Characteristics of the delphinium plant, advice on growing in open ground, how to propagate, how to deal with pests and diseases, curious notes, species and varieties.
Delphinium (Delphinium) by scientists included in the family Ranunculaceae. The genus has about 450 species, which are mainly found in the Northern Hemisphere or in the tropical mountain belt of the African continent. However, many species come from the southeast Asian lands, mainly China is considered to be their homeland. In these areas of the planet, botanists have identified more than 150 species of delphinium. The same genus is the "closest relative" of the rather poisonous representatives of Aconite (Aconite), therefore it contains poisonous substances in its composition.
Since these plants can be both annuals and perennials, the former are often bred into an adjacent genus called Sokirki (Consolida). It is numbered 40 species with a herbaceous form of growth. On the territory of Russia and other CIS countries, you can count up to a hundred varieties of delphinium.
| Family name | Buttercup |
| Life cycle | Perennial or annual |
| Growth features | Herbaceous |
| Reproduction | Seed, by cuttings or dividing the bush |
| Landing period in open ground | Saplings are planted in late May or early June |
| Disembarkation scheme | The distance between seedlings depends on the species |
| Substrate | Loose loams with mixed peat and compost |
| Soil acidity, pH | Neutral (6, 5-7) or slightly acidic (5-6) |
| Illumination | A brightly lit place, but shaded at lunchtime |
| Moisture indicators | The soil must be constantly moist, but not flooded |
| Special Requirements | Unpretentious |
| Plant height | 0, 1–3 m and more |
| Color of flowers | Blue, purple or other colors |
| Type of flowers, inflorescences | Panicle, pyramidal racemose |
| Flowering time | Spring-autumn |
| Decorative time | Spring-autumn |
| Place of application | Flower beds and flower beds, borders |
| USDA zone | 4–9 |
There are several versions about the origin of the name delphinium:
- Until the bud has blossomed, it looks like the outlines of the body and head of a dolphin.
- Many similar flowers have been found near the Greek city of Delphi. This settlement was located next to the famous Temple of Apollo, located on the slope of Mount Parnassus. The Delphic oracle, depicted in legends, also lived there.
You can hear among the people how the delphinium is called spur or larkspur. The latter term is most likely associated with the use of this plant in the recipes of folk healers, but the former is used because of the protruding appendage at the top of the sepal, which in its shape resembles a cavalryman's spur.
The height of the stems of delphiniums directly depends on the variety, these parameters can vary from 10 cm to 3 or more meters (those spurs that grow in the alpine belt or in forests). In all types of larkspur, leaf plates have palm-like outlines with division into parts. In this case, a dissection into a large number of lobes occurs, in which the apex is sharpened or teeth are present on the edge. The color of the foliage is a rich bright green color scheme.
During flowering (the period depends on the variety), irregular flowers are formed, consisting of five sepals. On the upper sepal there is a spur - an appendage with the outlines of a cone. The spur length in simple varieties is only 5–6 mm, but, for example, a plant from Africa - Delphinium leroyi has a spur of 45 mm. The inside of the spur is hollow, a pair of nectaries is formed there, under which there are two petals of very small sizes, called staminodes. In the central part of the flower, from these nectaries and staminodes, an ocellus is formed, which can often radically differ in color from the sepals. Basically, the shades that delphinium sepals take include blue or purple, but there are varieties with other colors.
Larkspur inflorescence combines 3-15 buds. Primitives are characterized by a panicle shape, there can be 50–80 flowers in inflorescences, differing in development and pyramidal outlines, which are combined into a common simple or branched raceme. After pollination, fruits ripen in the form of one or many leaves.
Spurs are planted in flower beds, in the central part of flower beds, curbs are greened with undersized species.
Planting a delphinium and outdoor growing rules
- Choosing a landing site. Since the larkspur perfectly tolerates the sun's rays, it is recommended to place it in flower beds, which only have a slight shade at lunchtime. It is worth choosing a place where the plant will be protected from strong gusts of wind and drafts. Since the delphinium is a frost-resistant plant that easily tolerates a drop in temperature to -40 degrees, a big problem for it is waterlogging of the soil during thaws. This is all due to the fact that the root system, which does not lie too deep from the surface, easily wears out. Therefore, it is recommended to exclude the proximity of groundwater at the landing sites of the delphinium, as well as the accumulation of moisture from precipitation and melting of the snow crust. It is advisable to pick up such a flower bed so that, as soon as the snow melts in the spring, glades form on it.
- Delphinium planting soil must have neutral or weak acidity (pH 5–7), be nutritious, allow moisture and air to pass through to the root system. Loose loams, into which peat, compost or humus are mixed, are suitable for the spur. If the substrate is too acidic on the site, then you need to deacidify it - add slaked lime at the rate of about 0, 1–0, 15 kg per 1 m2. Before planting in the fall, it is recommended to dig up a place for larkspur and fertilize using manure and peat - 5-7 kg of each are taken per 1 m2. If there is no manure, it is replaced with compost and dug up again. Re-digging is carried out in the spring before planting in order to re-feed the soil. It is recommended to apply the following fertilizers: 50-60 g of potassium salt, 30-40 g of ammonium sulfate and 60-70 g of superphosphate per 1 m2.
- Delphinium landing held in late May or early June, when there will be no morning frosts. If all pre-planting work with the soil has been carried out, then a hole is dug in it no deeper than 40-50 cm. The distance between them will directly depend on the type of spur (about 50-70 cm). The soil extracted from the hole is mixed with peat or compost in a 1: 1 ratio. Half of the soil mixture is returned to the deepening. When the soil settles in a couple of days, you can move the seedlings into the hole. After planting, the soil is abundantly watered and mulched using peat, compost or sawdust. Then, in order for the seedling to root successfully, a cut plastic bottle can be placed on top. When young leaves appear, the shelter is removed.
- General tips for spur care. Already in the second year after planting the larkspur, you can see dense young growth nearby, so it is necessary to thin out the bushes. If this is not done, the size of the flowers will decrease, and the peduncles will be shortened. When thinning is carried out, you need to remove those shoots that have formed in the central part of the bush so that air circulation is not disturbed. When the shoots of larkspur reach a height of 50–70 cm, it is necessary to tie them to pegs, since fragile stems can break off from the wind and under their weight. To do this, neatly next to each delphinium bush, three slats (rods) are installed, which will serve as a support, with a height of about 1, 8 m. To them, you need to tie up the elongated shoots with the help of ribbons or fabric strips. This is done to prevent them from cutting into the stems and inevitable damage in case of strong winds. The next time a garter will be required when the shoots reach a height of a meter or more. With the arrival of autumn, after the flowering period is over, it is recommended to cut off the entire aerial part, leaving only hemp in place of the stems 20–25 cm in size from the soil surface. This is done to protect the root collar of the larkspur from decay during spring thaws. In one place, planted burgundy bushes can grow up to 8-10 years, but then they will need a transplant. Pacific species can withstand 3-4 years without changing the place of growth.
- Watering the larkspur. Since these plants love moist soil, it is important that when caring for a delphinium, the substrate never dries out and is not flooded. This can provoke rotting of the root system. After the soil is moistened, weeds are removed and loosened. It is only necessary to loosen the soil after rains by only 3-5 cm so as not to injure the root system. It is important to remember that during the entire growing process each delphinium can absorb about 60 liters of water, but if the weather is dry in summer, it is recommended to pour 2-3 buckets of water under each spur bush every week. The main thing is that the soil does not dry out, and the watering is regular and abundant during the period when the inflorescences are forming, otherwise there will be places with "gaps", devoid of buds, in them.
Fertilizers for the delphinium are applied three times during the growing season:
- With the arrival of March, 60–70 g of superphosphate, 10–15 g of ammonium nitrate, 20–30 g of potassium chloride and 30–40 g of ammonium superphosphate are used, which are taken per 1 m2. The preparations are mixed and distributed under the larkspur bushes, deepening by 5–6 cm. Then the soil is mulched with peat, pouring it into a layer of about 2–3 cm.
- The second dressing is carried out when budding occurs - 50-60 g of superphosphate and 30-40 g of potassium, applied to a surface of 1 m2.
- The last time a spur fertilizer is needed at the end of summer, the same components are used as for the first time.
How to propagate a delphinium?
To get new shrubs, the collected seeds are sown, cuttings are rooted or an overgrown plant is divided.
It is recommended to separate those larkspur bushes that have reached 3 years of age. When in early spring the height of the stems still does not exceed 15 cm, the delphinium is dug up and the rhizome is cut with a sharp knife. The division is carried out in such a way that each of the divisions has a sufficient number of root processes, stems (1–2 or more) and renewal points. Slices on delenki must be sprinkled with crushed charcoal or activated pharmacy charcoal.
After that, the rhizome is cleared of soil and examined. If damaged parts are found, they are removed and the remaining part of the roots is washed under running water. Delenki for a start (to grow) are planted in containers filled with a substrate of black soil, river sand and humus, taken in equal parts. Pots with delphinium cuttings are placed in a warm place and after 14–20 days they can be planted in open ground. As a spur has the ability to quickly take root, even in a pot, a peduncle may appear at a bush, it must be cut off so as not to weaken the plant.
Delphinium cuttings are a fairly simple process that takes place in the spring (April-May). When the shoots grow 10-15 cm in spring, they can be cut in such a way that part of the rhizome is captured. Its length can be as little as 2-3 cm. Cuttings cut in this way can be planted immediately on the garden bed. It is important that the landing site is in a slight shade, otherwise the sun's rays will destroy the fragile spurs. A cut plastic bottle can be placed on top to create a mini greenhouse. After the rooting of larkspur cuttings occurs in 2-3 weeks, the seedlings can be transplanted to the prepared place.
You can also root cuttings of a delphinium indoors. Then the workpieces are planted in small pots with peat-sandy soil. When leaving, they require 3-4 daily spraying from a spray bottle and so that the soil does not dry out in any case.
If the decision is made to propagate the delphinium with the help of seeds, then you can sow the material before winter directly into the ground or grow seedlings. In the first case, stratification will be natural, and in the second, they must be kept in cold conditions before sowing. To do this, in the middle to late winter, the seeds are placed on the lower shelf of the refrigerator, and with the arrival of March they are sown in seedling boxes filled with universal store soil. The substrate can be prepared independently by mixing black soil, river sand and compost (humus) in equal parts. Shallow grooves (30–50 mm) are made in the soil, keeping 6–7 cm between them. The seed material of the burgundy is carefully distributed in them and sprinkled with a small amount of the same soil. After sowing, the substrate is sprayed with warm water from a fine spray bottle.
When germinating, the seedling boxes are covered with plastic wrap, care will consist of daily airing for 10-15 minutes and spraying the soil with water when it dries. When young shoots of the delphinium appear, thinning is carried out so that 6-7 cm remain between the plants. In late spring, you can plant seedlings in flower beds.
How to deal with pests and diseases when caring for a delphinium?
Despite the unpretentiousness, spurs can be affected by both harmful insects and diseases that arise due to violations of the rules of cultivation.
The main diseases from which larkspur suffers are:
Fungal diseases:
- Powdery mildew, in which the foliage is covered with a grayish-white bloom. As a result, the leaves turn brown and die off, a suspension of gas sulfur (1% solution) or sulphurous lime (1–2%) is used for treatment.
- Downy mildew, having the appearance of yellowish oily spots on the leaves from above, from below these places are whitish. To get rid of, use AB for spraying and 1% Bordeaux liquid, you need to thin out the bushes.
- Decay of the root collar, which provokes the wilting of the entire plant and the destruction of the root system. A cobweb-like accumulation of fungal spores can be seen near the root collar. Apply 0.5% formalin spraying. You also need preliminary sterilization of the soil before planting at the rate of about 15 liters of a 2% formalin solution per 1 m2, constant loosening of the soil after rain or watering, the use of drainage.
Dolphinum bacterial diseases:
- Ervinia - bacterial wilting of delphinium bushes. After the lower foliage turns yellow, brown and black spots appear in the area of the root collar, which, merging, lead to blackening of the stem. It is necessary to water the root collar with mercuric chloride or 0.5% formalin. In addition, pre-planting seed treatment is needed for half an hour with hot water (50 degrees).
- Black spot of foliage - the formation of a black spot on the upper side of the leaf plates, which has irregular outlines. Over time, such spots merge, and all the foliage acquires a black color, and subsequently the lesion also affects the stem. To combat the disease in March, it is required to spray the root neck with mercuric chloride (solution 0.5%), and a little later - with Bordeaux liquid (1%). Pollination with plantafol is also periodically carried out (solution 0.2%).
Viral diseases:
- Astral jaundice at which the flowers turn green. The stems of the plant are dwarf in size, the inflorescences are characterized by beam-like outlines, the foliage turns yellow. To fight, it is recommended to remove diseased bushes, destroy aphids (it is a carrier of the disease) and regularly weed weeds.
- Mosaic and ring spot, manifested by patterning in the form of rings on yellow foliage. Over time, such rings can reach 1 cm in diameter. To get rid of the disease, it is required to strictly adhere to the rules for caring for the delphinium and, if affected bushes are identified, immediately dig them up and burn them.
Of the pests of the delphinium, it can be noted:
- Delphinium flylaying eggs in flower buds. The larvae gnaw the petals, stamens and pistils, after which the seeds are not tied, and the inflorescences quickly crumble. The insect can be destroyed by spraying with hexachloran during the budding period.
- Slugs, eating young green leaf plates of the delphinium. To get rid of pests, they are collected by hand, the soil is sprinkled with superphosphates or potassium salt around the bushes, and beer baits are also placed, it is possible to use the Groza Meta drug.
Curious notes about delphinium flowers
Both butterflies and bumblebees can pollinate the inflorescences of burgers, and in America a couple of species are pollinated by hummingbirds.
Delphinium is poisonous only for animals that feed on grass, but beekeepers recommend not planting delphinium bushes near the apiary, since both honey and pollen will contain toxic substances.
Types and varieties of delphinium
Since there are many types and varieties of larkspur, we will focus on the most popular:
Delphinium Field (Delphinium Consolida)
- an annual with stems of about 1, 8–2 m. During flowering, which begins in mid-summer and lasts until early September, simple or double flowers are formed into pyramidal inflorescences with a snow-white, lilac or blue tint. In culture, the species has been cultivated since the 70s of the 16th century. The best varieties are:
- Frosted sky - flowers with petals decorated with a white center;
- Qis rose with inflorescences of pink color;
- Qis dark blue - petals, the flowers of which are dark blue.
Delphinium Ajax (Delphinium x ajzcis)
is an annual hybrid plant, obtained by crossing the burgundy species Doubtful (Delphinium ambiguum) and Eastern (Delphinium orientale) … Shoots can vary in height within 30–75 cm, occasionally reaching up to a meter. The foliage is sessile, with a strong separation. The shape of the flower resembles the outline of a hyacinth in a spike-shaped inflorescence. The length of the inflorescence is 30 cm, the color of the flowers is red, purple, blue and pink, blue or snow-white.
There are varieties with a dense double structure of flowers. There are also varietal variations with dwarf shoot height (for example, in Dwarf hyacinth-flowered) - only 30 cm. Terry flowers are gathered here in inflorescences, differing in petals of purple, pinkish, crimson and whitish colors. The flowering of the Ajax species, or as it is also called - Sadovy, begins with the arrival of summer and continues until the frost.
Delphinium is beautiful (Delphinium speciosum)
It is a perennial, originating from the subalpine belt of the Caucasus, it grows there in meadows. The height of the stem is 30–80 cm. The foliage is rounded-cordate, divided into 5 lobes, which have serrate-separate outlines. The racemose inflorescence is composed of numerous flowers, its length reaches 45 cm. The color of the petals in the flowers is blue or violet, the central part has a "black eye". The diameter of the flowers in disclosure is 5 cm. The species has been cultivated in culture since 1897.
The most popular delphinium varieties that are used for cultivation in central Russia:
- Princess Caroline has a flower-bearing stem height of about 2 m, the diameter of double flowers is 10 cm, petals are painted in a pale pink tone.
- Snow Lace characterized by shoots 1, 2–1, 5 m high, the peduncle reaches a height of 0.4 m. When flowering, it exudes aroma. Velvet flowers with white color, in the middle there are dark brown "eyes".
- Pink Butterfly in height it varies in the range of 0.8–1 m. The outlines of the flowers resemble the spread wings of a butterfly, painted in a pale pink hue.
Video about growing delphinium:
