature in the room, + 10 ° C is quite enough for them. You should not raise the temperature to +20: there is a high probability of ruining future seedlings. It is recommended to temper flowers to increase their level of resistance to negative environmental factors. The procedure assumes an alternation of temperature conditions - cold / heat.

Seedlings should be expected after planting in 7-10 days. As soon as they appear, you will need to remove the covering material. After the appearance of real leaves, the delphinium must be dived.

Features of picking a delphinium from seeds

To resettle the sprouts, you can use the same substrate as when planting, but it is advisable to add 1 spoonful of complex mineral fertilizer to it.

Pick process:

1. After mixing the fertile soil with fertilizer, spread it in small containers, pots.
2. Moisten the ground and make a depression in the center.
3. Using a small spatula, carefully separate the seedlings from the seedling container.
4. Transplant them into prepared containers.
5. Sprinkle the roots of the plants with fertile soil up to the root collar.
6. Water carefully so that young roots do not expose. If necessary, sprinkle them with earth.

After the plants get a little stronger, they need to be hardened in the fresh air. After two weeks of such events, the flowers are ready to be transplanted into an open area.

Popular varieties of delphinium

Among floriculture lovers, the most popular delphinium varieties are:

• Marfin hybrids from Russian breeders, who are distinguished by a high degree of winter hardiness and a pronounced decorative effect. The height of the stem is within 180 cm, the inflorescences are 100 cm. Plants attract attention with their semi-double large flowers of various colors.
• Belladonna hybrids, bred as a result of crossing tall and large-flowered varieties. This is a variety of Dutch selection, distinguished by its tallness, their height can reach 2 m. Inflorescences are short, branched (paniculate), consisting of 5-20 large flowers. Mostly, these are flowers with blue, blue or white eyes. The flowering period is long.
• Elatum hybrids - tall plants, their height is 150-180 cm. Flowers are large enough, semi-double. Inflorescences are moderately dense, with a blue-blue color.
• Pacific hybrids. Delphinium is bred in the USA, has a tall stem, large inflorescences and flowers. The bushes surprise with their luxury, they can grow up to 6 years. Care is standard, support is required.
• Delphinium New Zealand - the most popular hybrid with a high decorative effect. The plant has very large dense inflorescences, the purest color of various tones. The New Zealand delphinium is not afraid of low temperatures, is durable, does not lose its original qualities during reproduction.

Delphinium is a real exotic decoration for any garden. Tall plants with large, bright flowers immediately attract attention. To grow them from seeds at home, it is enough to adhere to the basic rules of agricultural technology.